If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you might have seen that we recently rearranged our bedroom, placing the bed in front of the window (I know) to free up more floor space and avoid walking smack into the foot of the bed when you enter the room. Overall it was a great decision, it took the room from just a place to sleep to one that I actually enjoy spending time in, but it left precious little space for nightstands. I loved our previous ones; they were an Ikea hack that turned out beautifully and created a ton of storage. Unfortunately, we went from almost unlimited space on the sides of the bed to just over fifteen inches per side, so it’s time to get creative. Since I’m going shopping (virtually), I figured I might as well take you along with me in case you are also working with a tiny space.

Whenever I’m shopping for a tricky piece, I try to stop and think outside of the box before plugging a few keywords into Google and seeing what pops up. In this case, there are some alternatives to traditional nightstands that tend to take up less space. Side tables, stools, lidded baskets, and chairs can all make great alternatives; you might even look for a plant stand or a garden stool. Depending on your storage needs, you can get creative, and if you do want a bit of closed storage, remember that a pretty box is a great way to create it just about anywhere.

My specific wishlist is a nightstand under sixteen inches with a little drawer for storage, but I’m keeping an open mind. In one apartment, I used a real tree stump that I sanded and finished as a nightstand, and while it weighed a ton, it definitely added some character to the room.

Nightstands with a Drawer

Bedside tables and stools

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