For the past ten years, we've had very low bedside tables. Whether it's a low cut side table or a vintage trunk, I've tended to go low slung. This past weekend, however, we rearranged and moved our IKEA Anes dressers next to our bed to shake things up a bit. What I thought I was getting was a new, clean look, what I didn't suspect was how MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE it was and how big a difference it made that the side table/dresser was a few inches above our bed.
Whether we are standing and reaching for the side table to pick up a book or telephone, or laying down in bed and reaching for a glass of water, this new height has been key. When standing, you don't have to stoop and when you're in bed it's easier to reach UP than DOWN. I also find that I don't kick over glasses in the middle of the night like I used to when the table was low to the side (I can be a restless sleeper).
What is the perfect height? I would start with 27" for the side table or nightstand (near table height) and then adjust your bed lower from there. Ours is about 4-5" from mattress to side table, which is perfect for us right now. The main thing is that you can comfortably reach your side table from a standing position (without stooping) and that you can also comfortably reach UP from your bed.
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I would never suggest a specific all-purpose "perfect" height for a nightstand any more than I would for an end table since beds are at different heights as are the arms of sofas and chairs.
IMO, the perfect height of a nightstand or end table is the same as the piece of furniture it's placed next to - whether it's the height of the top of the mattress for a bed, or the height of an arm for a sofa or chair. You can go an inch or two shorter, but you should never go taller.
Too low, and you have the problems that Maxwell described above. Too high, and eventually you'll get a bruised elbow - or in the case of a nightstand, possibly even a bumped head.
I love the dressers-as-night-tables idea and have been looking around for the past few months for the right ones. Does anyone know if there is a similarly-sized option (24-27 inches high) that has drawers all the way to the floor? We are short on storage space and want to hide our ugly baseboard heaters behind the night tables, and the little feet on the Anes, cute as they are, don't help us with either of those problems.
either i'm psychic, or you've posted before about finding the 'right height' bedside table ...
I so want these dressers/nightstands. It seems ikea is not making them anymore, they have only a few here and there in stock. I thought they would go really really nice with the casestudy bed from modernica - same finish. Until we find our ideal home - can't buy.
We've had mismatched, painted vintage dressers (mine's messed-up metallic gold, husband's is charcoal grey) for years and love them. Good height, good surface area and good (hidden) storage.
I agree with bepsf - a side table should be the same height as the bed/chair you are sitting in. Once at a hotel I raised my head up in the middle of the night to get up to go to the bathroom and cut my eyelid on the side of the bedside table, which was slightly higher than the bed. Ever since, I have been very weary of having any piece of furniture close to and above the bed. It is just dangerous. And I don't find it to be convenient. It also just makes you feel like you are trapped on all sides. My bed is quite low (no box spring and a very simple frame) so it was hard for me to find side tables low enough. I finally found some at Target that are just the same height as my bed and work perfectly.
I would love a nightstand higher than my bed, but with the C&B Porto bed (even with a low boxspring) I need something at least 30-31" high. Not so easy to find something I like at that height.
Does anyone think it's weird to have a nightstand well above the height of the bed?
I'm not worried about bumping into it. I'm moving into a loft apartment which lacks a lot of storage and was thinking of using these chests from the malm collection at Ikea on each side of the bed:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60127973
I don't plan on using the top for more than just a lamp...I'm just wondering if it would look weird - It's been hard to find any examples.
I think lower is more comfortable and safer. My bedroom set came with matching night tables but I didn't get them because I had limited space at either side of the bed and they were too wide. That made getting tables that fit more important than tables of a certain height. I think I did ok.
I agree with Maxwell's 4"-5" inches above the mattress. When I had lower bedside tables I was always knocking things over when I repositioned my pillow and my covers. These events never happen with my 'higher' bedside table. No more pillows falling off the bed.
As for the "...but you should never go taller". There is no 'never' in design. If that were true, where would innovation come from? And there might not be AT. :O)
@TBSKY That's an idea there, I like it. I think you could certainly make it work, depending on the room itself, the decor, what kind of bed, if there's a headboard, etc. I think if you left enough space above the dressers for a lamp and then installed a somewhat deep (to avoid accidents) shelf (and only if you're not in an earthquake prone area), it could look really good, plus it would give you extra storage.