Today’s homes have increasingly limited space and often there is not enough room for all the furniture. Having a bedroom without bedside tables, however, does not necessarily mean giving up a storage space next to the bed. In fact, there are different solutions that make it possible to optimise space without giving up anything.
The bedside table is in fact one of those pieces of furniture that one tends to eliminate when space is limited. Bedrooms, especially in this historical period, have had to undergo a transformation to often also accommodate an office workstation. So when one needs more space, one tends to eliminate the less indispensable elements, such as the bedside table. It is essential, however, to have a small stand beside the bed. So let’s take a look at ingenious solutions to replace classic bedside tables.
Alternatives to bedside tables
In addition to a lack of space, a bedroom without bedside tables can be the result of a fruitless search for the perfect bedside table. It sometimes happens that the proposals on the market do not match our tastes and we therefore decide to leave the bedroom without bedside tables. We have collected a number of alternative bedside table ideas that can be used temporarily or even permanently. A shelf next to the bed is indispensable for placing a light, a glass of water or your mobile phone on it, and alternative bedside tables fulfil precisely this task.
Shelves
A really simple solution to implement is to use shelves. We can hang them next to the bed, in the size we prefer. Let’s say that a good bedside table base could be 30 cm wide and 20 cm deep. A solution that makes better use of space and provides more storage is to place shelves that also run behind the bed. In this way, in addition to serving as a bedside table, they can also be used as a bookcase, as in the photo below. The shelves above the double bed are perfect for creating a different ambience.
Storage headboard
A similar solution to the bedside shelf described above is to choose a storage headboard. This is a bed headboard that is deeper than a normal one; it is usually 20 cm deep. On the side it has shelves that can be used as bedside tables, and on the top it has a large upper shelf on which to place bedside lamps. It is obviously a solution that can be used in long, narrow bedrooms. Our recommendation is to assess the footprint well so that sufficient space remains at the foot of the bed.
Stools
An idea that has been very fashionable recently and widely used in bedrooms without bedside tables today is to use low stools for bedside tables. Whether wooden or iron stools, it is a solution that can be temporary until we find something we like better. In fact, a stool can easily be used in another room of the house, for example as a support next to the sofa. Among the bedroom bedside table ideas, it is undoubtedly one of the most original.
A chair
If we are fed up with having the light and mobile phone lying on the floor during the night, we can use a chair as a bedside table. The seat can become a comfortable support for the abat-jour and we can wrap the lamp cable around the leg of the chair. At the same time we can use the backrest to store clothes used during the day. One piece of furniture used for two functions, good for a small bedroom.
A section of trunk
For those who love nature and simply need a stand, so they don’t need drawers, they can use a section of log as a bedside table. It is a really simple solution to put in place because there are many DIY shops that sell pieces of log, but above all because if we are tired of having it in the room we can use it as a side table in front of the TV, as a support in the bathroom or as a side table for the balcony.. In short, a simple element among the bedside table ideas seen so far, but infinitely versatile.
A stack of books
Why do books have to be stacked in the bookcase? Can’t they be used as bedside tables? It is undoubtedly an innovative solution, although not too practical when it comes to cleaning. Only one recommendation: do not use magazines to make the stack, it would not be too stable.
The wooden box
And why not use reclaimed elements? The wooden fruit and vegetable crate is the ideal element to use as a stand beside the bed. It can be left untreated or painted to match the colour palette of the bedroom. The inside of the box can be used as a book or magazine holder, so that there is always something to read next to the bed.
The bed with built-in bedside tables
A truly unique solution if you are prepared to change even the double bed without bedside tables is to choose bed models with built-in bedside tables. Scandola Mobili proposes the Plana bed model which, thanks to its design, the planks that make up the headboard also form convenient supports that can be used as bedside tables. A truly convenient solution to save space and always have everything we need during the night within reach.
