It’s possible that design guides are my favorite thing to share. I’m on a mission to make interior design more approachable by breaking down a room into steps so that you can easily understand why something works and how to replicate it. Today’s focus is nightstands. At first, you may think there’s not much to it, but there is a method to achieving a well-balanced and proportionate bedroom. Let’s dive into my nightstand size and placement guide.
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The Ideal Nightstand Height
The height of your nightstand should be level or 2”-4” above your mattress. This is optimal for both visual appearances and practical use. Nightstands that are shorter than your mattress or more than 5″ taller tend to look disproportionate to the bed.
The Ideal Nightstand Width
The width of your nightstand depends on a few factors. First, take into consideration the size of your bed to determine the ideal width of a nightstand –
- Twin: 17”-20”
- Queen: 21”-30”
- King: 31”+
These width ranges are a good place to start to ensure you’re keeping your proportions right. That being said, there are some exceptions to the rule. For example, if you have two twin beds with a nightstand in between, the wider the nightstand, the better. If you have a window above the nightstand or a large amount of empty wall space next to the bed, you can adjust the width accordingly. Continue reading for best practices.
Fill The Void
Consider the space between the bed and the corner of the wall to determine the width of your nightstand. If there’s less than 46 inches, I prefer a nightstand that spans roughly 2/3 of the wall. This eliminates awkward dead space between the nightstand and the wall.
If the wall space is more than 46”, rather than getting a giant nightstand or chest of drawers, consider adding a basket or decorative object to the corner to fill the empty void. You can then refer back to the size chart above to pick an appropriate nightstand width. This keeps proportions right without having a massively long bedside table or an awkward empty corner.
Center It
If there are windows on either side of the bed, I like to center the nightstands below the windows. This keeps the room symmetrical.
Leave A Gap
Leave approximately 3”-6” between the edge of your bed and your nightstand. This provides a visual gap between the bed and nightstand, but keeps it close enough so that you’re not reaching every time you turn off the lamp. Also, this ensures you don’t accidentally bonk your head on the corner of the table when you roll over at night.
For a quick reference, save the nightstand size guide below. And keep scrolling for a shopping list of beautiful nightstands I love!
Nightstands I Love
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This was a very informative article. Thank you!!
So happy it was helpful! 🙂
Just discovered your Blog and I really love the Guides and just plain ole “Dos ans Don’ts” without all the other fluff that are typically in blogs. Thank you!!!