How to balance a bedroom with only one nightstand

Not all bedrooms have two nightstands. Even though your taste may crave for symmetry, when you discover the potential of having asymmetrical design options (like having only one nightstand), a whole new world will open up to you. With this article, we’re happy to lead you to this new world… through four interior arrangement ideas.

Symmetry vs. asymmetry

For some reason, our human minds find the symmetrical arrangement pleasurable - it symbolizes order, like the antidote for chaos. Think of large symmetrical castle gardens… symmetrical squares in a big city… or even a symmetrical bedroom arrangement. Symmetry is also a good element of minimalist interior design as symmetrical arrangement is able to reduce clutter - and avoid the feel of untidiness.

However, there is always another side: a freer, more artistic way that breaks these rules and is happy to experiment with various arrangements. Asymmetrical interior design have had a great rise in the last few years, especially as organic modern and japandi interior design styles have gotten popular. It’s like opening up a new world wfull of interior design possibilities, where you can forget having two nightstands. If you need only one, why does it make sense to have two? There is so many other ways to balance a bedroom with only one nightstand - in this article, we’ll show you a few ways to give you some ideas.

4 ways for balancing a bedroom with only one nightstand

1. Nightstand between two beds

Placing one nightstand between two beds is a good idea…

  • for guest rooms with two separate beds

  • for such couples who sleep separately

  • and also for children’s rooms.

In this case, there is no special guideline to follow except that the nightstand should match the bedroom interior (bedframe, floor, other furniture). In this arrangement, the nightstand works like a centerpiece between the two beds.

To create enough storage space for both persons, it makes sense to select a wider nightstand for this purpose, or have wide piece custom-made for your project.

small round nightstand nightstand between beds

2. Bed is in the corner

In small bedrooms where there is no space on both sides of the bed, you are limited to having one nightstand - but instead of a limitation, you can think of it as a great possibility to put a showstopper piece on the bedside that really draws attention.

This block nightstand made of solid wood is one of our favorite examples:

wooden block nightstand

3. Nightstand and dressing table

Having one nightstand does not mean that you can’t have anything else on the other side of your bed. A popular choice is selecting the furniture according to its function: if you rather need a dressing table instead of a nightstand, why not? In this case, you can create a great harmony if the design / material / texture is similar, so they still create a matching set even though the two pieces are not from a “factory set”. Here are two bedrooms where nightstands are replaced by dressing tables - one of these is actually a floating dressing table:

bed with floating dressing table bed with dressing table

4. Counterbalance a single nightstand

As mentioned earlier, we look for symmetry - and if the lack of it is very obvious, it may be disturbing. It is especially true if there is one nightstand on the side of the bed but there is nothing on the other side: just an empty space. In that case, it is a good idea to put something else on the other side of your bed that works as a counterbalance, either by drawing attention thanks to its character, or just simply filling the void.

pouf as nightstand bedroom console table with large mirror
bedside storage plant in the bedroom

Either you need one or two nightstands, our choice is the floating nightstand. We at mybettershelf, design and manufacture premium floating nightstands since 2017.

Frequently asked questions

Can a bedroom look balanced with only one nightstand?

Yes — a bedroom with only one nightstand can look perfectly balanced, and in many cases even more intentional than a symmetrical setup. The key is to create visual weight on the empty side through other means: a floor lamp, a tall plant, a piece of wall art, or a stack of books on the floor. The goal is not perfect symmetry, but visual harmony.

How do I style a bedroom with one nightstand?

The most effective approach is to treat the nightstand side as your "active" side — with a lamp, a small tray, and your everyday essentials — and style the opposite side with a single, taller element that draws the eye upward. A pendant light or wall-mounted lamp on the empty side works particularly well, as it adds presence without taking up floor space. A floating nightstand makes this even easier: mounted at exactly the right height, it anchors the active side cleanly, while the wall above stays open for art or a sconce.

What can I put on one side instead of a nightstand?

Several alternatives work well on the empty side of a bed: a slim floor lamp with a sculptural base, a low stool or pouf, a large potted plant, a wooden crate stacked with books, or a small floating shelf mounted at nightstand height. The floating shelf option is especially practical — it takes up zero floor space, can hold a lamp and a few objects, and keeps the room feeling open. mybettershelf's solid wood floating shelves are available in oak, walnut, maple and cherry, and can be mounted at any height to match your bed frame.