The One Place You’re Not Putting Your Nightstand (But Should Be)

My entry is barely an entry. It’s basically a tiny hallway that happens to have a front door and a door to my bedroom. I’ve spent years trying to make it look special and not feel like the awkward, in-between space it really is. When you live in a small apartment, you can’t take a single square inch for granted. So I’ve always been determined to make this area work a little harder for me.

Over the past five years, I’ve tried it all. First, it was a console table — a slim glass design that looked great online but turned out to be too wide for the narrow passage. My second solution, a marble-topped Target find that I loved, was too long and awkwardly jutted into the kitchen. I tried a small side table that had no storage, and a round accent table that looked strange in the corner. Eventually, I ran out of ideas and patience. The space stumped me, and I accepted that my entry would always be just a small hallway with big ambitions.

Then, shortly after my boyfriend (now husband) moved in, we reached a breaking point in our bedroom. Between two dressers, a bed, and mismatched nightstands, we had barely enough room to walk. Something had to go, and the smaller of the nightstands, a now-discontinued model from West Elm that’s similar to this style from The Home Depot, was the obvious choice. I moved it into the hallway temporarily — just to get it out of the way — and went back to rearranging the bedroom.

Then something surprising happened. The nightstand actually looked good in this new spot. It was sturdy, compact, and suddenly gave that odd stretch of hallway a sense of purpose. I topped it with a small plant, a quirky bust, and a trinket tray that had been tucked in a drawer for months. The drawers turned out to be perfect for dog leashes, tote bags, and gloves. Even better, it made the large painting in the hallway — one of my favorite pieces by my artist grandmother — look more intentional and prominent.

Now what was once dead space is the hardest-working square foot or so in my apartment. It’s where I drop my keys, stash the mail, and pause to make sure I have everything before heading out the door. It’s proof that sometimes the best piece of furniture isn’t new — it’s just waiting in another room, ready for a second life.