The Trendy Alternative To Traditional Bedside Tables That's Gaining Popularity

Bedside tables are more than just a design feature. They are incredibly useful to have next to your side of the bed. For example, they give you a place to set your phone, your glasses, a book, and a lamp at night without requiring you to get up before bed to put everything away. However, they can also make a small bedroom feel even more crowded and cramped, leading you to wonder if they are worth it.

Though traditional bedside tables are no longer the default, you don't have to worry about not having a place to put all your bedtime stuff. The idea of a spot beside where you sleep to hold all your important items isn't going away; it's just going modern. Enter the floating nightstand. Instead of tables with legs or drawers that take up a lot of space and require being moved regularly to clean underneath them, choose this option that screws directly into the wall and leaves plenty of space underneath.

There is a lot of variation in floating nightstands. You can find fixtures that look like a traditional bedside table without legs, statement pieces using natural wood or stone, and those with slots and drawers for everything you might need in the middle of the night. You can even go with Joanna Gaines' unique nightstand idea that maximizes space in your bedroom, which involves suspending a rustic wood shelf using rope.

Floating bedside tables are better than their traditional counterparts for several reasons. For one, there are dozens of options at every price. You can even use an IKEA hack to DIY a floating nightstand if you want something bespoke. They provide ample storage without cluttering up the floor, making a room feel bigger or more open. It also makes cleaning easier; it's one less item you have to bend down or move to sweep under.

Another perk is the adjustable height. Sometimes, you find the perfect bedside table, but realize it's too short or too tall to fit perfectly beside your bed. If you want the most comfortable and sleek-looking set-up, you need to find something that is perfectly level. You can mount floating nightstands at whatever height works best for your room.

Finally, they have a distinctly modern look. If you want the benefits of traditional bedside tables, but with a contemporary feel, a floating model provides it. And if you can't find a piece of furniture you like, you can also ditch bulky nightstands for useful decor that makes a small bedroom feel bigger. Use any floating shelf you like, even if it isn't specifically designed for use as a beside table.

Before you jump on this trend, you need to understand the downsides. The first downside to consider is the placement of the nightstand. You permanently mount floating bedside tables onto the wall. This means you need to carefully plan out exactly where you want them to sit. If you're someone who often reorganizes the furniture in their bedroom, a floating nightstand may not be the way to go, unless you want holes all over your walls.

Installation can also be a bit of a problem. Traditional bedside tables are easy to set up. Unless you're a fan of flat-packed furniture, you just set them down on the floor next to the bed. However, with floating nightstands, you have to drill them into the wall, making sure they're level, screwed in, and properly supported.

Another big issue is how much weight these bedside tables can hold. They typically have low weight limits compared with traditional nightstands and can't support a lot of heavy items. If you're someone who always has a big stack of books for nighttime reading or adorns their bedside table with hefty décor and fixtures, you may need to stick to bedside tables with legs. When you are deciding how to decorate a nightstand that floats, take weight into account.