Top Ten Mismatched Nightstands
My favorite type of decor is that which doesn’t feel forced. I love being in someone’s home and finding unexpected pieces all over the place, but realizing they all work with each other nicely. So you might not be surprised to learn I’m not a fan of matchy-matchy when it comes to nightstands, table lamps, couches, or other items. I like to mix things up. Read on to see ten of our favorite beds flanked by mismatched nightstands — or !(just one)!
Keeping a space clean + neat without allowing symmetry to rule your decisions can be challenging. It’s easy to find a nightstand you like and buy two. This post focuses on pushing your limits when it comes to matching furniture pieces.
At the Trailer Project
we didn’t have the money or the time to find coordinating nightstands. On Jason’s side, he had a vintage treasure chest style nightstand that he had gotten over 10 years ago from a flea market. I needed more space then he did, liking to keep all the little nighttime lotions, books and iPads tucked away rather than sitting on the tabletop. So on my side, I took a Pottery Barn piece that my mother no longer wanted, changed out the hardware, and made it work for me. The two were different heights, widths, and different tones of natural wood. But it worked. Notice my bedside table lamps do not match, and neither did the throw rugs. The artwork, though proportionate, is not symmetrical either. 
House Beautiful
took this picture of a bedroom whose mismatched nightstands flank both sides of the bed, and the designers used a desk at the foot of the bed. Notice there is only a window on one side of the bed. They chose to embrace that asymmetry with nightstands of completely different colors. They are, however, the same height. And they used matching bedside lamps to pull the two sides together. 
Jesse Leake’s
apartment in San Francisco is a great example of letting the unexpected rule when designing a space. Everywhere you look there is something different and beautiful, but none of it really follows a plan or pattern. However, it all seems to tie together to create a sanctuary that we wouldn’t mind living in. This bedroom photo features an antique metal container on one side of the bed, that is barely larger than the base of the brass lamp that sits upon it. The other side is a 1950’s school desk, which has been modified with a butcher block top. The gilded frame on the portrait ties in with the brass lamp, and the shelf on the desk serves as a place to stow books. 
Apartment Therapy Photo: Jesse Leake
Maybe my Favorite
of all, this midcentury bedroom is sleek, sophisticated + uses mismatched West Elm nightstands to anchor both sides of the bed. Lidiya Marchenko’s room is brought to life with greenery on both nightstands. Her lamps do not match, and the painting above the bead seems to carry one off and to the right. The nightstand on the left has a polished marble top, and atop it sit 3-4 shiny objects. However, on the right, the items are all of a matte texture. The bed is absolutely perfect, symmetrical, and offsets the choices to mismatch the other elements. Even the pattern on the quilt is balanced. Love it.
In the Farmhouse
Jason and I once again had different needs for a nightstand. While he was fine with only one drawer and open space, I wanted closed storage, and a lot of it. I had an inspiration photo and custom designed and built my own nightstand with my father’s help. For his side, we purchased a midcentury one on Amazon. What you may not immediately notice in this room is that the bed is centered between the windows, but the windows are not centered in the room. This resulted in me having a lot of additional space on my side, while there was a limited amount of space on his. The size and shape of our nightstands are totally different, as are the finishes, but if you notice, we used a much larger lamp on his side than on mine to balance the areas out. 
The Only Thing
symmetrical about this bedroom are the lamps + accent pillows. And I love it. The room has an angled wall on the left side. The large circular nightstand with a heavy base fits nicely in the space between that wall and the bed. There is plenty of room for flowers and some other small items on the tabletop. On the right, there is much less space. But the glass topped table fits well, and its translucence helps keep that side of the bed from appearing cramped. As in the farmhouse bedroom above, this window is not in the center if the room and the bed is unable to be centered on the window. But that fact is lost when the designer chose to accentuate the differences in the two sides of the room instead of trying to camouflage them with matching furniture. All you see is a beautiful space flooded with lovely light.
The Juxtaposition
of tall and short is wonderful in this airy bedroom by @entrancemakleri. Almost everything else in the room is white, cream or oatmeal. And the tall table on the right still manages to play off the short one on the left with ease. Both tables feature fresh flowers in similarly shaped vases, but one is glass while the other is porcelain. The framed artwork above the bed are of the same size, but that is where there similarities end. This room is at once inviting and peaceful.
White Space Rules
in this bedroom, but the two nightstands and headboard actually have two other things in common: a small bit of dark wood paired with an oatmeal color. The mismatched nightstands feel right, though, as the fabric top to the stool contrasts the smooth wood of the table on the left, while tying in to the upholstery on the headboard. Everything is centered perfectly underneath the cathedral ceiling, lending some symmetry to the space.
This Industrial Bedroom
is bringing together so many styles in a really well done way. The birdcage lamps are hanging from the ceiling so they don’t take up space on the nightstands. The Bed is made neatly and is symmetrical. The dresser on the right seems to have almost a Moroccan style to it, where the table on the left is straight up steampunk. Yellow and grey tie the room together, while two stacked books and one framed photograph on each balance the nightstands. Nice job.
Finally, this Cozy Cottage
is offered for rent on weekends and throughout the summer. It’s being rented requires a bit of minimalism so guests have space to put their things, but once again, the nightstands are mismatched and it works well. The antique dresser on the left is the same hue as the nightstand on the left, while the nightstand on the right is simple and clean, painted white. A lone lamp sits atop each table, and artwork is placed in the middle.
Hopefully you have gained some inspiration from my list of gorgeous bedrooms with mismatched nightstands. It’s important to remember that although symmetry can play a role in bringing the bedroom together, it’s not necessary and you can match items or not depending on your preferences and your needs for storage and tabletop space. Have any comments or ideas to add? Leave them below…
