Once you get your queen or king size bed in your teeny-tiny bedroom, you might be horrified to find that there is absolutely no room for nightstands in your space.
Well, maybe not horrified…but definitely disappointed. When we downsized, our new master bedroom was about half the size of our old one and our beautiful, marble-topped nightstands would not fit. No way, no how. Now that was disappointing!
Even the most minimalistic human needs a space by their bed for their water, their phone and their Kindle, am I right?
Well don’t sweat it because even if you find you have no room for nightstands in your tiny space, there are some creative nightstand alternatives so you don’t have to put your nighttime necessities on the floor.
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Creative Solutions When There’s No Room For Nightstands
If you have no area beside the bed, then you have to use the area behind, above, and near the bed! These first several ideas show you how to do that.
Use a Console Table Behind the Bed
Console tables are made to go behind sofas, so they are traditionally narrow anyway and work well behind the bed, with a couple caveats. They vary in height a bit, as do beds. So measure the height and width of your bed and compare those to the console table you’re considering to make sure it will work for you as a nightstand alternative.
If you like to lean back and read or watch TV in bed, you may have to arrange your pillows creatively to accommodate the table. OR, you could put sturdy and versatile risers like these under the table to raise it up enough that there’s room for your pillows behind you.
Skinny Sofa Table with Outlet
This super skinny sofa table would be great behind the bed as a nightstand alternative.
The really smart thing about this table, besides its skinniness, is that it has an outlet with two USB ports built right into the top of it! So no more pinched neck nerves as you contort yourself to reach the plug behind the bed.
It comes in walnut or black and is only 6 inches deep. It’s a great skinny table for many purposes in a small space!
Here are a couple more narrow console tables (9 inches deep or less) that may work for you. Again, measure your bed and the table to see where the table height will fall.
Faux Birch Console Table2 Tier Console Table
Put a Shelf Above the Bed
A narrow shelf above the bed is a simple nightstand alternative. It provides enough room for your phone, water and a few decorative items. Hide your smaller necessities in a pretty box or jar to keep it tidy.
I like this Slimline Floating Wall Shelf because it comes in expresso, white or black and a variety of lengths. Or here is a sectioned shelf, similar to the one in the photo.
With no room for nightstands or the lamps that sit on them, lighting can be a challenge. If you need some reading light, attach these stick-on LED light strips to the underside of the shelf. They plug into the wall and if you get the dimmer with them, you have everything from mood light to reading light and they’re practically invisible!
Slimline Floating ShelfWobane LED Strip Lights
Put Bookcases Behind the Bed
I love this look as a nightstand alternative! You could really make the bed wall a focal point with interesting decorative items on the top and still have room on the shelves for your nighttime necessities. Add a power strip for easy charging and you’re set.
To make this work, measuring is key. If you don’t have much floor space (hence the reason you’re even reading this, right?), you’ll want your bookcases to not extend out on each side very much. And that will depend on how wide your bed is.
Below are a couple simple bookcases that come in an array of finishes that would work as nightstand alternatives in this way. This Casual Home bookcase is about 30 inches wide. If you have a queen-size bed (which is about 60 inches wide), two of those will do the trick nicely. The Hombazzar Bookcase is about 32 inches wide and would work too. But be sure and measure the height of the bookshelves so they land where you want them to.
Casual Home Bookcase 29.5″Hombazaar Bookcase 32.7″
Try a Small Shelf Beside the Bed
If you can eek out a little wall space beside the bed, a pretty shelf like the one in the image above makes a nice little nightstand substitute. This homeowner found her shelf at a yard sale (luckeee!) and spray painted it to match her room. Love that bling!
I did find this Mkono pair of small shelves that are super cute as they are, for a rustic or industrial look, or would be stunning painted gold for a glam look.
When you’re using shelves and other nightstand alternatives, there’s no room for lamps so you have to get creative with those too. Wall lights that plug in are easy to install and come in an array of styles. I love the look of this Rivet Gold Plug-in Sconce.
Mkono Floating Shelves SetRivet Gold Plug-In Sconce
A Headboard Light Helps When There’s No Room for Nightstands
I know we’re talking about alternatives for when there’s no room for nightstands in your space…but since no room for lighting is sort of a related problem, I need to share this cool product I found.
This Headboard Light slips right over your headboard and is just bright enough for nighttime reading. Such a cool little invention for small bedrooms!
Use a Corner Wall Shelf as a Nightstand Alternative
These popular corner shelves are just right for holding those nighttime essentials. Use the bottom shelves for necessities and the upper shelves for decorative items. They come in several finishes too.
Just hang them at a level where the lower shelves are reachable from your bed. Works perfectly for tiny bedrooms with nearly zero floor space on either side of the bed!
Use Pegboard As a Creative Nightstand
In our 50 Space Saving Bedroom Ideas article, we share the idea of using pegboard beside the bed like a nightstand. But when you have no room beside the bed, you can do what the Design Sponge blogger did and put pegboard behind the bed. If you’re not a fan of white, you can paint it any color you like.
This is such an unconventional and creative nightstand idea! Add baskets (which you can paint to match your pegboard BTW) for your nighttime essentials and pretty it up with artwork and you have a practical and pretty storage area to take the place of nightstands. Plus, it’s a cool focal point in your room.
Below are a few products to help you get a similar look.
