Bedrooms
March 3, 2016
How To Style Your Night Table
Assistant design editor Jennifer Koper shares night table styling ideas.
We ask a lot of our night stands; they have to hold all our bedtime essentials while offering something pretty to look at as we drift off to sleep. If your nightstand isn’t doing either of those things, it’s time to reassess. Do you need more storage? Is it the right size for your bedroom? I’ve rounded up eight different night table ideas, along with my styling and storage tips, to help your bedside table look and function like a dream.
A night table with a ton of storage, like this one, means you don’t need to keep as much on top. The neutral bedroom decor suggests a minimal styling approach. If you love this look, opt for a storage-heavy night stand and stick to a tight color palette (for example, black and white), along with a few key items to avoid clutter.
If you don’t read in bed, books can still make a great styling tool. In this case, a couple of books act as a pedestal for all of the elements on the side table, giving everything some added height and keeping them neatly together.
In this tiny guest room-slash-dressing room, the nightstand does double-duty. In addition to serving as a bedside table, it acts as a small desk and vanity. If your bedroom is on the smaller side, consider opting for a nightstand that serves multiple functions. Small boxes offer extra storage space on top, and a tray corrals loose items together.
The main styling move here is the oversized table lamp with a bold patterned shade. Choosing one element in a larger scale amps up the drama, but make sure to keep the other elements quiet so they don’t compete. Since the lamp hogs most of the surface space, a lucite table underneath provides room for storage without adding visual bulk.
An unconventional bedside storage option is a shelf. This one is particularly great because the shelves are open so you can easily access items. Another noteworthy move here is the use of potted plants instead of fresh cut flowers. They last much longer and some varieties can even help keep your air clean!
A fun way to make a space feel larger is to lean a floor mirror behind your nightstand. This looks best with open, round tables that won’t block the bottom of the mirror. To free up space on your nightstand, opt for a floor lamp or wall sconces instead of a table lamp.
A wicker ottoman serves as a bedside table in this breezy bedroom. It feels fresh and casual, and works well with the low sloped ceiling. Stacked books provide a solid surface atop the ottoman – this is a great trick if you’d like to use a plush surface, like an upholstered chair, as your nightstand.