I am a symmetry fan through and through. Exterior elevations, furniture arrangements, landscape layouts, you name it…I’m drawn to symmetry and its calming qualities. That’s a big reason why I have always used matching nightstands in my designs…until recently. It wasn’t until I leaned into and learned from English interiors that I grew an immense appreciation for mismatched nightstands.
This is a comically specific topic to discuss, I know, but I do believe there’s a deeper lesson to be learned. And that is the art of a collected interior.
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Design: Ashley Montgomery Design | Photography: Lauren Miller
One staple of an English cottage design is a collected home rather than a mass-purchased one. This requires time – time to acquire antiques, secondhand finds, and handmade goods. It’s uncommon to find a matching set of antique nightstands, so chests, cabinets, and side tables often take their place. Coincidentally, the room feels much more relaxed and curated, rather than staged.
So, should you use mismatched nightstands? Yes! If you’re designing a bedroom with English influences, I encourage you to embrace the asymmetry. There are, however, some tips that help mismatched nightstands still feel connected.
How To Mix & Match Nightstands The “Right” Way
Design: Nadine Stay
Match The Wood Tones And Colors
If the nightstands don’t match, make sure the wood tones and colors do. This ensures there’s still some connectivity and equal visual weight between the two. So, if the nightstands are wood, try to find pieces that have a similar tone and depth of color. If the nightstands are painted, paint them the same color.
Match The Height
While this isn’t a requirement, and I’ve seen plenty of examples where one bedside table was significantly higher than the other, it’s much calmer to the eyes when the nightstands are at least similar in height. This prevents your brain from seeing the room at a tilt. See this post for nightstand size recommendations.
If you do choose pieces that are varying heights, make sure the difference is obvious. I.e. a taller bookshelf on one side and a standard height side table on the other. Keep in mind that you’ll need to find other ways to compensate for the visual weight imbalance. A vase with flowers, a chunky lamp, and artwork hung on the wall can help with that.
Match The Lamps
If the nightstands are mismatched, the lamps should match. Whether you use table lamps or sconces, a matching set creates continuity and repetition.
Alternatively, if your nightstands *do* match, a set of mismatched lamps can create a similar collected look.
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With these similarities, a set of mismatched nightstands will look charming and purposeful. And if you open the door to mismatched nightstands, your furniture options just got SO…MUCH….BETTER!
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I love the nightstand tips! Thank you!