Choosing a bedside table is a bit like choosing the side dish for your meal. It should work in harmony with your bed, complementing its style while serving its own practical function. Well-chosen bedside tables will work with the lighting, decoration and other pieces of furniture in your bedroom, too.
If you’re looking for a new bedside table and don’t know where to start, at Fishpools we’ve put together a guide to choosing the right one for you.
Know the right height
No matter the style or size of your room, ensuring you have your bedside table at the right height will make a huge difference.
It should be no higher than the top of your mattress. Creating a straight, clean line from bed to bedside table will make it easier to reach for something during the night – whether a glass of water, the lamp or a book. Whatever it is, having one that’s too high or too low is inconvenient and could cause accidents. You can get away with up to two inches either higher or lower than your mattress, but no more than that.
Ensure there’s enough storage
Another practical aspect of a bedside table, and maybe one of the most important, is storage.
Before you get distracted by doors and drawers, it’s a good idea to consider the surface. That’s where you’re likely to put your night-time essentials, so think about how much space you need. If you have a large bedside lamp or want to display decorative items by your bed, you might like something like our Adagio wide bedside table.
Then consider what you want to store inside the table. If you need to find a home for socks and underwear, or any other smaller items such as medicines and reading glasses, a bedside table with drawers is a good idea. Our Lausanne three drawer nightstand offers excellent storage, with plenty of room for those bits and pieces you want to hide away, but still have easy access to when you want.
Don’t be afraid of colour
There seems little point in buying new bedside tables if you’re not going to show them off. Choosing bedside tables that are the same colour as the walls will mute your furniture. Instead, why not add a pop of colour?
Look for shades that complement your space rather than blending into them. Colour that are a few tones lighter or darker than your bedroom’s paintwork will make them a subtle eye-catching addition, without dominating the space.
For a bedside table that works with virtually any colour-scheme, white is usually a safe yet stylish option.
For more colour, match your bedside table with material accents in your bedroom. This could be wood tones, for example, or the colour of your curtains or blinds.
If you have a wooden bed frame or other bedroom furniture, choosing a bedside table made from a similar material can be used to maximise the style impact. Pieces, such as our Cabana bedside table, can be made in a range of finishes, allowing you to choose the perfect finish tailored to your taste and space.
Compliment your style
While style is all about personal preference, there are a few things worth considering to make your bedroom as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
For example, for a contemporary look, focus on clean, straight lines and minimal embellishments. Metal, chrome and glass bedside tables will do the trick.
If you prefer a ‘heritage feel’, we offer a range of bedside tables that feature subtle rustic accents creating a homely appeal. Models such as our Palladium, Marvel and Lace have turned legs, bowed drawers and stylish pulls. They perfectly blur the line between contemporary and country-style furniture.
Choosing bedside tables can be challenging if you’re unsure of what you want. For further inspiration, explore our entire bedside table collection.