How to choose the right bedside tables? Sizes, combinations and stylin

How do you choose the right bedside tables for the bedroom?

Selecting the perfect night assistant (the one who holds your glass of water and your smartphone, while you are immersed in your dreams) should never be underestimated.

To ensure that a bedside table turns out to be "comfortable", as defined, it is necessary to follow some simple practical precautions, such as establishing the right height and the correct distance from the bed.

In the bedroom, functionality is supreme, but aesthetics plays an equally fundamental role. This is why combining the bedside table with the bed and with the mood of the room are key steps to creating a satisfying environment in which to end long days in total relaxation.

Here's everything you need to know to choose the perfect bedside table for your room.

What is the bedside table for? Can we do without it in modern homes?

In addition to providing a practical support surface, the bedside table is nothing more than a storage unit. It was born precisely for this purpose, in the eighteenth century, in France, as an evolution of a type of corridor furniture, more spacious than the bedside tables we know now.

Together with the evolution of living, bedside tables have undergone countless transformations and interpretations: today we can choose between suspended models, variants with a super attractive or extremely essential design.

We started to replace the bedside table with a shelf or a coffee table to achieve a more minimal look, or to benefit 100% from the drawer space of the more classic models, as bedrooms became smaller and smaller.

In the era in which we live, in symbiosis with smartwatches, smartphones, ebook readers and many other devices that we only get rid of at night, the bedside table still remains a piece of furniture that a modern home cannot do without.

And then, who wants to get up in the middle of the night to reach an object that is as necessary as it is far away?

Another reason why the bedside table is fundamental in modern homes is its ability to make the look of the bedroom truly complete.

Thanks to their symmetrical positioning, on the sides of the bed, the bedside tables are able to frame and enhance the protagonist furniture of the room: the bed. Furthermore, they represent an excellent opportunity to insert a new material or a new color into the room , capable of bringing an interesting contrast to the overall look of the room.

Bedside table measurements: this is why a few centimeters really make the difference

How do you understand how much a bedside table should measure? To choose the right size you need to consider two things:

1) it will not be comfortable if the surface remains too high or too low compared to your position on the mattress;

2) for a pleasing effect on the eye, it must have a good proportion with the bed, otherwise it will seem out of scale (and even out of place).

Standard measurements of a bedside table: what most of the models on the market measure

If you are designing your bedroom, but have not yet chosen the model for the bedside table, it will be useful to know the most common measurements (as well as taking a look at the modern bedside tables in our catalogue).

Bear in mind that there is no standard size for bedside tables. In most cases, the width is between 40 and 60 cm , while the depth is around 30 cm.

Height is a very important factor and is very variable from one model to another. It is usually around 50 cm for most bedside tables.

Bedside table height: the magic formula you need to know

To establish how high the bedside table should be compared to the bed, use this magic formula.

Bedside table height = Measurement from the floor to the top of the mattress (with a clearance of two or three centimetres).

In this way, by stretching your arm while lying down, it will be easy for you to reach the objects on the bedside table.

To make your choice easier, we list the heights of our designer bedside tables here, so you can find the perfect match in the blink of an eye.

Joos: 50 cm.

Delfi: each stackable module is 30 cm high.

Lirio: 50 cm.

Altea Tonda: including top (tray) measuring 50 cm.

How to choose the bedside table if there is little space between the bed and the wall?

The bedside table in this case should occupy more or less two thirds of the space between the bed and the wall.

How big should the bedside table be based on the bed?

The scale factor is very important: if you choose a bedside table that is too large or too small compared to your bed, the final effect could seem forced and forced.

Based on this scheme to match the bed and bedside table starting from the dimensions.

● Width of the bedside table for a standard bed (single or double) : 50 - 70 cm.

● Width of the bedside table for a French bed : 35 - 50 cm.

● Width of a bedside table for a King size bed : 70 - 80 cm.

How to combine bed and bedside table?

In addition to the dimensional factor, of which we have provided you with all the tricks in the previous paragraph, for a perfect match between bed and bedside table you need to take into consideration shapes, colours, style and materials.

The key word is: differentiate.

In fact, if you choose the bed combined with the bedside table, your room could appear anonymous and even a little dated.

● Create material contrasts: selecting the bed and bedside table with different materials makes the bedroom interesting and stylish. Since the beds on the market are almost all made of wood or covered in fabric, you're on the safe side with a metal bedside table .

● Mix different eras for an eclectic style. Do you have an antique or vintage bed that you want to enhance? A modern bedside table is the ideal solution to bring that contrast needed to enhance the bed. When you combine an antique bed and modern bedside tables , the wow effect is guaranteed!

