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The nightstand gets short rift in the furniture world IMO.
Sofas, dining room tables and coffee tables are what people invest a great deal of time researching and buying but fail to appreciate the purpose and potential impact of the lowly nightstand.
Here’s why I think the nightstand is so important.
I don’t know about you, but I have a bunch of stuff I need at arms-length when sleeping. Here’s what I need instant access to:
Cell phone: it’s my alarm clock plus pre-sleeping reading device such as Kindle books)
Book: While I read Kindle books, I also enjoy going old school at times as well.
Lamp: I love night lights because of the ambient light they give off which helps set a slumber mood.
What else? Ahhh, that’s right, a place for my coffee cup. Each morning I love enjoying a cup of coffee in bed and my nightstand is where I put it. My cup of morning coffee wouldn’t be possible without a nightstand.
While function is key, so too is design otherwise I’d just get an old milk crate and slap a piece of plywood on top. While I’m all about DIY, that’s not going to do it for me.
I like design and I like unique.
Below is a series of 15 unique nightstand designs. Love them or hate them, they are different. Enjoy.
I love the sleek floating design that makes it look like there’s no nightstand whatsoever except for the items you put on it. This small, unobtrusive design works great in any bedroom.
This nightstand is in total contrast the one above. This is a larger than average verging on dresser territory. I love the fine wood grain along with the modern design (legs and hardware).
While this is definitely a unique nightstand, I don’t like it one bit. I included it because it’s different, but it reminds me of some awful 1980s radio player. I didn’t like the look of those early electronics then and I certainly dont’ like the look of it as a nightstand now.
Round is a peculiar shape for a nightstand because it doesn’t fit flush against the wall which is inevitably where it goes given beds are placed against the wall. Nevertheless, for the spherical-minded who like rich wood, this is the perfect nightstand for you.
If you loathe look of nightstands in your bedroom, go for the invisible, fully transparent design like this. Frankly, I find this very odd and would never buy it, but you can’t say it’s not unique. It really makes me wonder why someone would think this is a good design. Just one guy’s opinion.
Here’s a classic shape – the hourglass. Or, boiled egg holder. It looks cool in a modern bedroom but you give up any other storage you enjoy with other nightstand designs.
I love this mid-century design with white on natural wood. It’s an oversized box sitting on stubby furniture legs angled outward to exaggerate the over-sizeness of the box itself. Interesting, but very effective design. This is one nightstand I’d love to have be the wingman to my bed.
If your bed is nearly butting into a corner, you can get this corner-oriented all wood mid-century design nightstand. It’s a tall unit with large drawer and upper shelf sitting on dainty furniture legs.
I do like the look of floating furniture. This particular floating nightstand reminds me of a lockbox with the dark gray wrapping around a red wood drawer. It’s an interesting color scheme. I think this would benefit from an open shelf below the drawer like the other floating example above.
I’m a sucker for distressed and natural wood furniture especially when it has a beach effect like which is made to look like it was constructed with driftwood. This is a fun furniture piece that is unique yet sturdy and highly functional.
At first glance this bedside table doesn’t look all that unique, but notice how the drawer boxes are designed in a rustic style that are then attached to a clearly modern frame. I love the rustic/modern juxtaposition of this design. If you must know, this is my favorite nightstand on this page.
Glam it up with a fully mirrored surface nightstand. Forget your full-length mirror; check yourself out in this nightstand beauty. I’m being facetious because I don’t like this at all. I don’t like anything mirror except for mirrors that serving solely as mirrors.
Let’s wrap it up with this other favorite nightstand of mine. Again, white on black. The white stands out on dainty black wood legs. It’s a modern design that I love. Great function too – top surface, shelf and drawer.
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Jon Dykstra
Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.
His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.
His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn
