i would put a square basket or crate under the table for the books and iPad. add two little trays, one for glasses, one for other small things, and if you really want to free up space put in a lamp that hangs from the wall or ceiling.

I like MRSYOW's idea. You could even use a floor lamp. A bin could be put as a centerpiece on the table that has sections in it for your pens, glasses and etc. Have it in a nice color to make the table look better.

Can you move a few items to other locations? How about putting the chapstick & lotion in the bathroom & the ipad onto your dresser (it will be out of reach, so no snooze button allowed!)? More visual clutter is in all the other patterns I see: multi colored quilt, striped pillow case, lamp shade, art & rug. I'm not saying it's bad at all. It looks like it all works, so if you just take those couple of things off your nightstand, there will be some more open surface.

I'm just jealous that you have room for a nightstand. My dresser is less than 2 feet from the edge of my bed & has to also act as a nightstand.

I think it looks pretty good already - mine would be 18 inches deep if I didn't have a drawer (hair ties, chap stick, radio remote, bookmarks, postit pads, nail clipper, etc) plus an entire cupboard to hide my books and magazines.

My side table was a dusty nightmare. Then I got the 40.00 Ikea Helmer metal drawer unit. My iPad, hand cream, nail files, etc., all have a dust-free and organized home. Plus it is on casters so it is easy to pull out and vacuum behind.

I've had a few dysfunctional one night stands.

I understand the water and chapstick on the table. I cannot sleep if those items are not there. I think a basket underneath for books/lotion/misc is a great idea, and maybe if you have a random tin or bowl you could use them to stow the cell phone and chapstick and earrings you forgot to take off before getting into bed. It could sit on top of whatever book you're currently reading and look cute.

I am stealing MRSBERG and MRSYOW's ideas - I have Eileen Gray cigarette tables as nightstands, and they do need some styling. Patrick, I second that emotion.

Hack the table.
Add a drawer.
Problem solved =]

How about a nice tailored natural linen tablecloth over the lack table and a basket full of mess underneath - concealed by the tablecloth? Even something like this:
http://www.marthastewart.com/272764/runner-tablecloth

And, for goodness sake, get a nice looking swing arm wall-mounted lamp so it doesn't take up room on the table.

Totally with you on the chapstick, book, water alarm clock conundrum. I've been thinking of using a bookcase as bedside table.

It's pretty easy to stick a little lower shelf of MDF on lack table. With the black ones you can mostly match the shelf with a quick coat of black paint, which is close enough to the faux black wood pattern to barely be noticeable.

Most of that stuff can easily be stored on the second shelf, where it's still just as easy to reach, but the lack tables are so low that anything on the bottom shelf is almost invisible.

umm that is kinda cute already.. and not how my Lack bed side table looks! yikes! I blame the kids crap...

My cat likes to knock things off of my side table. I have been slowly adjusting to this.

My bedside table is also an IKEA item, one that is meant as a small storage unit for an office. The top is not a whole lot bigger than the one in picture, but the unit has two drawers and one additional shelf (the sides are closed, not open as in a table). I think it is pine wood and it is on casters (which is fine). I stained it years ago and put some low sheen varnish on it and it has served me well for years.
The drawers are definitely a plus (not only I store my chapstick but also my Vicks inhaler stick, an assortment of hand lotions, a torch light, a pen and a notebook (ya never know - what if I conceive some utterly brilliant idea at 3 a.m. and I need to write it down?). The shelf holds my huge stack of Oxygen magazines.

Looks normal to me.

I have way more on my nightstand because of the CPAP machine, however, it has also tidied up around it, because all I can fit on it is the lamp, alarm clock and water.

I have a drawer in my nightstand - and two trays in it which make it so more functional for me.

It doesn't look dysfunctional to me. I think it's important not to sacrifice function for presentation.

A small tray to hold the bits and pieces - but you're not going to get anything better to hold water, clock, books and lamp than a flat surface. And after all, a night stand is there to be a stand for night things.

Nice bedclothes.

I have a square drawer-less nightstand as well. To solver the clutter problem, I bought a small rectangular piece of remnant wood from IKEA and attached four metal (approx. 4") IKEA legs to the underside. I store this piece under the nightstand (sort of like a "nesting" table), and that's where I keep my book and Ipad.

P.S. From what I can see of your nightstand and bed linens, I think your bedroom looks great as is!