Triton 4-pack Large PegboardPegboard AccessoriesHanging VasesLet’s Sleep In Prints
Try a Pretty Wall Grid as Another Creative Nightstand Idea
What the heck is a wall grid, you ask? It’s like pegboard but with bling. I love the look of this Rose Gold Wall Grid. You can use the clips it comes with to attach your inspirational saying du jour or favorite art prints.
This grid does not come with shelves or baskets, but you can buy them separately, along with several other accessories including a magazine holder. You can find them all here. The grid and accessories come in both rose and regular gold finishes. I love how you can customize these to match your needs and style. So pretty, and another creative nightstand alternative idea!
Buy a Storage Headboard as a Nightstand Alternative
A bookcase headboard is the obvious nightstand alternative in a small space. They attach to just about any bed frame and are relatively inexpensive.
I like this South Shore Vito Bookcase Headboard because it’s simple and stylish and I love the nooks on the sides for storage. It’s the perfect nightstand alternative for a small bedroom.
This Prepac Bookcase Headboard has lots of nooks to keep those nighttime essentials close at hand. Both of these nightstand alternatives would work well in a small bedroom. They don’t stick out much past the mattress width and they aren’t very deep. They work best with a platform bed frame (no boxspring) and come in a variety of finishes.
Related: Space Saving Beds for Small Bedrooms
A BedShelfie is Perfect When There’s No Room for Nightstands
BedShelfie
The BedShelfie is a Kickstarter success and was featured on Business Insider.
This genius invention attaches to your bed frame (with no tools!) and gives just enough room for your phone, drink, tablet and a few other necessities. It even has convenient notches for your charging cables.
It’s portable, inexpensive and comes in black, natural, white or gray. This is the perfect nightstand alternative and would even be a great gift for someone who lives in a tiny space (like college kids!).
A Bedside Caddy Can Substitute for Nightstands
A bedside caddy makes an easy nightstand alternative in a small space. The Night Caddy Deluxe slips between your mattress and boxspring (or bedframe) and comes with a dual USB port for easy device charging.
The Premium Bedside Caddy attaches to a frame OR rails (great for bunk or loft beds!) and has pockets for everything you need handy at night. It even has convenient holes for charging cables!
Night Caddy DeluxeBedside Caddy Organizer
When There’s No Room for Nightstands…but You can Spare a Few Inches
So, we’ve listed several nightstand alternatives that don’t take up any additional floor space beside the bed. Who knew there were so many?
Now, if you have no room for traditional nightstands but can eek out a few inches of floor space beside the bed…here are a few more options for bedside storage in a small space.
Use a Lamp With Shelves as a Creative Nightstand
Brightech Shelf Floor Lamp
Multifunctional furniture is the best solution for small spaces! A lamp with shelves to hold your bedside necessities is a prime example of this.
I love the simple look of this Brightech Floor Lamp with Shelves. It comes in several finishes, is highly rated, and solves both lighting and storage issues in your small space.
At only 10 inches wide, it’s a creative bedside storage idea when you have no room for nightstands. AND it’s a super price!
Use Some Super Skinny Drawers When There’s No Room for Nightstands
mDesign Narrow Dresser
This mDesign Narrow Storage Tower is just under 8 inches wide – perfect to gain a little storage in a narrow space.
It comes in several colors and is versatile enough to use anywhere in your home, not just where there’s no room for nightstands. I like how the drawers keep the space looking neat and tidy.
I like the two-toned contemporary look of these. mDesign makes other fabric drawers in different sizes too , which you can view in the link.
Some Slim Shelves Can Substitute for a Nightstand
Some narrow open shelves like this IRIS Wood Shelving Unit can keep all your nighttime necessities close at hand when there’s no room for nightstands in your small room. It’s only a little over 8 inches wide and has 3 shelves. It comes in light or dark wood. You could always paint it to snazz it up!
Some Narrow Rolling Drawers Work for Bedside Storage Too
Shozafia Slim Rolling Cart
This Slim Rolling Cart is made for kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms, but at just a tad over 7 inches wide, it could be a skinny nightstand alternative too.
It’s very utilitarian, but tucked into a corner, who’s gonna see it? Also…contact paper pretties up just about anything!
This little cart comes with wheels but you don’t have to use them if you’d rather it be stable. And four drawers offers plenty of storage for your nighttime needs.
Get Some Slim Adjustable Shelves When There’s No Room for Nightstands
The The IRIS Slim Shelf is only 6 INCHES wide – THE slimmest of our nightstand substitutes. You can tuck this puppy just about anywhere!
Two things I love about this slim shelf. One is that the shelves are adjustable, giving you lots of versatility for your small space bedside storage.
The other thing is that there are matching pieces in different widths so you could piece together a custom storage solution for another area of your home, like they did below.
The 6 inch Slim Shelf is probably my favorite bedside nightstand alternative, because it’s so simple and versatile. And the price is crazy cheap!
So don’t despair if you find there is no room for nightstands in your small space!
By using wall space behind, above and near the bed, and being open to a wide variety of storage pieces, you’ll see there are lots of creative nightstand ideas for your small bedroom!
Photo credit: Unsplash
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Thanks For Reading!
We’re Lori and Rachael, the mom and daughter duo behind The cfp. When we’re not making fairy gardens, working on home projects, or binge watching Call The Midwife, we share products and ideas to help make small living spaces more functional and beautiful. You can read more about us here.