The 3 Rules to Choosing Bedside Pedestals for Your Bedroom

Bedside pedestals are essential parts of every bedroom. And if you enjoy sleeping in a personalised space, picking the right nightstand is important, right? We here at The Mattress Warehouse gets that. So we asked our decor experts to tell us how to pick the perfect nightstand for your bedroom. And unsurprisingly, it’s about more than the nightstand itself. So if you are looking to purchase new bedroom pedestals, keep reading to find out how to choose the best one (or two) for your personal space.

First things first, let’s discuss the different types of bedside pedestals

Even if choosing the perfect set of bedside pedestals isn’t all about the pedestal, you still need to know what kinds of nightstands are out there. After all, that is what you are shopping for, isn’t it? So let’s jump right into it. Most bedside pedestals are made from either wood or leather (or a combination of the two). And in some cases, iron.

Apart from the materials that they are made from, bedroom pedestals also come in different styles. You get some nightstands with drawers, others with cabinets, some with shelves and then you get combinations of the above. At The Mattress Warehouse, we stock mostly wooden nightstands and a couple of leather-covered ones. However, they come in any combination of styles you can imagine. Here are some of our favourites:

The York Pedestal

• Currently on offer for R1,999

A great example of a hybrid nightstand, the York Pedestal has a drawer and a shelf. You can slide your book or magazine onto the shelf for easy access and store your more personal essentials in the drawer.

The Maluti Door & Drawer Pedestal

• Currently on offer for R2,599

The perfect example of a cabinet style nightstand, the Maluti Door & Drawer Pedestal offers a lot of space to discreetly store all of your bedside necessities.

Before we go into more detail about styles and types of nightstands, let’s get back to the point. How do you choose a bedside pedestal?

The top 3 rules when it comes to choosing bedside pedestals

When browsing bedside pedestals for sale, you have to keep in mind that the pedestal won’t be used in isolation. In other words, it will interact with all of the furniture (and colours) in your bedroom. It is also a great piece of furniture if you want to quickly change the look of your bedroom. So our experts suggest that you should think about how the new pedestal will look in relation to:

1. The bed.
2. The bedroom.
3. Materials and colours that make up the fabric of the room.

Here is how and why you should consider these factors:

1. The bed

Beds are, without a doubt, the focal points of our bedrooms. Everything you do in your bedroom centres around the bed. And to a large degree, the aesthetic you go for is coupled to the size and style of your bed. As such, it is important to match your candidate nightstands with the bed. Some quick rules on pairing bedside tables with beds:

• Size and position of your bed – For single beds and beds with one side against a wall, one nightstand is more than enough. However, if you have a double bed or larger, two bedside pedestals might be necessary, especially if you share your bed with a partner. After all, both of you need space to put your nighttime essentials.
• Height of your bed – A good rule to follow is to pick a nightstand that is more or less the same height as your mattress. If you are uncertain, rather go for one that is slightly lower than the bed.

Tip: Before you go shopping for bedside pedestals, measure the height of your bed from the floor to the top of the mattress.

2. The room

Floorspace, colour schemes and lighting are all functions of the bedroom itself. Furthermore, the size of your bedroom furniture relies heavily on the shape and surface area of your bedroom. And that rule counts for bedside pedestals as well.

You should try to pick the furniture in your bedroom so that it is in proportion with the floor space and the other furniture pieces in the room. For a great bedroom look, your bed and bedside pedestals should ideally not take up more than three-fifths of the wall it stands against. Here’s what you can do if you want to check if you are on the right track:

1. Measure the width of the wall behind your bed and jot down the measurement.
2. Now measure the width of the bed itself (write down the width).
3. Find out how wide the bedside pedestals you are considering are.
4. Add the width of the bed to that of the pedestal(s) that you want to get.
5. Subtract the answer you got in step 4 from the answer you got in step 1 and make a note of it.
6. Divide the width of the room (step 1) by 5.
7. If your answers in step 5 and step 6 are roughly the same, you are on the money! If the answer in step 6 is a lot more than that of step 5 you should consider getting “skinnier” nightstands.

3. The materials

Okay, so now that you have an idea of how big or small your nightstand should be in comparison with your bed and bedroom, it’s time to pick one (or two). This is where you choose the type of nightstand, and the material it’s made from, that will fit in with your bedroom aesthetic. Mixing and matching materials and colours can be a lot of fun. But it can also be exhausting. Our experts advise to take one of two approaches when selecting the style and material of your bedside pedestals:

• Go for matching pedestals to create a homogeneous, easy-on-the-eye space.
• Or create a contrasting space that speaks to you and your partner’s individual styles and preferences by each picking your own nightstand (remember to stick to the sizing rules above).

Wood and leather go well together. Likewise, wood and wood can also look fantastic. Try to avoid putting a leather bedside table next to a wrought iron bed, because the two pieces will be an eyesore of note.

Find a range of bedside pedestals for sale

So now that you know how to go about selecting your new set of nightstands (1. size, 2. proportions and 3. material), you are probably chomping at the bit to start shopping. Go for it! Click here to check out our beautiful range of bedside pedestals for sale. And if you decide to buy one, shipping is on us (if you live close to major city hubs in South Africa).