A bone inlay console table is one of those rare furniture pieces that does most of the styling work for you. The pattern is already rich, the colours are already considered, and the craftsmanship already tells a story. Your job, as the stylist of the space, is simply to give it the right supporting cast.

Whether you’re placing yours in a hallway, against a living room wall, or behind a sofa, these eight ideas will help you get the most out of your bone inlay console table.

1. Match the Resin Colour to Your Dominant Wall Tone

The resin that fills the spaces between bone pieces is what gives each piece its personality — and it’s the first thing to get right when styling. If your walls are a warm white or off-white, a white-resin table creates a seamless, tone-on-tone effect. If you’re working with a dark, moody accent wall, a navy, black, or forest green resin table will feel intentionally considered.

Avoid choosing a resin colour that competes directly with your wall. Either echo it (slightly deeper or lighter) or make a bold contrast. The middle ground — a slightly different shade of the same hue — tends to look accidental rather than deliberate.

2. Use Asymmetric Table Styling for a Natural Look

The instinct when styling a console table is to centre everything — one lamp in the middle, matching objects on each side. This rarely looks as good as it sounds. Asymmetry reads as more natural and considered.

A strong starting point: one tall element on one end (a floor lamp, a tall vase, a piece of framed art leaning against the wall), a medium element in the centre (a decorative bowl, a stack of books, a sculptural object), and a small trailing element at the other end (a candle, a small plant, a bone inlay tray). The eye moves across the table in a flowing rhythm rather than landing dead centre and stopping.

3. Pair Warm Metals with White or Cream Bone Inlay

Brass, gold, and antique bronze accessories work exceptionally well against white or cream bone inlay. The warmth of the metal picks up the natural warmth in the bone itself and creates a cohesive palette. Think: a pair of brass candlesticks, a gilded mirror frame above the table, or a hammered brass vase.

For a more contemporary approach, matte black accessories against a white bone inlay console table create a graphic, editorial look — particularly effective in minimalist or Japandi-influenced interiors.

4. Hang a Mirror Above for a Classic Hallway Look

The console-table-and-mirror combination is a hallway classic for a reason. It serves a practical purpose while also bouncing light around the space. With a bone inlay console table, the mirror becomes a frame for the pattern below.

Consider a VikisArts bone inlay mirror frame in a complementary or matching pattern — the two pieces together create a unified, considered vignette. Shop bone inlay mirror frames →

5. Let the Table Be the Art — Keep Walls Simple

This is one of the most common styling mistakes with patterned furniture: treating it as one element among many, when it wants to be the focal point. If your bone inlay console table has a strong geometric or floral pattern, give it space to breathe. A plain wall above — or a single, understated piece of art — will allow the table to command the space.

This is particularly relevant in hallways, where wall space is often limited anyway. Let the table do the work.

6. Add Life with a Single Plant or Dried Florals

Green is almost always a flattering companion to bone inlay, particularly against navy, black, or terracotta resin. A pothos trailing from a corner, a fiddle-leaf fig branch in a tall vase, or a bunch of dried pampas grass adds an organic softness that contrasts beautifully with the precision of the inlay pattern.

Avoid very bushy or heavily leafed plants that will obscure the table surface. One considered plant — well-chosen and well-placed — is always more effective than several.

7. Style Behind a Sofa in a Living Room

Console tables behind sofas are having a moment in interior design, and bone inlay is perfect for this use. A sofa console table typically sits at or just below the height of the sofa back, which means the bone inlay pattern is visible across the room.

Keep objects on a sofa-back console table low — tall accessories block the view from behind the sofa and make the space feel cluttered. A row of small sculptural objects, a low decorative bowl, or a scattering of VikisArts bone inlay trays and boxes works well in this context.

Shop bone inlay boxes and trays →

8. Create a Layered Look with Stacked Books and Objects

For a lived-in, collected feel — the look of someone who buys beautifully because they love beautiful things — layer objects at different heights. Start with a small stack of coffee table books. Add an object on top of or beside the stack. Then introduce a VikisArts bone inlay tray as a container for smaller items: a perfume bottle, matches, a crystal.

This layering approach creates the sense of a life being lived around the table rather than a display being performed.

Which Console Table Colour Is Easiest to Style?

If you’re buying your first bone inlay piece and want maximum versatility, a white-on-white or white-on-cream console table is the easiest to style across different rooms and decor changes. It functions almost as a neutral while still being visually rich.

Navy is the second most versatile option — it pairs well with brass, warm white walls, natural wood, and botanical greens. Black is the bolder choice and works best in rooms with confident colour and lighting.

VikisArts’ bone inlay console tables are available in a wide range of resin colours to suit any interior. Browse the full console table collection →