Bedside Manner: What’s Your Nightstand Style?
Design and Image: Adolfo Abejon
When we moved into our house nine years ago, we bought nightstands—two, just alike—that are perfectly fine. They have a top, a drawer, and a large open area below the drawer. They’re by Thomas O’Brien (woo-hoo!) for Target (okay…) and there’s not a thing wrong with them. Where is this going, you ask? Well, since then I’ve had a lot of time to rethink almost every decision that was made back then and second guess myself. When I was renovating our bedroom, I’d get different nightstands for each side of the bed, and I’d make each one reflective of our individual styles. Which leads me to the question: what’s my nightstand style? More importantly, for the purposes of this post: what’s your nightstand style?
Traditional (-ish)
The first example—in the photo above—shows more or less the same kind of traditionally leaning nightstand: a top, a drawer (well, an open storage area), and four legs. It’s got a lot more design cred than what might be typically referred to as a traditional piece, but it has all the standard components you expect to find in a nightstand.
Minimalist
Design: TEAM 7; Image: Archiproducts
It doesn’t get more minimal than having a floating shelf—though this one appears to be attached to that bed—as a nightstand. I really like the large size here; plenty of room for essentials, even though there’s no drawer.
Design and Image: The Merrythought
This just seems like an accident waiting to happen. But I’ll bet it appeals to the same people who enjoy an indoor swing.
Alternative
Design and Image: West Elm
There are plenty of alternative ideas for nightstands, most having little to no resemblance to a table at all—even a stack of old luggage—but I tend to go for options that steer clear of whimsy in favor of an option like this: a standard side table that also works well in the bedroom.
What’s your nightstand style?
