Having decorated many nightstands and studied thousands in design photos, I’ve learned (it’s not obvious) that the five most common items on a bedside nightstand are device charger, lamp, book (reading material), water and small plant. For those who wear glasses like myself, glasses are always present. Other items include framed photos, small bowls, candle and decorative knick knacks.
If people restricted their bedside tables to just these items, there would be no horror shows. What can happen though, is that the surface becomes a clutter nightmare. If your nightstand is a clutter mess, here are 9 ways to declutter and make it look good – ideas and nightstand accessories.
1. Get a bedside caddy
LOL, this idea falls under the highly functional but not so aesthetically pleasing category. It is great for tablets, books, magazines, notepads etc. which will keep your nightstand clear.
2. Use a small dresser for a nightstand
This is my fave because instead of having to get rid of everything, I just have more space to store it. A small dresser with three drawers is ideal for a nightstand. I don’t need all my stuff on top; just accessible.
3. Shelving above
This is another option I like, although I don’t like the permanence of it. You can easily add some floating shelves above your nightstand or something more substantial such as a built-in shelving system around the bed.
4. Decorative bowls
These come in many shapes, sizes and uses. You can go with a single or a series of bowls.
5. Magnetic organizer
6. Organize those horror show cords
Cord management is a thing. It’s not fun but neither is untangling unsightly cords over and over. Fortunately there are cord clips and other cord management options to tidy up any space where there are cords galore.
7. Mount your lamp to the wall
I love this concept because it frees up plenty of space on the nightstand surface. If you have shelving above, you can attach it to the underside of the next shelf.
8. Get a device organizer
Ifyou’re not hiding your device and in fact need to charge multiple devices each night, whether yours or you take control of your kids’ devices, one of the best inexpensive nightstand organizer to get is a device organizer. I only have a phone and watch but if I had a tablet as well, I’d get one of these in a heartbeat.
9. Valet tray
AKA nightstand organizers. These are great for select items and you don’t want them piled on top of one another or falling behind the bed. Any stylish tray organizer will do the job.
