A console table in Dubai does a lot of quiet work. It is the first surface you see in an entrance hall, the place keys and post land, the anchor under a mirror, and in many apartments the only piece that separates the front door from the living room. A sideboard does the same job for the dining room: it hides the things you do not want on show and gives you somewhere to put a lamp, a tray or a vase. Both are narrow, both go against a wall, and both are easy to get wrong if you buy on looks alone.

This guide covers how to size a console table or sideboard for a Dubai home, which materials hold up in an air-conditioned villa or apartment, what the pieces in our console tables collection and storage cabinets and sideboards collection actually cost in AED, and what to check before you order online.

Console table or sideboard: which one do you need?

The difference is depth and storage. A console table is shallow, usually 30 to 45 cm deep, and either open underneath or fitted with one or two slim drawers. It is designed to sit in a hallway, behind a sofa or along a wall where you cannot spare much floor space. A sideboard is deeper, typically 40 to 50 cm, with doors or drawers across the full width. It stores crockery, table linen, glassware and everything else a dining room accumulates.

A simple rule: if the wall is in a corridor or an entrance, buy a console. If the wall is in a dining or living room and you need to put things away, buy a sideboard.

How to size a console table for a Dubai hallway

Dubai apartment corridors are often narrow, and villa entrance halls are often wide but shared with a staircase. Measure before you shop, and use three numbers: the wall length, the wall-to-obstruction width (how far it is to the opposite wall or the edge of the walkway), and the height of anything you want to hang above the table.

Length. A console should fill roughly half to two-thirds of the wall it sits on. For a 3-metre wall that means a table between 150 and 200 cm; for a 2-metre wall, 100 to 130 cm. Our range runs from 95 cm up to 220 cm, so there is a size for most walls. The Eli console table is 95 cm wide and 35 cm deep (AED 2,900), which suits a short apartment hallway. At the other end, the Sofia long console table is 220 cm wide and only 30 cm deep (AED 3,000), which is the right proportion for a long villa corridor where you cannot lose floor space.

Depth. In a corridor under about 1 metre wide, keep the console to 30 to 35 cm deep so people can still pass with a bag. In a proper entrance hall, 40 to 45 cm gives you more surface without feeling bulky. Most of our consoles sit between 30 and 44 cm deep; the Parsons aged oak console is one of the deeper ones at 155 × 44 × 80 cm (AED 3,375).

Height. Standard console height is 75 to 85 cm, which is roughly where your hand falls when you set down keys. Everything in our collection falls within that band: the Sahara onyx console is 75 cm high, the teak consoles are 76 to 80 cm, and the oak drawer consoles are 85 cm. If you plan to hang a mirror above it, leave 10 to 20 cm between the top of the table and the bottom of the mirror. Our mirrors collection has arch and wall mirrors that pair with these.

Sizing a sideboard for a dining room

A sideboard should be a little shorter than the dining table it sits beside, and you need at least 90 cm of clearance between the sideboard and the backs of the dining chairs when people are seated, or nobody will be able to get to the drawers. If your dining table is 200 cm long, a sideboard of 160 to 200 cm looks balanced. Our sideboards run from 180 cm (the Bergen oak sideboard, 180 × 40 × 80 cm, AED 8,700) up to 220 cm (the Amara cane sideboard, 220 × 45 × 90 cm, AED 6,950). Pair the sideboard with a table from the dining tables collection and chairs from the dining chairs collection before you buy so the widths work together.

Materials: what works in a Dubai home

Indoors in Dubai the enemy is not humidity so much as strong sun through large windows and the dry air of constant air conditioning. That affects how each material behaves.

Solid oak. Stable, heavy, and easy to live with. Oak shows grain and takes on a slightly warmer tone over time in direct sunlight, which most people like. Solid oak with drawers is the most practical console for an entrance because the drawers swallow the things that otherwise pile up. The oak console table with 2 drawers is 120 × 40 × 85 cm at AED 5,750, and the wider oak console table with drawers is 190 × 30 × 85 cm at AED 6,500. If you prefer a paler finish, the lime-washed oak console with drawers (150 × 35 × 85 cm) is also AED 6,500. For sideboards, the Loxley oak sideboard (AED 6,950) and Maren oak sideboard (AED 9,500) are both solid oak. We cover the difference between solid timber and veneer in our solid oak vs veneer guide.

