Discover our fool-proof bedside styling tips so you can discover how to create beautiful bedsides from scratch. For inspiration, we are sharing 3 of our favourite bedside looks and essential design principles that are guaranteed to help you to transform your bedroom into the sleep sanctuary of your dreams.
The bedside is the perfect place to style your most loved objects and plays an essential role in creating a beautiful sleep haven where you can relax and restore your senses.
The bedside is one of the first things you see when you walk into the bedroom, so creating a bedside that is curated and in line with your overall decor style, balancing both form and function is crucial for the bedroom's overall ambience.
Bedside Styling Tips
For most of us, deciding on a decor style or colour palette is the simplest step, as it is often pre-determined by your home's existing interior style.
If you are currently re-decorating or just starting your home styling journey, you can explore our Style Resource Guide or take our Interior Style Personality Quiz to discover your unique style.
Bedside Styling Tips: Suzie's 5 Ls of Styling
When selecting your bedsides, make sure they are at least the height of your mattress and keep functionality in mind when deciding on your preferred storage options, so you can hide away any clutter or knick-knacks such as journals, reading glasses, eye masks, or phone chargers.
Lighting is the statement piece that informs your chosen accessories. Placing your light source in the centre gives it scale and height, whereas placing it off-center allows you to experiment with the form and function of your accessories.
When selecting your accessories, be sure to include something loved, something with lustre, and something living. Adding something loved brings a personal touch and includes books, family heirlooms, photo frames, luxury fragrances, artwork, or jewellery boxes.
Next, adding something living, such as an unstructured flower arrangement, simple, fresh foliage, or a succulent, can both soften and refresh the room with living energy.
Lustre is often what makes a design truly shine, and adding subtle shimmer through a reflective mirrored tray, pewter frame, crystal decanter, or mouth-blown vase can bring a sense of glamour and charm that would otherwise be missed.
Finally, experiment with styling with some simple design rules, such as 'Grouping in Pairs,' 'the Rule of Three,' and Layering. When grouping in pairs, such as a pair of photo frames or a tall vase and candle, stagger the smaller object slightly forward to create depth.
When using the rule of three, experiment with grouping similar objects in varying heights to create a triangular shape, such as three photo frames in different shapes or sizes. You can also try grouping different objects together to create a beautiful vignette that creates visual interest. Another way to create interest is through layering different heights and textures, such as placing a standing decorative piece on top of a horizontal stack of books.
When using photo or picture frames, be mindful that the images in the frame complement the colour of your decor, so they blend rather than dominate the look.
Bonus Tips:
Make sure to include some negative/white space & keep functionality and practicality in mind to make your night-time routine more enjoyable.
Different design styles will often have different uses of space – for example, an Urban Industrial design will have far more negative space due to its minimalistic design compared to a lived-in, Relaxed Country design.
Bedside Styling Tips: Hamptons Style
Hamptons Style is natural, elegant, considered, and welcoming.
The colour palette includes shades of white and blue, dark or white painted timbers & silver/nickel accents.
In this look, we choose a white-painted bedside, but a black-painted or natural timber bedside is also fitting.
This look is streamlined, so having hidden storage ensures that you can hide away any clutter to maintain a clean look.
Lighting options include table Lamps or Wall Sconces in bronze, nickel, brass, and glass. For accessories, mirrored objects, crystal vases, picture frames & elegant trays provide lustre. For something loved, consider your favourite ceramic, a sumptuous throw, a candle, or a naturally collected element of coral, shells, or driftwood.
Complete the look and add a living touch with unstructured floral arrangements of hydrangeas and gardenias.
Bedside Styling Tips: Relaxed Country Style
Relaxed Country interiors feel warm, relaxed, and inviting, with a mix of modern and timeworn pieces and decorative objects.
The colour palette includes chalky whites, soft greys, rattan, natural timbers, green, and muted reds.
In this look, we chose a Bedside made from recycled pallets and pine wood. However, a chalky, repurposed painted bedside would also fit this style.
For Lighting, consider an oversized table lamp or pendant made of rattan, cane, metal, bronze, or wicker. For accessories, a simple glass vase, photo frame & glazed ceramic create lustre.
For something loved, we recommend rattan baskets or trays to hold a hand-quilted throw, old leather books, or meaningful decorative pieces. To brighten the look, including fresh and colourful unstructured hand-picked flowers from the garden.
Bedside Styling Tips: Urban Industrial Style
Urban Industrial style is uncluttered with a preference for a minimalistic look that is fundamentally functional and stylish. This style is a really great example of a form meeting function.
The colour palette includes shades of greys, deep greens, navy, and white, complemented by black painted or stripped unfinished woods and timbers. In this look, we selected a black-painted timber bedside, but for a more rustic look, consider a recycled timber and iron nightstand.
Lighting options for bedsides include finishes of brass, zinc, rusty metal, and iron in adjustable standard lamps or tilting desk lamps. Using recycled elements repurposed into lamps is also a fabulous design inclusion for bedsides.
For accessories, a tinted glass candleholder or vintage trophy creates lustre.
For something loved, select 1-2 sentimental objects such as a thick wool throw, mantel clock, or black & white photograph in leather or pewter frames.
Complete the look with structured plants such as simple boxwood or succulent or magnolia leaves to soften and add living energy to the more utilitarian look.
