Nightstands, Not One-Night-Stands

The word nightstand makes me think of a sentinel who stands watch while I sleep. While I like the idea of this, it is also a bit creepy, so perhaps it is best that a nightstand just a great place to hold nighttime essentials and maybe a lamp and a small plant or frame.

Below are 50 great options to refresh your master bedroom, guest bedroom, or perhaps you have a kid moving to a big kid bed and is ready for some nightstands. After all, drawers in nightstands make a great place to store trains, matchbox cars or you might even find yesterday’s snack there.

First, a couple of things to consider when purchasing new nightstands.

1. Do not try to match your bed frame. Your room will be much more interesting if you do not have a complete set of the same furniture. If you have an upholstered bed, you can choose almost any color and finish. If you have a wood headboard, pick something with a significantly lighter or darker finish to avoid the they do not quite match syndrome.
2. Size. The average nightstand is 20” in length which will be the right size for anything from a twin to a queen bed. Also, depending on the size of your room, you do not want the bed and nightstands to take up the entire wall. For larger rooms with king-size beds, look for something between 30-40” in length. Standard height is usually between 24-27” which will work with most beds with the ideal height being the same as your mattress. To save space in a kid’s room you can put a desk on one side of the bed and a nightstand on the other.
3. Function. Storage is great for keeping some of your little necessities nearby such as hand cream, tissues, etc.
4. Star or support. If your bed is on the more simple/neutral side, you have more flexibility to go big in terms of a unique nightstand. If you have a statement bed, the nightstand should not be the star and it is best to select something simple with less visual weight so perhaps only one drawer versus a nightstand with multiple drawers. If you have a king-size bed, be careful of the too-small nightstand situation as it will look like you shopped in the kiddy section.

Now that you have some guidelines, let’s get to the fun part – here are 50 nightstands separated into smaller and larger sizes at various price points (lowest to highest) to help you find the perfect pair for your room. Just click on the image for more details if you see something you like!