Teak. Teak is naturally oily and dense, which is why it is the standard for outdoor furniture here, but it works equally well indoors in a hallway that gets a lot of sun. It is slightly darker and more golden than oak. The Verano teak console table (150 × 40 × 76 cm, AED 3,500) and the Tanjung teak console table (150 × 32 × 80 cm, AED 3,700) are both solid teak at a lower price than the oak drawer consoles because they are open underneath.

Travertine, marble and onyx. Stone consoles are the pieces people photograph. Travertine is porous and matte with a natural pitted surface; marble is denser with veining; onyx is translucent and dramatic. All three need a sealed top and a coaster habit, because a wet glass or a dropped perfume bottle will mark unsealed stone. Prices in our range start at AED 3,000 for the Roma travertine console table, AED 3,500 for the oval marble console table (150 × 30 × 80 cm), and go up to AED 7,650 for the Sahara onyx console table (150 × 36 × 75 cm). Stone is heavy, so check that your building has lift access or a ground-floor route before ordering; see the marble and stone furniture collection for the full range.

Walnut and ash. Walnut is darker and more formal; ash is pale and lighter in weight. The Viola walnut console table (AED 6,950) is the most sculptural piece in the collection, while the Nordic ash console table (130 × 35 × 85 cm, AED 4,200) is a cleaner, Scandinavian-leaning option. The Harper ash wood sideboard (AED 6,950) is the sideboard equivalent.

Cane and rattan. Cane panels lighten a piece visually and suit coastal or Mediterranean interiors, which are common in Dubai villas. The Elizabeth solid ashwood and cane console is the most affordable console in the range at AED 2,800. Keep cane out of direct afternoon sun where possible, as it will fade faster than solid timber.

What console tables and sideboards cost in Dubai

Across the pieces currently listed at Adams Furniture, console tables run from AED 2,800 to AED 7,650 and sideboards from AED 5,900 to AED 9,500. Within that, the pattern is consistent: open-frame consoles in teak, ash or cane sit between AED 2,800 and AED 4,200; stone-topped consoles between AED 3,000 and AED 7,650 depending on the stone; and solid oak or walnut consoles with drawers between AED 5,750 and AED 6,950. Sideboards cost more than consoles of the same length because of the doors, drawers and internal carcass.

Larger retailers in Dubai sell flat-pack and veneer consoles for considerably less, and some design showrooms sell solid oak and marble-topped sideboards for considerably more. The difference is usually material: whether the "oak" is solid or a veneer over board, and whether the stone is a slab or a thin laminate. Ask, and ask for the dimensions and weight in writing before you pay.

Five things to check before you order online

First, the exact dimensions in centimetres, including height, and whether the stated width includes any overhang on a stone top. Second, whether the piece is solid timber throughout or solid on the frame with veneer panels. Third, whether stone tops arrive sealed. Fourth, delivery to your specific building: stairs, lift size and whether the courier will carry the piece to the room rather than leaving it at the door. Our furniture delivery guide covers what to ask. Fifth, whether the price shown is the final price including VAT, or whether tax is added at checkout.

What is the standard height of a console table?

Between 75 and 85 cm. All the consoles in our range fall in that band. Go towards the lower end for a hallway with low ceilings and the higher end if you are pairing the console with tall bar-height dining chairs nearby.

How deep should a hallway console be?

30 to 35 cm for a corridor under a metre wide, 40 to 45 cm for a proper entrance hall. Leave at least 90 cm of clear walkway in front of it.

Is travertine a good choice for a console table in Dubai?

Yes, provided the top is sealed and you use coasters. Travertine copes well with air conditioning and sun, but it is porous and will stain if liquids are left on it. It is also heavy, so plan the delivery route.

Can I use a console table as a sideboard?

Only if you do not need storage. Consoles are shallower and mostly open; a sideboard has doors and drawers across the full width. If you want the look of a console with storage, choose one of the oak drawer consoles.

What is the difference between a console and a media console?

A media console such as the Arden ebony media console (AED 4,950) is lower, so a television sits at eye level from a sofa. A hallway console is 75 to 85 cm. They are not interchangeable.

Shop console tables and sideboards online in Dubai

Every piece mentioned here can be ordered online, is priced in AED, and is delivered across Dubai and the UAE. Browse the full console tables collection, the sideboards and storage cabinets collection, and the marble and stone furniture collection. To finish the rest of the room, see our mirrors, dining tables and coffee tables.