It’s been a while since I’ve contemplated bed and nightstand options. In fact, the last time I really thought about this particular combination of furniture, I divulged to the entire internet that I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor and did not have a nightstand to speak of. Charmed, I’m sure. I’ve leveled up since then, don’t worry, but still haven’t invested in a forever bed frame with a beautiful headboard. A metal IKEA bedframe has been a placeholder since I graduated from my mattress on the floor days. But now that I am a married woman, it does feel like time to give my husband and my bedroom some real attention. Wouldn’t it be nice to be proud of the way my bedroom looks instead of apologizing for it every time a person walks through our front door?? I think so. So, with some selfish interest in mind, I offered to put together some bed and nightstand options to share with you all. Sound good??
Before we begin, I want to share a few rules we find helpful for picking a nightstand. As always, once you understand the “rules” we believe that can empower you to bend or break them if you so desire 🙂
- 24”-27” is the ideal height for a nightstand but a good rule of thumb is to make sure the height is within the range of 5″ higher or lower than the top of your mattress.
- Keep your nightstand to scale with your bed. The average nightstand is 20″x20″ which will work for most beds. However, for larger beds (a king) you can use a larger nightstand (up to 40″) and smaller beds (like twins) maybe go a little smaller.
- Space permitting, you ideally want at least 36″ around all walkways to comfortably get around your space. If your room is tight and doesn’t allow for a good amount of space to walk then you could consider pushing the bed up against one wall or downsizing your bed to fit with the scale of the room.
- Have fun with style/shape! (and mix-matching nightstands is totally doable:)).
Now that you are armed with some guidelines, let’s get into it starting with your standard-size nightstands.
Standard Size With Storage
In Emily’s mountain house primary bedroom, the nightstands are so structural and cool AND meet all the above guidelines. The bed frame is low to the ground so the nightstands are also shorter, but together they make so much sense. If she had a bed with a very tall headboard or opted for a four-poster bed, a smaller nightstand would look off. Truly when it comes to beds and nightstands, size IS everything.
In the above bedroom makeover by Jess, she paired two different vintage dark wood nightstands with this tufted green velvet bed. The headboard extends past the mattress so she found nightstands that fit to scale in that space, making the bed and nightstands feel cohesive. The nightstand also stands as tall as the top of the mattress, which follows the above 5″ higher or lower “rule” and is pleasing to the eye. Oh, can we please note the raised scalloped detail on the right?? It’s such a sweet detail.
If you are in the market, here are some standard-size nightstand and bed combinations we love:
1. Garvey Side Table + Shinola Runwell Upholstered Bed | 2. Kono 2-Drawer Nightstand + Carson Ebonized Wood Spindle Bed | 3. Side Table + Clementine Platform Bed | 4. Postmodern Pink Lacquer Laminate Waterfall Nightstand + Jaiden Upholstered Bed | 5. Cortez Natural Floating Nightstand + Valen Platform Bed | 6. Black Wood Cottage Nightstand + Hargrove Canopy Bed
You might recognize the nightstand from #5 from Suzanne’s bedroom makeover, OR maybe you remember seeing it in a certain celebrity home tour? That’s right, we spotted this nightstand in Kasey Musgraves’ AD home tour. It’s such a minimal yet fresh piece and the curved shape gives it a softness that’s perfect for a light and airy bedroom. By the way, I’d be lying if I said the bedroom you saw above didn’t heavily inspire the #3 pairing 🙂 Deep greens and dark wood are a perfect match IMHO.
Oversized With Storage
If you are looking to go big and go home, you can replace a standard nightstand with a larger one or even a small dresser if you have the space. Remember, if you are going to go oversized, we suggest doing so only if you have the square footage and as long as you are pairing with at least a king-size bed. If you opt for a small chest of drawers you really want to be careful with that the height of your mattress isn’t too low. A great way to give you some height (if you don’t already have one) is to put a box string under your mattress.
In this bold Airbnb bedroom designed by Sara Ruffin Costello, she used a small chest of drawers in lieu of a traditional nightstand. It is oversized, but notice that it doesn’t look out of place because of the scale of the bed. The bed and dresser are both larger than average (note how the ornate headboard almost touches the ceiling!) so the scale doesn’t feel off.
If you are feeling like going big, here are some great options:
1. Wes 3-Drawer Wood Dresser + Arden Navy Upholstered Queen Bed | 2. Baskin 3 Drawer Accent Table + Rosalie Classic Velvet Platform Bed | 3. Kids Hampshire 4-Drawer Olive Green Dresser + Annabella Upholstered Bed | 4. Bedford Reclaimed Wood 3-Drawer Dresser + Alder Bed | 5. Jenny Lind Spindle 3-Drawer Dresser + Alexa Reclaimed Wood Bed | 6. Cayman 3-Drawer Dresser + Calistoga Canopy Bed
With each of these pairings, the headboard is taller or wider than average, so the oversized nightstands don’t look out of place. When in doubt, if you adhere to the 5″ higher or lower rule, the scale will make sense and feel intentional. Just remember, with smaller size beds, a too-big nightstand might look like a mistake instead of a cool design moment.
Decorative (No Storage)
Sometimes a nightstand doesn’t need to have storage, and can just be a place to set your water down at night. If you already have enough closet space and storage (bless your heart) and you want your nightstand to take up the least amount of visual space, a stool like the one above is a great option. For smaller bedrooms, stools and pedestal end tables are ideal so the room doesn’t become overcrowded.
I love this black pedestal table coupled with a simple, upholstered headboard. The height and scale are on point, and the traditional shape creates some movement but doesn’t take up a lot of physical space. Oh and if you are worried about not having a place to store some books, I personally believe books stacked lazily on the floor is always a cool look. 🙂
For all you storage-savvy people out there, here are some fun and decorative nightstand options:
1. Oline Side Table + Drommen Acacia Wood Bed | 2. Wendall Side Table + Maeve Platform Bed | 3. Zayden Side Table + Cyrus Platform Bed | 4. Geometric Side Table + Dean Jean Eastern Upholstered Panel Bed | 5. Halden Nightstand + Colestin Bed | 6. Delilah Nightstand + Brooke Platform Bed
Alright my friends, that is all for today. I hope this post helped whoever needs it, and please let us know what other power couples you’d like to see from us. xx
Opener Image Credit: Design by Julie rose for EHD | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Suzanne’s Bedroom Reveal
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
