A bedside table is a very important furniture piece in any bedroom, but unlike most of the other items, it doesn’t have to be bought in the bedroom department of a furniture store. In fact, it can look even better if you ditch the purpose-built designs and inject some creativity into choosing the right nightstand for you. Think about it, what defines a good nightstand? Storage space? Surface area? Height? Stability? All these features can be found in many other items, from coffee tables to wine crates, so don’t wait a second longer to look at our suggestions for stylish alternatives to traditional bedside tables.

Floating Shelf

If the storage capacity is not very important for you, and you just need a convenient table with enough surface area to leave a book, glass of water and a vase, then you can save a lot of space by installing a stylish and minimalistic floating shelf. You can also install two shelves one above the other for some extra storing space.

Suitcase/s

On the other hand, you might be up for something more eye-catching. In that case we suggest finding an old suitcase (on your attic or a flea market), installing wooden or hairpin legs on it, and you will get a perfectly romantic and vintage nightstand with hidden storage. You can also ditch the legs and stack more suitcases of different sizes.

Retro Bar Cart

A traditional bar cart repurposed into a nightstand will add an incredible retro vibe to your room and painting it in metallic tones will make it even more elegant. You can even go in the opposite direction and paint the cart with matte black color to support industrial style.

Wooden Crate

Do you have a stack of old wine, milk or fruit crates? Don’t let them go to waste. You can use them to create a no-fuss bedside table. Just take one and place it vertically by your bed. You can paint it with bright colors or leave it as it is. As with the suitcases, you can also stack the crates on top of each other.

Contemporary Bedside Table

Unlike traditional bedside tables, contemporary bedside tables like this can reinvigorate your bedroom and add a futuristic edge to the design. From the nesting-style table and marble surface area to patterned bases and ombre metallic effect, contemporary nightstands make a huge design statement.

Antique Bedside Table

Take another trip to the flea market or an antique store and find a cast-off, forgotten bedside table that just needs a bit of your love. You can work with what you have and enhance its worn-out look, or you can get a bucket of bright paint (e.g. coral, teal, etc.) and breath new life into it. Either way you will get a bedside table that speaks of your style and uniqueness.

Cinder Blocks

You probably never thought that you’ll be looking for furniture in construction sites, but stay with us for a bit here. It takes nothing more than three cinder blocks to aid your décor efforts. All you need to do is properly clean them, place two of them in vertical position next to each other, and then place the third one horizontally on top of them. You will end up with enough functional storage space, a surface area appropriate for industrial-themed retro lamps and some fresh flowers, and a truly surprising style statement.

So, what do you say? Are you willing to skip furniture stores and find your bedside table on a road less traveled? Good for you! Once you see how your new stylish furniture piece looks like by your bed, you will know that you’ve made the right decision.