Your definitive guide on how to style a bedside table like a pro
Photographer: Derek Swalwell.
Despite good intentions, a bedside table can all too easily become a dumping ground for life’s little bits and pieces. With clutter comes stress or, even worse, resignation. It’s time to make your bedside table something worth waking up to. A little bit of love can go a long way, and a little bit of organisation even more so. So if you’re wondering how to style your bedside table, here are five top interior design tricks to have it looking fresh out of a magazine.
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How to style a bedside table:
1. Hide the clutter
Photographer: Martina Gemmola.
If you’re lucky enough to have a nightstand with a drawer, utilise it to sweep all the less-than-stylish things out of sight. However, stools and floating shelves are becoming more and more common in bedrooms, which is great for interior lovers, less so for storage lovers. If you’ve got limited hiding space, invest in a basket or wicker box that can sit neatly, and inconspicuously, under your shelf.
Electronic clutter is often public enemy number one when it comes to style. Organise your cords by taping them around your bedside table, or even add a wireless charger to discreetly stick under your table so your phone can charge sans-charger on top. Consider opting for cordless lamps, or swap out your bulbs for smart bulbs that you can control from your phone — no bulky on/off switch needed.
2. Organise, organise
Clockwise from left: Wilde Florals Geode resin trinket trays, $25, Flow Studio Ceramics Dusk trinket bowl, $177, Flow Studio Ceramics Cloud bowl, $87, all from Shop Your Home and Garden, Oku tissue box, $59.90, from Città.
Tissue boxes from the supermarket are notorious for having some of the worst patterns and colours known to man. Getting your own tissue box will save a lifetime of tears, and therefore tissues. For all the jewellery that makes the nightly pilgrimage to your bedside, try a trinket dish to keep them contained and looking gorgeous as ever. We’re all about this cloud bowl that feels like it belongs in a museum, or at least a very glamorous influencer’s abode.
3. Personal touches are key
From left: Stem Homestore Kinto Cast water glass, $21.90, E J Wood Fine Art Red Agar art print, $34, Stem Homestore Kinto Day Off tumbler, $78, all from Shop Your Home and Garden.
Sometimes no matter your tidying and styling efforts, sometimes reading glasses and a table lamp can still just look like, well, reading glasses and a table lamp. This is where adding in colour and personality comes into play.
Start with a gorgeous art print to set the scene. Add a book or the latest edition of Your Home and Garden to reinvigorate your bedside — and your mind. If you love a glass of water to wake up to, consider a Kinto glass for a timeless option; or a water bottle will do the same trick, whilst adding a pop of colour to your space. We’ll never say no to flowers, and nor should you.
4. Add a little bit of luxury
Lyttleton Lights Lemongrass & Ginger candle, $42, from Shop Your Home and Garden.
Finally, the really fun home decor stuff. A scented candle is the perfect note to start or end any day (we’re currently obsessed with this divine sweet-pea and jasmine number). A silk sleep mask is a must-have, enough said, but consider an soothing eye pillow if you really want to get into a blissful state of mind.
5. Look at the bedside table itself
Photographer: Kristina Soljo.
Sometimes even with all the best styling in the world, it’s your bedside table that’s letting you down. So why not make one out of a bread bin? Or give yourself a fun weekend project to DIY your own, (and in 3 different ways, no less) thanks to our DIY expert Nikki Kettle. If the idea of a hammer and drill sends you into a cold sweat, check out our top bedside table picks here.
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