<p>
	Console tables were designed in the 18th C as side tables. They were usually half-moon shape and stood &nbsp; on two legs, &nbsp;with the back fixed to the wall. &nbsp;They are very decorative, often in richly carved giltwood &nbsp;with marble tops. &nbsp;The tops were painted in imitation marble for the less rich. &nbsp;During the <a href="http://www.antiques-in-france.com/antiquites/-/louis-XVI/-/consoles">Louis XVI console table</a> became free standing on four legs and often used to display garniture such as a clocks &nbsp;surrounded by two &nbsp;Sevres porcelain vases. &nbsp;Recently the antique console has made a big return with &nbsp;interior decorators.</p>