How To Quickly Style A Nightstand With Ease

In this “how to style” series, I’m sharing tips on how to style your bedroom. Check out the tips on styling your bed or styling your dresser, and then keep reading below while I dig into how to style your bed.

Do you want to quickly style your nightstand with ease? I’m sure you do. I want you to know that it doesn’t have to be hard, difficult, or take a lot of time. But I used to think so. For the first several years of my marriage, I didn’t have much on my nightstand. I had a lamp, of course. And a clock. And whatever book I was reading always found a home there. But my nightstand always looked so plain. I wanted to change it, but I felt so inadequate because I didn’t know what to do. I’ve spent so much time studying and analyzing pictures, trying to learn exactly how stagers make model homes look so beautiful. And even practiced styling several different nightstands myself. I learned so much! And I can’t wait to share these tips with you so you can finally decorate a nightstand you love. So, if you’re wondering where to start, or what to put on a bedside table, I’ve got you covered. And be sure to grab my free Quick Styling Cheat Sheet. Now let’s get started.

What To Put On A Nightstand For A Beautiful Vignette

Let me just start off by saying that the way to style the perfect nightstand is to make sure that it’s not only beautiful, but functional for you. It’s got to make since, right?! In fact, if you stick with focusing on both beauty and function, you’ll be able to style and coordinate a his and her nightstand that you’ll both enjoy.

Some great nightstand essentials to consider include:

lamp
candle
clock
plant
flowers
tray
storage box
storage basket
glass cup
stack of books
picture frames
mirror
artwork

Steps to Quickly Style A Nightstand With Ease

First, start by thinking about what you want your focal point to be. Now, the focal point of your bedroom will actually be your bed. But when it comes to the styling your nightstand, your focal point will be the biggest object. Your lamp would be a focal point. And so can a mirror or piece of artwork laying against or hanging on the wall.

First, start by creating a foundation. This foundation is also known as a footprint. You’ll use this to anchor items, create a boundary, and prevent a cluttered look. The footprint helps organize your stuff. An example is how a rug creates a footprint for furniture in a family room. For your nightstand, a good anchor would be a decorative storage box or a stack of books. Or even a mirror laid flat can be used as a tray.

And let me just tell you, a tray is an amazing way to keep everything corralled together without having your nightstand look cluttered. And here’s a tip – you can find a tray for your night in the bathroom section at Target.

Next, add some height to your nightstand. There are so many ways to add height! A lamp is one great way to add height and add more light to your bedroom. If you happen to have wall sconces at your bedside, you might not actually need the extra light from a lamp. So, no need to add one if you don’t actually plan to use it. You can add height to your nightstand by using a tall vase with flowers. Or even hanging artwork or a mirror on the walls behind your nightstand.

The key with your lamp is to choose one that fits the size of your nightstand. So, here’s a quick tip on choosing the right height of your bedside lamp. Make sure your lamp is tall enough so it casts a light on anything you’re reading while you’re sitting up in bed. If your lamp is too short, you can sit it on top of a stack a few books. And, in terms of the size of your lamp, consider how much space you actually have available on your nightstand. This will help you determine whether you should get a big, chunky lamp or a slender one.

Then, it’s time to create visual interest. By now you’ve created a footprint, which is horizontal and flat. And you added height, which of course is vertical and tall. Now, you’re going to bring those two together to make your space more interesting. You can add interest by changing the shape, height, texture or color of your décor. This is your chance to showcase your personality and bring your decorating to life! You can add plants or flowers. Or even use other natural elements like driftwood if your decorating style is more coastal. Candles and picture frames are also ways to add more variety.

Last, but not least, add some depth to your décor. Starting with the tallest item and working down, taper the height of the styling accessories you’ve chosen. Then stagger each accessory so everything isn’t in one long row. Move the taller items to the back, while the small items are placed in the front. Here’s a tip, if you have a piece or artwork or mirror on the wall behind the nightstand, hang it so that it’s about 3-4 inches above the top of your nightstand.

How To Quickly Style A Nightstand With Ease

We just covered how you can quickly and easily style your nightstand. I started off by going over a list of items that you can put on your beside table to make it look more decorative. Then I shared step by step how you can quickly and easily style your nightstand. And I shared a few tips to save you a lot of the frustration I went through when I first started decorating. I hope by now you realize that decorating doesn’t have to be hard, difficult, or take a lot of time. With that said, if you’d like even more tips, be sure to grab my free Quick Styling Cheat Sheet today.

And please, take a few minutes and leave a comment below and let me know how these tips have helped you.