There is nothing wrong with having traditional pieces of furniture in our homes. We sure have things in our lives that we generally don’t feel like changing due to comfort and/or functionality. However, in our bedrooms, nightstands are somewhat different. While these pieces are our partners during the night holding our essentials like tissue boxes, lamps, books, photo frames, hand cream, and intimate items, they determine the style of the bedroom.
Why not rethink the whole design/functionality question with something unexpected. All we need is a tiny bit of creativity, and your bedroom will look more voguish while still being practical. This article will give you tips about mixing things up and creating a functional and chic look for your bedroom with 5 ideas for nightstand alternatives.
1. Ottoman and poufs
Ottomans and poufs can not only stand as coffee tables or additional seats but can function as nightstands – ones you can sit on - too. These come in various sizes and shapes, and with a tray or some books on top to give you more stability, storing a glass of water, tissue box, or anything you need is sorted.
2. Trunks
We find this to be a brilliant idea. Trunks or vintage-style suitcases, our great grandparents used to travel with, are terrific nightstand alternatives. These might not reach the mattress level, but with a bit of DIY and creativity, you can heighten them. Adding table legs or simply piling books underneath is a good solution, but if you are fearless and have more than one trunk you can stack them up.
The flat surface on top can hold your must-have items while you can add larger objects (blankets, books, duvets) inside it. We can assure you this will provide a rustic and charismatic look to your bedroom.
3. Floating shelves
Instead of a robust and expensive piece of furniture, why not try simplicity, elegance, and effectiveness? Floating shelves are great nightstand alternatives as slim, minimalistic, and clever-looking details that give you peace of mind. As a bonus, they leave more cash in your pocket due to cost-effectiveness. As these are modest in size, you can store relatively smaller and fewer items on them; however, you can mount more than one on if you have the wall space.
Floating shelves have no legs to stand on, therefore plenty of floor space becomes free.
If you fancy, adding a stool or a chair will create a smaller sized vanity. How cool is that?
ash floating shelf
4. Chair or a stool
Some people don’t need to store many bits during the night as all they need is a book, a lamp, and an alarm clock. A chair or a stool will do just fine for cost-effectiveness and simplicity. It can be a stylish stool or one you already have in your home. You can style it up with some paint, and you are good to go (or sit in this case).
5. Dressing table
For some of us, having a dressing table is more important than a nightstand - and when our space is limited, we have to choose between the two. Luckily, a dressing table with enough storage space also works as a nightstand if placed just beside the bed: it’s in arm’s reach from the bed and you can also sit at the table - it’s multifunctional.
white floating dressing table with walnut drawers
Whatever you choose, the best nightstand alternative is the one that fits your space, matches your style, and makes your morning routine a little easier. Sometimes the most unexpected choice turns out to be the most fitting one.
Find even more nightstand alternatives on our Pinterest board: nightstand alternatives