His side: Self improvement books falling precariously from makeshift bookends and a highball glass half-empty with water; a CD player and scattered CD’s from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. A sock he would have thrown in the hamper had he been more present. An urn-shaped lamp with a square white shade. A folded Wall Street Journal marred with tear stains.
Her side: A matching urn lamp; a stylish coral lacquer tissue box sans the tissue; silver framed photos of small girls with chubby cheeks; Book group novels neatly squeezed inside a pair of Chinoisserie bookends. A modern white Ikea clock, the only alarm clock in the house. A printed article on the threats of olive oil farming to Italian ecosystems from EcoSalon. An empty martini glass sans the olive.
Honestly, is there anything we don’t try to crowd onto our nightstands? We want our master bedrooms to look modern and tidy but the goal is undermined when the tables flanking the bed are victims of too many magazines and not enough storage.
I went hunting for eco designs with both great lines and ample storage to manage the overflow. Will they bring you sweeter dreams? Perhaps…as long as you store a big box of Sees in the drawer!
At Ducduc Furniture savvy nightstands designed for kids’ rooms are sophisticated enough for us grown ups, like the Cabana Nightstand of clean 100% hardwood with non-toxic lacquer or the Morgan Nightstand which offers a modern take on Mission. Both are $495.
The Zurich 3 Drawer Nightstand from Lifestyle Solutions ($370) sits on a low platform and is sooo clean, the drawers don’t even have those messy pulls. I love the shape of the grey Sparrow Nightstand by Oeuf ($380) with one drawer and one exposed shelf. I’d love to station a pair in a tone-on-tone grey room.
Also appearing as if cut from a mod cookie cutter, is the Hiya Nightstand from Spot on Square ($399) with a single, natural wood drawer and an open shelf. I highly recommend locating a cool basket or box to store goodies in that open shelves to keep things neat. Also very cool and looking more expensive than it is, the Modern Nightstand from Urban Outfitters ($150) with so much space it could hold your files.
If you’re in the market for vintage furniture (very green since you’re recycling old style) check out the Scandinavian mid-century models from Metro Retro Furniture ($795). They have gorgeous modern lines, a handsome finish, and several drawers for packing away your bedroom bulk. Don’t forget the coaster for that late night glass of organic soy milk!