● Play with shapes: do you prefer them sinuous or linear ? You have free choice: you can be consistent with the shapes of the bed by recalling them with the bedside table, or you can differentiate.

For example, if the headboard of the bed is rather square, a rounded bedside table will serve to soften the look of the room, making it more relaxing.

And what about the colors ? We'll talk about it in the next paragraph, also taking the walls into consideration.

How to match the color of the bedside table to the walls and bed:

● Do neutral colors predominate in your bedroom (grey, beige, dove grey, etc.) for both the bed and the walls?

If you want to maintain a restful and essential look, opt for a white bedside table or a black bedside table.

At the same time, the neutral base lends itself very well to strong accents. What do you think of a terracotta or cinnamon colored bedside table?

● Colored walls and white bed : what color should you choose for the bedside tables?

First of all, in the same shade as the wall , but in a lighter or darker shade. The tone on tone will give the room a very soft look, and a beautiful volume effect will be created, given by the chromatic play.

If, however, you prefer stronger contrasts, then use the complementary color of the wall for the bedside tables.

Here are some examples:

- green wall and terracotta or powder pink bedside tables;

- powder blue wall and cinnamon commodes;

- pink wall and fossil green bedside tables.

How to choose the bedside table based on the style of your home and bedroom

What's your style? Translate it into something concrete, also through a careful selection of bedside tables.

Minimal style. Minimalism requires visual cleanliness and simple lines. For a minimal style home you can replace the classic bedside table with an essential coffee table .

Nordic style. Scandinavian design is based on the functionality of the furnishings. The perfect bedside table for this style is practical, dynamic and usable in different ways.

If you are looking for a bedside table like this, the solution is Delfi, the practical and versatile modular bedside table by Hiro.

Bohemian style. The bohemian style is maximalist, suitable for those who love to change often and collect objects from distant and different origins. In a bohemian home there is a need for capacity, color and versatility.

Altea Big was created to gather potted plants (and this is another reason why it is suitable for a bohemian home) and is equipped with a tray that transforms it into a spacious and colorful bedside table.

Eclectic style. Do you love unexpected combinations of eclectic style? Mix your best antique or vintage pieces with contemporary design furnishings (by the way, take a look at the new Lirio modern nightstand).

What to put on the bedside table? Styling ideas and tricks

Among the things that we all keep on our bedside table there are undoubtedly a good book, a lamp, a glass of water and a jewelry box in which to store earrings, necklaces and bracelets.

In addition to practical objects, the area dedicated to the bedside table is also the right place to take care of the sensorial aspect. This is, in fact, the area of the bedroom closest to the sleeper.

This is why you can take advantage of the opportunity to insert scented candles , which spread positive sensations, and small audio speakers to listen to podcasts and songs in the highest quality.

In short, when it comes to the type of objects to keep on the bedside table, there is certainly no lack of imagination.

The point is: how do you keep a bedside table always tidy? And how are objects arranged harmoniously for a pleasant final effect?

Here's everything you need to know.

1) A box to organize on the bedside table

If you have five or six objects that you want to keep next to you, not all of which are nice to display, what you need is a good-looking container that can hide what you don't want to show. You can use for example a basket with a lid, a box with sea bream or our Everyday Box .

And here is the first element of your composition.

2) Abat Jour: how big should the bedside lamp be?

If there is one thing that really cannot be missing on the bedside table (unless there is already a pendant lamp right above it) this is the bedside lamp or table lamp .

The size of the lamp makes all the difference in the world: it is better that its width does not exceed a third of the width of the bedside table, so as not to appear disproportionate.

3) How to arrange objects on the bedside table?

For a harmonious composition, there should be at least three objects, of different sizes, materials, colors and heights.

For example: lamp, container and candle holder.

Here's a trick: ideally divide the bedside table top into 3 parts. The one closest to the bed you can use to place your glasses, book or glass of water, or you can keep it completely empty.

In the remaining two-thirds of the floor, place the lamp, a container and other decorative objects. If these objects are more than three in total, gather the smaller ones in a nice tray.

In summary: how to choose the right bedside tables?

1) Measurements . For the height, it should match the mattress, centimeter more, centimeter less. The width, however, must be proportionate to the size of the bed.

2) Bed and nightstand, they work better together if they are not matched together . Differentiation is the key to a perfect match. Metal nightstands are the easiest to match with most fabric or wood beds.

3) When choosing the right bedside table, you must also take into account the overall style of the house.

4) For bedside styling , you can use a container to group less attractive items. Create a composition of three or more different elements, leaving the portion of the bedside table surface that is closest to the bed empty.

How to choose the right bedside tables? Sizes, combinations and styling tips