Simple Ways to Decorate your Bedside Table

When deciding on bedroom furniture, we naturally gravitate towards the most important piece first - the bed. If you’re really looking to decorate a cohesive (and impressive) bedroom, though, spare a thought for the bedside table. Much like a bed without sheets, a bedside table won’t be much good if you don’t consider what goes on top and inside. Though bedside table decor can seem a little tricky, it can bring a room together with a few subtle touches. In this guide we’ll look at how to decorate a bedside table, why it’s important, and give you five bedside table ideas to get you started. 

Importance of Decorating a Bedside Table 

Don’t be fooled - a bedside table is more than just a platform for a lamp. With a careful touch, it can be an extension of your bedroom’s decor. How it looks and how it’s used is as personal as any other aspect of a home’s design, so it’s worth thinking about style and priorities upfront. What you put on and in a bedside table should work with a room, but it can also complement your lifestyle more broadly. Whether your style is sparse and minimal or busy and energetic, let’s look at some bedside table ideas to take your room to the next level. 

Easy Ideas to Decorate Your Bedside Table

You’ve made the leap and picked a beautiful bedside table that works with your bedroom. The next step is figuring out how to bring it to life with your own design touches. Let’s be clear - there is no catch-all in decoration. Consider the following tips in connection with your own personal design point of view. Let these be starting points to help you - and your bedroom - be a true representation of your personality. 

United but Separate

For most of us, bedside tables come in pairs. You’ll put one on each side of the bed, whether one or two people use the bed. Symmetry in that sense is important - but it’s not everything. A good way to add colour to a room is by subtly varying the decoration on each side table. The trick is to still ensure they’re cohesive. Maybe it’s the colour, texture or one prominent piece of decoration in common. Whichever way you go, balance differences with similarities. 

Gadget HQ

Technology follows us everywhere - and the bedroom is not immune. Some of us read ebooks on tablets, others listen to music, and some use game devices. Whatever your evening routine, chances are strong that you’ve got any number of cables, chargers and docks occupying the prime real estate of your bedside table. Consider the way cables flow and the necessary placement of chargers when making practical design choices here. The colour schemes of your devices can be useful when trying to keep things cohesive. Oh, and tables with an extra drawer or two can help with that tech storage.

Add Some Greens 

Our bedrooms are our sanctuaries. Peaceful, calm and removed from the rest of our busy lives, they can be a place for quiet retreat. Adding some greenery, like a small indoor plant or a vase of flowers, only serves to heighten this calming feeling. For those of us lacking green thumbs, look to low-maintenance plants like succulents. For those up for a challenge (or genuine plant lovers), try and keep your plant choice in line with your overall decor. Plants come in more colours than just green, after all.

Let Light Lead the Way

Lamps are a bedside table staple, combining practical lighting with infinite design variations. Most bedside tables need a lamp, but it’s important to get the right one. A keen reader of books? Consider a directional lamp - something that bends and moves to light your book and not much more. Lamps can also provide ambient lighting for a room that is much subtler than ceiling lights. For these, consider something with a small footprint so you can fit more than just a lamp on the bedside table.

Make it yours! 

It’s your house, and it’s your bedroom - make it feel like it. Keeping a bedside table clear of clutter means you can use the space for important things to you. A keepsake, a framed picture, a letter. Whatever it is, it can help to prioritise the personal touches.

On the other hand, if you’re the type of person who ends up with your wallet, phone and keys on the bedside table, leaning into it is okay too. Adding a bowl for your keys and trinkets, or a stand for your jewellery can be a good way to keep things practical and accessible. Make sure that the design works for you, not the other way around.

What are the different types of bedside tables?

It’s all well and good to think about what goes with a bedside table, but what about the table itself? There are a few main types for each, and they all have their own pros and cons. Let’s take a look:

Material:

• Hardwood: Hardwood styles can have a classic appearance, with visible wood grain, or a painted finish. Finishes such as walnut and natural can appear rustic and vintage, while white and grey colours are modern and versatile.
  

• Glass: A little less common than timber, but a sleek and modern alternative. Glass tends to open up a room, so consider these in small spaces. Glass tops can be polished and beautiful but unfriendly to materials like metal and other glass. A coaster is a must.

Shape:

• Round: A little out-there, but round bedside tables have a quirky charm that suits modern spaces and those looking for something a little different.
  
  

• Square/rectangle: These are the most common set of shapes you’ll find, since four sides fits well against walls and beds. Most people will end up here, but there’s plenty of variation within the style. There’s one-drawer, two-drawer and coffee-table-style tables. Pick a four-sided bedside table if you’re looking for versatility and classic style.

Still stuck for bedside table ideas? Our friendly experts would love to help, so get in touch via the B2C Contact Page today.