My nightstand is actually not a nightstand, but some kind of really old, really rickety little two-tiered square table (the top is about 2x2 feet and the shelf below slightly smaller). The bottom shelf holds a large wooden box, painted red, that I store all my drawings, inspirations, phone numbers, and other little bits of paper in. On top of the box sits a small box of tissues and a little wooden crate exactly the right size for storing a handful of CDs. On the top of the table, along the back edge (against the wall), I have a long green box that is overturned. It serves as a platform to elevate my lamp, a small red box (for keeping precious mementos), and two brass dishes shaped like turtles (for holding jewelry). On the actual surface of the tabletop, I have my alarm clock, a coaster for a drink, and a leaf-shaped bowl for holding a little tin of salve (double duty lip balm and lotion) and whatever else finds its way there. It sounds like a lot of junk (okay, it is), but I swear the overturned-box-turned-platform makes it look a lot less cluttered than it actually is.

Photos are probably better than all that rambling I did above.

It's also possible (and apparently it promotes better sleeping) not to bring too much to the bed and its corresponding nightstand. I have a lamp for those rare nights when I read in bed, and only then is there a book on the nightstand. Otherwise, it's a glass of water and an alarm clock. I keep my cell phone, and most nights my reading glasses, on a table in the next room

I thought this was the "after" picture. I also thought, "Where do you keep all your stuff?"

<img src="http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg511/Revatar/th_IMG_2271.jpg" border="0" alt="Day" >

http://i1241.photobucket.com/albums/gg511/Revatar/IMG_2265.jpg

If the picture above is supposed to show a cluttered nightstand that prevents the writer from sleeping, maybe Andie Wuster should consult for OCD? I mean, just stack and straighten the two books that don't constitute a pile, put your glasses on top, and that's it. I'd move away the iPad from the water, but all it takes is putting it somewhere else before turning in.

This made me laugh - I totally thought this was the 'after' shot!

I'm pretty anti-clutter myself, but if this is your idea of clutter....I'm not sure I can help you. (Oh yeah, and nice bed linens).

To me that looks tidy....
why not use a jewelry chest (or cup/bowl) to hide away cellphone, glasess, lotion chapstic etc .Put it over the book and you have (at least visually) less stuff on you table.
Use a low basket (for books maybe) and slide it under the bed.

I also have a night stand with no storage at all, not to mention naughty cats. I keep a lovely, old silver box (with a lid) on top for my glasses, chapstick, flashlight, etc. where said naughty cats cannot steal or gnaw on them while I sleep - very functional. Besides that, I have an upholstered box (also with a lid) under the table for larger/less used items. I rarely even long for drawers now! P.s. A sewing basket could also work well underneath that Lack!

We have two mis-matched antiques for night stands. One is a three drawer dresser; the other is a washstand with two shelves behind the doors. While they are both oak, they are different heights and widths, although they are both made of oak. I have a white I keep a wooden tray with various containers to hold jewelry, earbuds, a tiny altar with a tiny silver St. Francis, medal, a Buddha and other little items that have significance for me, and a white iPhone handset. I cull the tray every week so that it starts out fairly empty. Closest to me is a stack of no more than three books or magazines. My AreaWare iPhone/iPad dock functions as my alarm clock. My partner has his travel alarm, and a landline phone. We have matching lamps with clear glasses bases and white shades. Despite all these items, the look is clean and uncluttered. As long as you dust and put things away regularly there's no need to fret. That's my opinion: you're milage may vary.

Drawer was my first idea, too. Here's a tutorial that seems pretty doable:
http://www.designsponge.com/2010/03/diy-project-ikea-bedside-chair.html
or even easier:
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2012/01/trofast-drawer-for-lack-coffee-table.html

Underneath nightstand: storage cube/ottoman (leather or rattan/woven)

Atop nightstand: office organizer or covered box for small items and a heavy coaster for water glass (I use a soapstone box & dish & a heavy, crystal dish/ashtray I inherited)

Check Marshalls & TJMaxx first (that's where I found my rattan storage ottoman, wooden office organizer & soapstone dishes/coasters) since they have a huge selection at a savings. World Market & Crate & Barrel are great sources as well. The beautiful soapstone dishes that I use as coasters were in the towel aisle with the soap dishes, etc. Here are some images
- http://www.target.com/p/Seville-Rush-Cube-Storage-Ottoman-Mocha/-/A-10702159#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton
- http://www.worldmarket.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=office%20organizer&origkw=office+organizer&sr=1
- http://www.worldmarket.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=soapstone%20box&origkw=soapstone+box&sr=1

Firstly, your bedside is a lot tidier than mine. We went with an IKEA Mandal bed, which has brilliant drawer storage underneath - I was quite happy with the idea of not having bedside tables when we got it, as I always end up with serious clutter issues, and I thought having the drawers would mean I had plenty space... Now we have sockets that aren't covered up by the table that should be there, and half a dozen charger and lamp cables.

