Thinking Outside the Box: Bedside Table Alternatives

My husband and I have been doing without bedside tables since moving into our new place over a year ago, and now we're about done with stacks of dusty books and reaching down to the floor to push the snooze. But the fact is, we still haven't found any nightstands we really love. We do, however, like the idea of repurposing some other piece of furniture as a nightstand; it's a creative way to refresh the traditional bedroom set-up...

Here are a few ideas we came across in our internet travels (and from past Apartment Therapy posts):

FIRST ROW

• 1 and 2 - Bar carts. Something about a bar cart, with its cute oversized wheels and festive air, is just more exciting next to a bed than a nightstand, and yet it still has the double-tier structure than can be so practical for storing books, kleenex, and the like. These two bar cart nightstands come from Better Homes and Gardens and designer Cara McBroom.

• 3 and 4 - Desks. While I'm not necessarily a fan of having a workspace in the bedroom, sometimes a small space demands it. This parsons desk as a bedside table, from The Estate of Things, is a pretty choice in a yellow bedroom. And I love the use of this old schoolhouse desk turned to the side, from a reader's home on Colorado Creative Decor; the chair can hold discarded pillow and bathrobe while the desk itself works as a table.

• 5 - Chairs. A chair as a bedside table can be a lovely, homey look. Check out several examples like this one in a post from Apartment Therapy: Chicago.

SECOND ROW

• 6 - File Cabinet. In practical use, a file cabinet might again invoke the workplace a bit too much for my taste, but this particular one, designed by Mauricio Alejo and featured on Treehugger, is just so cute! I love the time-clock as well.

• 7 - Pet House. The Hunde Hus bedside table is also a pet house, complete with a little porch. As Gregory points out in his post, this is a fun DIY idea too.

• 8 - Ladder. For a loft or another open-plan, minimalist or industrial space, this would be gorgeous, and if you used a ladder with flat rungs, you'd have space for a water glass too. The clip-on reading lamp is a great touch. From Livingetc.

For more alternative bedside table inspiration, check out this post's list of non-furniture objects that make great nightstands:

• Alternative Nightstands

(Images: Better Homes and Gardens/Kaelin Zawilinski; Cara McBroom; The Estate of Things/Paul Costello Photography; Colorado Creative Decor; Domino, via This is Glamorous; Mauricio Alejo/Treehugger; Modern Cat; Livingetc)

The bar cart is a GREAT idea. The ladder, not so much. Where would you put a glass of water or a tube of lip balm?

posted by sally305 on August 13th 2009 at 9:21pm
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Space permitting dressers are great. Large top and all that storage.

posted by hippyvieja on August 13th 2009 at 9:56pm
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i have a drop front desk on each side of my bed. One is a ladies writing desk type with a stool underneath that can be pulled out for even more surface area. The other is a Larkin desk type, basically a bookshelf with a drop front desk attached. I like to have everything I need close at hand.

posted by mrsyow on August 13th 2009 at 11:54pm
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This is nice for a modern style and also available in carbon grey.

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=400&f=5296

posted by hippyvieja on August 13th 2009 at 11:57pm
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I love that old schoolhouse desk. So charming!

The ladder makes me wince. That poor book.

posted by Elizabeth B on August 14th 2009 at 12:33am
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I never had a 'normal' night stand. In my previous flat I used an English cast iron pot stand like this one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B001E4G80C/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=11052681&s=kitchen (mine was green and has moved to the bathroom now - black or even left raw would be a better colour choice).

What I always wanted but never got is a sleigh (Hörner-Schlitten) like this one: http://www.sirch.de/de/61-hrnerrodel.htm - but preferably an old one.

posted by MollyHeyer on August 14th 2009 at 1:08am
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I have a pair of vintage side tables that work great as nightstands, because our bed is a little too tall to work with nightstands I like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2544389767/in/set-72157594505190197/

I love the barcart examples above!

posted by visualingual on August 14th 2009 at 6:53am
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You've got me on a quest for a bar cart! We used one of those vintage desks in our last place (but had to point it forward because of space--it looks much better to the side!), but I wanted to bring it to our living room in our new house. If I can't find the bar cart, I might go back to that...

posted by Catherine W on August 14th 2009 at 7:38am
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visualingual - love your bedroom! Great tables, great everything.

posted by JR in Sweden on August 14th 2009 at 7:55am
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agree on dressers...actually great use of space for small spaces as long as they fit.

posted by ec05 on August 14th 2009 at 10:22am
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love the first photo and the simple, sweet image of the garden chair with the flowers...

I've been hunting for an old steamer trunk to use as my bedside table...perfect to store extra quilts and blankets and a great surface area on top!

posted by my little apartment on August 14th 2009 at 11:42am
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I never would have thought to turn the old school desk around, but it looks like it works great.

posted by theresaclare on August 14th 2009 at 2:06pm
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Those bar carts are great - What a fun idea for a guestroom!

posted by bepsf on August 14th 2009 at 4:29pm
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Wow! What clever ideas. In my bedroom growing up, I used a traditional nightstand on one side of the bed, and my bookshelf as the nightstand on the otherside of the bed. It was the perfect place to store a lamp, anything from your pockets, a book, and perhaps a vase of flowers. It was so practical, and a great way to maximize the use of the space, and the function of the furniture.

posted by SIUCarbondale10 on August 14th 2009 at 4:38pm
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My bed is flanked by a bamboo butler's tray & stand on one side and a vintage bamboo desk on the other. Both have enough similarities to tie them together while being totally unique pieces.

posted by Seaside on August 14th 2009 at 6:31pm
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I have been looking for medium scale dresser to use as a nightstand - anyone see any good ones?

posted by shalgal on August 15th 2009 at 8:32pm
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i use a big, deep wooden drawer turned on its side as a bedside table. it fits perfect in my little bed nook!

posted by christie d on August 16th 2009 at 5:52am
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