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Bedside Manner: Helpful Ideas for Organising Your Nightstand

Your bedside table is the first and last space you interact with every day, here’s how to make it every bit beautiful as it is functional.

By: Laura Kennedy

Build A Home

Bedside Manner: Helpful Ideas for Organising Your Nightstand

Your bedside table is the first and last space you interact with every day, here’s how to make it every bit beautiful as it is functional

By: Laura Kennedy

Left to its own devices, the bedside table can become a decidedly unglamorous space. But, if you employ a few clever bedside table ideas, it can be a lot more than a graveyard for half-finished novels, retainers whose hygiene is in question, and that glass of water you insist on taking to bed ‘just in case’ but never actually drink. In fact, curate your bedside table effectively, and it'll soon become the functional, organised and beautiful space you need it to be, the cornerstone of your night time routine. Time to say goodbye to the chaotic bedside table, and welcome to elevated sleeping.

Read More: How to Dress a Bed You'll Never Want to Leave

Practical Magic

The table itself should offer storage options. Should that unread novel perched by your bedside make you feel bad, there should be a drawer or shelf to stow it away, and there should be hiding places for any necessary clutter. Think tiny, yet beautiful trinket trays and dishes for storing your jewellery, contacts and lip balm, like Astier de Villate’s Shell Box,, the ultimate accessory of the Coastal Grandma, or little storage boxes to store your tech and mitigate distractions. Or if you’re seeking larger storage, Liberty’s Theodora Tana Lawn Cotton Wrapped Suitcase, can be used to add height to your bedside or simply be slipped underneath.

Read More: Rest Easy: The Best Bedding for Every Kind of Bedroom

Shop Bedside Storage

Handmade

Astier de Villatte

Shell Box

£168.00

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Liberty

Ianthe Valentine Hand Porcelain Tray

£21.99 £9.00

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Handmade

Astier de Villatte

Cube Box

£240.00

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Doing Goods

Mia Poppy Plate

£40.00 £32.00

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Handmade

Astier de Villatte

Duckling Box

£179.00

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L'Objet

Terra Small Bowl on Stand

£315.00

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Handmade

Astier de Villatte

Shield Box

£347.00

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Doing Goods

Chelsey Circus Box

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Mood Lighting

Lighting should be tailored to your needs and habit – if you do like to read in bed, make sure your lamp is bright enough to read by and leaves enough table space for your book (and of course that glass of water). But it also shouldn’t be too bright, it should lower your cortisol and help the mind switch off. Opting for the retro-inspired House of Hackney Floribunda Cotton Velvet Narcissus Table Lampshade, will add a touch of old world elegance to your bedroom.

Read More: How to Find the Good Light: Bedside Lighting Ideas

Anna + Nina Nautical Ocean Green Lampshade, £59.95

House of Hackney Floribunda Cotton Velvet Narcissus Table Lampshade, £395

LovingSTRING Sweet Dreamer Large Drum Lampshade, £160

Set the Scene

A great scented candle should set the mood and aid in establishing good sleep hygiene (just ensure it’s extinguished before sleep) and can double up both as decor and a reminder to focus on deep breathing techniques, to keep your mind and body in a relaxed state. Of course, when choosing a home fragrance for bedtime, you want to avoid anything that feels too invigorating and uplifting – save those for the AM – and instead try scents with lavender like Diptyque Feuille de Lavande Scented Candle, which is designed to evoke the landscapes of Provence. Liberty says relax.

Read More: The Best Home Fragrance for Every Room

Shop Scented Candles

Award-Winning

Liberty

Hera Scented Candle 300g

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Bestseller

Diptyque

Baies Candle 190g

£56.00

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Le Labo

Santal 26 Candle 245g

£68.00 £57.80

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Handmade

Astier de Villatte

Mantes-La-Jolie Glass Scented Candle 260g

£75.00

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Exclusive

Liberty

Ianthe Scented Candle 300g

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Sale

NEOM Organics

Black Pepper and Bergamot Scented Candle 320g

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Liberty

Aloha Betsy Scented Candle 300g

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MALIN+GOETZ

Bergamot Candle 255g

£54.00 £48.60

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Nightstand Notes

A notebook by your bed will keep you off your phone. If any ideas come to you during the night, or you remember something important for tomorrow, you can just write it down, turn over, and sleep, without the interference of a screen’s stimulating blue light. While we’re partial to a traditionally lined notebook for jotting down late night thoughts – the Liberty Ciara Print Cotton A5 Lined Journal is almost too pretty to scribble in – the doodlers among us might prefer a blank canvas like our Wiltshire Print Cotton A5 Notebook.

Read More: How to Keep a Dream Diary