Anyway, you said you didn't want drawers or trays, how about a smaller version of this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bed-caddy-Bedside-Storage-Bag/dp/B0071CGB3U/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1330079767&sr=8-6
You could put everything apart from your water and lamp in something like that. I know it's a bit big and ugly, but I've seen others out there, and I'm sure you could make something similar without too much effort.

Also, I love your lamp - where is it from?

I solved all my bedside-table problems with an Ikea Helmer unit (http://www.ikea.com/ie/en/catalog/products/40107872/?query=helmer#/00107874).
I keep lip balm, eyedrops, painkillers etc in the top drawer, tissues in the next drawer, book I'm reading in the next drawer, toiletries that I can't fit in the bathroom cabinet in the next drawer, and so on. All that and it's less than a foot wide (28cm to be precise). I'll never use anything else now.

To me, this is what a nightstand should look like! Every few weeks if stuff piles up I'll clean mine off but I always need my water, lamp, lotion, chap stick, phone, and all my prescriptions sitting next to me. I have a drawer but it annoys me too much to open it every time I need chap stick or drugs (which is always).

My point is, your nightstand looks very orderly. :)

I have a small wooden bench positioned alongside my bed (very little space for a nightstand or table). On it I have a small round basket to hold my phone charger, eyeglass case, a couple bookmarks and lip balm. I also have my alarm clock and both my Nook and Kindle. It's unconventional but I live in a studio apartment and space is limited. I use a floor lamp for light, positioned behind the bench.

Oh, and a coaster for my tea or coffee.

I'm amazed at all these people who sleep with a glass of water by their bed. Oh well, to each their own. My night table has an alarm clock, a lamp and (once I'm in bed) my glasses.

When my boyfriend and I moved into our new place, we gained more space and a new TALL antique bed. Initially, we pulled some kitchen stools up to the sides of the bed to use as nightstands for the first night or two in our new place and... well... they've stuck. (We just can't find nightstands TALL enough for the bed that cost less than $200 each.)

It's awful because there's only just enough space for a lamp and a glass of water, and we're constantly trying to cram extra items onto them, which means other items keep falling off.

I guess I'm telling the story to reassure you--life could be worse!

I'm weird. I have two nightstands and I keep nothing on them other than a decorative table lamp that is never used. My alarm clock is kept far away on my dresser, so that I have to get up to turn it off.

I recently dealt with this issue: My boyfriend and I both found ourselves with laptops on the floor, chapstick, birth control (for me....obviously), water glasses, etc. These are not things we wanted to sit out beside our clock, lamp and cell phone. So, we looked around and ended up purchasing and building matching nightstands with drawers. Perfect solution!

Now I just want wall sconces for lamps.... one day!

-Audra's Ally

Agreed. Hack the table. Add a drawer. It would look great with an enameled metal drawer below.

I would get a old wooden step ladder and place it on the other side of the bed. You can pile up your books, leave your gadgets, etc., and even place a planter or another reading lamp on top.

A white basket would work.

Love it...inspired me to take a look at my bedside table! Check out my post.
xo
E
http://urbanchiqueness.com/chique-tip-bedside-manner/

Yeah, that's what my nightstand looks like now... After the purge. I also have diapers/wipes/medicine/kids toys/etc. on it at any given time. Get a basket and relax. :)

I used to think I needed a proper «nightstand» and tried several small ones but none fit my needs. Then tried one large/low IKEA-MALM 4 drawers dresser, around 45cm high.. perfect. The two small drawers are the size of a small MALM nightstand, the 2 large drawers are big enough for linens. Fingers crossed, top surface has remained clutter free. I haven't seen it on the IKEA website for a while now, may be discontinued.

Use a wall lamp and employ thoughtful stacking. I also like mrsyow's idea to use a basket or crate under the table.

And my nightstand is an old wooden school desk from a local school that was closing. This was many years ago when I was a kid and my dad and I sanded it and poly'd it. For a while it was a TV stand with the VCR in the underneath part.

I like the look of books on a nigtstand. You could use a hanging organizer off the side of your bed for the ipad, chapstick, and pens. during the day your blankets would hide it.
Heres an example: http://summernightsmiles.wordpress.com/2008/12/30/hanging-bed-organizer/

A large tray on top, which holds a small plate and a basket. Also, a shelf and a cabinet underneath.