Nightstand Decor Ideas: Simple Tips to Revamp Your Bedside Setup!

1. Make It Personal With Artwork or Photos

Your nightstand is the perfect spot for displaying pieces that hold sentimental value or reflect your interests. This might include a piece of art you found on a special vacation or a framed family or wedding photo. You can add art or a photo in a tabletop frame, hung on the wall behind your nightstand (both of which were done below),

Sources: Nightstand | Green ceramic lamp | Burlwood frame

or resting on the back of your nightstand, such as the pineapple art on {this white lacquered nightstand}:

2. Choose Stylish Storage Solutions

Nightstands often don’t have much storage space, so consider adding storage solutions to help keep clutter at bay. Decorative boxes like {these green fabric storage boxes} are one of my favorite storage solutions because they’re both pretty and practical:

Sources:  Beadboard bed (weathered white)  |  Round mirror (small)  |  Embroidered stripe pillow shams  |  Embroidered stripe duvet cover  |  Blue and white block print pillows (similar)  |  Nightstand  |   White Lamp |  White coral

Other decorative boxes that would work well on your nightstand include {this set of three storage boxes} we have on our family room bookcase,

or {this set of rattan boxes}:

Bins and baskets can work well for stylish nightstand storage too. An open basket like the color-blocked basket on the shelf of {this nightstand} is perfect for kids rooms:

If you want something a bit more stylish that not only contains but also hides the clutter, {this pair of lidded scalloped baskets} is the way to go:

3. Give Guests Your Wifi Deets

For guest bedrooms, framing your home’s wifi info is a smart addition to your nightstand. You can keep it small and simple, as with {this small wood frame} in our guest room (and no, this isn’t our real wifi password 😊):

or use a more decorative frame such as {this scalloped wicker frame}:

My wifi “artwork” is a printable that I bought {here} and customized with my own colors. As yet another option, I love the look of {this acrylic wifi sign}.

4. Corral the Small Stuff With a Bowl or Dish

A small decorative bowl or dish is perfect for corralling the small stuff that clutters up the top of your nightstand. This might include placing a small dish with a phone charger and cord on your guest room nightstand next to your wifi code:

or a cute trinket dish like one of {these heart dishes} for jewelry that you take off before you go to bed:

One of {these leather catch-alls} is another stylish option:

5. Cover Up a Tissue Box

Keeping a tissue box on your nightstand is a super practical addition, but those “decorative” cardboard tissue boxes aren’t very attractive. Adding a decorative tissue box cover does the trick for keeping things both pretty and practical. Some favorites include {this monogrammed fabric tissue box cover},

{this whitewash tissue box cover},

and {this inexpensive faux leather tissue box cover}.

6. Add Life With Plants & Flowers

Consider placing a plant or vase of flowers on your nightstand to add a fresh look to your bedroom. Options include a trailing plant like the one used on {this 2-drawer white nightstand},

a flowering plant such as the orchid on {this side table}.

or a bouquet of flowers (either real or faux) such as the ones in {this chambray ceramic vase} on {this woven nightstand}:

7. Reflect Light With Nightstand Mirrors

A trick for making any room look bigger is to add large wall mirrors. For a bedroom, consider hanging a wall mirror such as {this brass mirror} over each of the nightstands:

Adding nightstand mirrors is also great for adding height on both sides of the bed to balance out a tall headboard.

Another example with a more minimalistic vibe is the addition of {this scalloped wall mirror} above a dark wood nightstand:

8. Corral Clutter With a Decorative Tray

A decorative tray is a practical and stylish way to corral your nightstand essentials, creating a cohesive and clutter-free look. A great example is {this brass tray} corralling items on top of {this wood nightstand}:

A tray also helps protect the top of your nightstand from water stains when you keep a glass of water or a water-filled vase bedside. Pottery Barn is one of my favorite sources for decorative trays in a variety of sizes and materials – you can check them all out {here}.

9. Stack Up Some Books

Whether you choose to display a few of your favorite reads or stack them to create varying heights, books can instantly elevate the look of your nightstand. Consider incorporating books with beautiful covers to add a pop of color, such as the books on {this scalloped rattan nightstand}

Or use them in a more practical way, such as to raise the height of a short bedside lamp as was done on {this gorgeous nightstand}:

For guest rooms, adding a few coffee table books about the area you live in is a nice touch.

10. Focus on Fabulous Lighting

Some bedrooms, including my own primary bedroom, only have enough space for narrow nightstands, so there isn’t a lot of opportunity to add pretty nightstand decor. In this case, focus on your lighting, choosing beautiful bedside lamps. We have a pair of {these blush Kate Spade lamps} in our bedroom, which I absolutely LOVE:

Sources: Upholstered bed (Zuma white fabric)  | Nightstand  |  Gray dragon pillow covers  |  Other bedding – no longer available  |  White drapes

Another option with narrow nightstands is to use wall-mounted lighting instead of table lamps to free up nightstand space. In our previous home, we hung {these swing arm lamps} on the wall to give us space for a few bedside essentials on {this small black nightstand}:

See my post on bedroom lighting for more of my favorite bedroom light fixtures.

If you want to whip the inside of your nightstands into shape too, {this organizer tray} works really well for organizing shallow nightstand drawers:

I hope you found an idea or two to spark a mini makeover of your own nightstands! The nightstands for our bedroom that I’m converting from a double twin bedroom to a king are scheduled to arrive this week, so I’ll be doing some nightstand decorating of my own. I hope to be sharing the results of that room’s before and after makeover next week, so stay tuned!

XO,