Styling Your Nightstand

When my husband and I first moved in together, we were barely making ends meet and had to get pretty creative when it came to furnishing our first home – a 900 square foot condo near Love Field. We became Craigslist addicts and I pretty much made garage sale-ing my Saturday morning routine. The coffee table I pulled out of a dumpster is my all-time favorite find. Years later, many of those ‘starter pieces’ followed us to our current home, and we’ve slowly either restored them or replaced them as necessary for our growing family.

One room I am thrilled is finally getting some attention is our master bedroom. We were in serious need of larger nightstands and the old dresser’s mid century drawer sizes meant that it really didn’t hold much. After lots of looking, we settled on some walnut, campaign-style pieces that I am slowly put surely styling to my little heart’s content.

Because of my enthusiasm over the 36″ of real estate I now have next to my bed, I thought I would share some nightstand styling tips that you can apply in your own space!

Let’s start by keeping it simple:

When in doubt, just keep it minimal. Something personal, interesting and green usually does the trick. I’m a big fan of plants used throughout your home too. It’s really the best way to make your space feel cozy!

Layer up some framed photos in front of a taller object (in this case, the orchid). I also placed my sculptural object on top of a book to give it some height. Using books helps ground or anchor smaller pieces that might otherwise look a little lost in a vignette.

Using a tray can help group everything together. Laying pieces inside the tray creates a fun, dimensional effect. Candles are always a great nightstand add too. I always try to keep a few prettier match boxes as well so they can stay out and look good while doing so!

And because I am the opposite of a minimalist, this is the winning setup! A candle that reminds me of Tulum (our favorite vacation spot), a couple of recent reads, a clear box for sentimental treasures (key from the plantation we were married at, grandmother’s broach, coins from Dubai), a quirky, sculptural piece, tall orchid and photo of our newborn. All in a tray, of course, to keep all my chotchkies contained!

Mornings are that much sweeter when you can wake up next to pretty things. Full room inspiration to follow!

XO

Aubrey