5 Unique Bedroom Nightstands

Is your bedside table putting you to sleep? Check out these creative solutions from style-savvy designers.

By Susan Kleinman

Nontraditional Nightstand

« Long Nightstand | Found Object Nightstand »

When Shawn Henderson was first planning the bedroom of this New York City loft, he sketched a long table in next to the bed instead of a traditional nightstand.

"I didn't want you to walk in and be staring at the mattress," explains the designer, "so I moved the bed over to create a sense of privacy."

Before he could begin shopping for just the right long table, his clients — who spend most of the week at their other home in Connecticut — found an old farm table in their suburban garage and showed it to Henderson. "It was exactly the right size and shape: six-feet long, with plenty of room to stack books and pictures. It was a bit too tall for the bedside, though, so I just had the legs cut down," he says.

On the other side of the bed, Henderson faced the opposite challenge. The woven hemp trunk he wanted to use as a nightstand was too low. He had a wrought-iron base fabricated for it, and now both tables are the same height — and exactly the right distance from the floor. "It's important for night tables to be the same height," Henderson says, "especially if you are using matching lamps."

Photo by (Steve Freihon)