Nightstand Envy

+ 3 designer tips: how to pick your perfect bedside table +

What can I say, my nightstand envy is real. Coming up with bedroom designs, sourcing nightstands for my clients, it gets me excited - dreaming about endless possibilities.

I know “endless possibilities,” that’s the one thing you don’t want to hear. You are here for tips to find your perfect nightstand.

Choosing a nightstand is something you should have fun with, a chance to create visual interest and make a bedroom truly yours. With the right tools, you’ll be able to create some nightstand envy all by yourself.

But first, promise you'll never get a bedside table that comes in the same set, style or collection as your bed.

The No. 1 thing you want to think about is scale

Generally speaking when furniture is in proportion to each other and the size of the room you ensure balance and harmony, especially in your nightly sanctuary. Your nightstand should work with the scale of your bed; a larger bed requires a larger nightstand, a smaller bed a smaller one - you get the picture.

When you start browsing online or in store, always envision it right and left next to your bed. And keep in mind you want to place your nightstands 0-5 inches away from your bed to provide enough breathing room and not cramp your space. Along with that goes the depth of the nightstand. Speaking in inches that means it should be 25 or fewer inches deep, otherwise getting in and out of bed might be accompanied by some bruising.

DID YOU KNOW THAT WHILE LYING DOWN, DREAMING AWAY IN THE DARK, IT’S EASIER TO SLIGHTLY REACH UP THAN DOWN?

So let's not forget about the height. Get your measuring tape and find out how high above the floor your mattress ends. On average that’s 25 inches unless you sleep propped up higher like a king or queen (it me). You want your nightstand to be roughly at the same level as the top of your mattress, if you can’t match that height find a slightly higher nightstand, no more than 2-5 inches though.

Secondly, storage, storage, storage

Drawers, doors, open shelf or just a tabletop it all depends on your storage needs and the style of the entire room. If you are super tidy (hello Marie Kondo) an open shelf and table top will work beautifully, but if you got a bunch of stuff to hide or your nightstand is doing double duty as a sock or underwear stash go for closed drawers and doors.

“A busy nightstand keeps a busy mind.”

With that, before even looking at options consider your needs. Think about all the things hovering around your bed: magazines, books, glasses, eye mask, notepad, a glass of water, flowers and so on and define how much closed and open storage your situation calls for. That way you can quickly rule out options that won’t serve you functionally.

Finally, let’s talk style

I already encouraged you to get creative with your bedside tables. Now, what about mismatching nightstands. If you are daring, want to bring attention to the sides of your bed, and aim for a more eclectic style, choosing different nightstands will certainly create a point of interest. Though you want to make sure to use nightstands that are similar in color, material or size; otherwise, your bedroom will feel out of balance. (Let me know if you are interested in a more detailed How-To.) For a minimalist or traditional style matching nightstands will appear un-distracting and pulled together.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT EXAMPLES OF MISMATCHING BEDSIDE TABLES:

design by Shaun Smith

via swisstime.me

photo by Jacob Snavely Photography

by Rusk Renovations

design by Shawn Henderson, photo Steve Freihon

via Ballard Designs

Additionally, when it comes to style, you have to look at the surface of things, literally. Glass, marble, mirrored, wood or fabric? Use a wipeable surface if you tend to have a glass of water bedside or keep a midnight snack handy, otherwise choose what speaks to you. Coasters, ceramic dishes, small trays or books can always help to keep the surface stellar.

Last but not least, I'd like to mention that of course there are functional alternatives aside from a regular 24-28 inches tall nightstand and sometimes they are utterly creative. From desks, vanities, consoles, chests, and suitcases, to apple crates, wall ledges, cages, and tree trunks, they all can make a perfect nightstand as long as they go with the height of your mattress and harmonize with the look and feel of your bedroom.