Your Bedside Tables Don't Need to Be Nightstands

A nightstand—i.e., a small table, often featuring a drawer, frequently sold as a set of two—is no more adept at being a bedside table than many of its furniture brethren. Consider, for one, that beds come in all different heights these days: from the lowest of low mattresses resting directly on the ground to those propped up on risers to eke out a little more storage space. We can all agree that a bedside table's height should be roughly that of the reclining person who might be reaching over to it (and also that design "rules," such as Thou Shalt Have Nightstands, are way more fun when broken), so better to choose a piece of furniture best suited to the task than to rely solely on ready-made nightstands. Here are 11 alternative furnishings that function exceptionally well as bedside tables.

The two chairs that designer Casey Kenyon uses as bedside tables in his Brooklyn home can also be cleared off and brought to the living room to make their two-top into a four-top when guests arrive. Efficiency!

In a guest room at a Palm Beach home's pavilion, the mirrored bedside cabinets are by Nancy Corzine...

...but yours could be any small dresser you pick up at the flea market.

Otherwise known as wonderful places to sit your wine when you're watching TV—so why not while you're reading in bed?

Bonus: You'll always have reading material on hand. (Here are 7 other ways to use them around the house, to boot.)

This one will require a bit of commitment—as much as mounting anything on the wall requires—but the result is a lack of visual clutter beneath it.

One either side of a bed, bookshelves have all the functionality of nightstands—and then some.

Often impossible to find room for in a small space, desks can make perfectly viable nightstands. Plus, you'll be able to hop up and jot things down in your dream journal with ease.

Longways against a wall, benches can be stacked high with essentials for low platform beds.

Similar to a bench, but better for taller beds.

A bit of a rustic choice, but certainly effective and budget-friendly.

Downside: Will require a bit of thoughtful handiwork from your contractor. Upside: Looks svelte and doesn't take up too much room.