What Your Bedside Table Says About Your Style
Does your decorating taste run to boho or coastal? Or are you more of a minimalist or retro fan? The answer may be beside you at night...
Susan Redman
13 June 2015
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff; writer, author, dreamer.
When neatly ordered with all the things we like to have close at hand as we drift off to sleep, the bedside table can evoke a sense of calm and security. It can also tell much about our sense of style. So how do you arrange your bedside table? And by looking at it, what do you think can be gleaned about your decorating style? Is your bedside clear of all clutter? Suited to a minimalist? Or something more befitting a retro sophisticate? Would you say you are a global trendsetter or an urban industrialist? If you don’t know, then let us help you with this fun checklist. If you find you like, or indeed already display, a number of the items listed for each image below on or near your bedside table, then read on to discover your style.
If you like…
You pick up on trends but integrate them into your inner-city life. While you enjoy the finer things in life, you fill your home with cool collections and key pieces collected over time and during your travels. A balance of function and excess.
- Round not square
- Stoneware pottery
- Travel guides
- Contemporary lighting
- Sleek timber grains
- Ethnic textures
- Classic novels
- Tribal textures
- Exposed beams and loft architecture
You pick up on trends but integrate them into your inner-city life. While you enjoy the finer things in life, you fill your home with cool collections and key pieces collected over time and during your travels. A balance of function and excess.
If you like…
Displaying your true self on the walls, your collection tells a story. You pick up key pieces over time and enjoy making them work together. While you are aware of innovations, you do not necessarily follow trends.
- Pastel neons
- Scandi design
- Crystal lamp bases or jewellery boxes
- Simple posies
- Architectural toys
- Abstract expressionism and pop art
Displaying your true self on the walls, your collection tells a story. You pick up key pieces over time and enjoy making them work together. While you are aware of innovations, you do not necessarily follow trends.
If you like…
You believe the built environment is more spectacular than the natural one and you’re hooked on architectural detail. Your style remains distinctive; you don’t buy off the shelf. High ceilings, open plan design, and rich and luxurious textiles are key components.
- Lacquered jewellery boxes
- Vivid colour mixed with monochromes
- Strong scents, tuber rose or musk
- Photography manuals
- Latest digital gadgets
- Dark timber-veneered furniture
- Richly-textured fabrics
- Brick and concrete
You believe the built environment is more spectacular than the natural one and you’re hooked on architectural detail. Your style remains distinctive; you don’t buy off the shelf. High ceilings, open plan design, and rich and luxurious textiles are key components.
If you like…
Minimalists are happy to sacrifice romanticism and cosiness for the sake of stark simplicity and a monotone palette – purity, frugality and detachment are your definition of cool. That said, you value high contrast and drama in interior design and you create this in your home with a few spectacular pieces against a white-walled backdrop. You like materials such as concrete, stainless steel and stone. You seek furniture that is angular and low. You like new things and don’t see the appeal of most antiques.
- White on white
- Low-profile furniture
- Less is more
- Imposing single accent flower, plant or branch
- Ink or pencil illustrations
Minimalists are happy to sacrifice romanticism and cosiness for the sake of stark simplicity and a monotone palette – purity, frugality and detachment are your definition of cool. That said, you value high contrast and drama in interior design and you create this in your home with a few spectacular pieces against a white-walled backdrop. You like materials such as concrete, stainless steel and stone. You seek furniture that is angular and low. You like new things and don’t see the appeal of most antiques.
If you like…
You like the flourish of Far Eastern antiques but not the fustiness of old China. You keep a clean house and like nothing out of place. Bright, clear colours define your bedroom decor, including oriental antiques, fine finishes, elegant furniture and formal styling.
- Chinoiserie accessories
- Shiny surfaces
- Jade jewellery and exotic stones
- Fine porcelain dishes
- Lacquered furniture
- A contrasting colour palette: persimmon reds and turquoise blues
- Oriental figurines
You like the flourish of Far Eastern antiques but not the fustiness of old China. You keep a clean house and like nothing out of place. Bright, clear colours define your bedroom decor, including oriental antiques, fine finishes, elegant furniture and formal styling.
If you like…
You aspire to five-star hotel luxury, which is always pleasing and comfortable, but also like designer inclusions. The technological side of the environment is considered –anything that is a touch of a button is by your bedside. You evaluate trends and bring those that complement your lifestyle into your home.
- Modern Italian styling
- Mushroom colour palette with mint and olive green highlights
- Crystal glassware
- Silver accents
- Classic lighting with a contemporary twist
- Subdued tones and texture
You aspire to five-star hotel luxury, which is always pleasing and comfortable, but also like designer inclusions. The technological side of the environment is considered –anything that is a touch of a button is by your bedside. You evaluate trends and bring those that complement your lifestyle into your home.
If you like…
You like a calm and balanced environment. You cover your bedside with lots of items but these are always ordered, never messy or fussy. In fact, your home is temple for all that you love. You fill it with precious pretty things and memories, often with pieces that have a story to tell.
- Baby colours, pinks and blues
- Antique-gold mirrors and lamps
- Family photos in antique frames
- Fragrant flowers, especially lilies
- Market-found furniture
- Girly accents, especially parlour chairs
- Cute and fluffy pets
You like a calm and balanced environment. You cover your bedside with lots of items but these are always ordered, never messy or fussy. In fact, your home is temple for all that you love. You fill it with precious pretty things and memories, often with pieces that have a story to tell.
If you like…
You recognise and respect good design from the past and present. As you are both confident and authentic, you have been collecting pieces for years and you display them with pride in abstract ways in your home.
- Rounded shapes
- Retro lampshades
- Warm timber grains
- Geo patterns and prints
- Mid-century design
- Australiana
- Fresh, colourful flowers
- Abstract art
You recognise and respect good design from the past and present. As you are both confident and authentic, you have been collecting pieces for years and you display them with pride in abstract ways in your home.
If you like…
Like a bower bird, you collect bits and pieces. You are earthy, sentimental, individual and your home is rich with detail. You treat your home as a gallery filled with happy memories, photo albums, unique souvenirs from travels and your own made treasures. You are not concerned with what your neighbours’ homes are like: you are true to your own style.
- Lots of books
- Study lamps
- Garden-picked flowers
- Basketware
- Squishy cushions
- Ethnic patterns
- Character-filled cane
Like a bower bird, you collect bits and pieces. You are earthy, sentimental, individual and your home is rich with detail. You treat your home as a gallery filled with happy memories, photo albums, unique souvenirs from travels and your own made treasures. You are not concerned with what your neighbours’ homes are like: you are true to your own style.
If you like…
You object to convention, so it’s not surprising that in your approach to interior design and decoration, anything goes. You are a rule breaker, some say trendsetter, who may be an artist, a writer, an intellectual or a never-quite-made-it lazy bohemian bum. The refusenik decorating style is an exercise in extremes. In a perfect world, refuseniks would live in a sanctuary of unique furnishings, kind lighting and curious antiquities and art.
- Grand flourishes
- Real antiques
- Dramatic lampshades
- Unusual colour combos
- Architectural features in furniture
- Decayed richness and faded glamour
You object to convention, so it’s not surprising that in your approach to interior design and decoration, anything goes. You are a rule breaker, some say trendsetter, who may be an artist, a writer, an intellectual or a never-quite-made-it lazy bohemian bum. The refusenik decorating style is an exercise in extremes. In a perfect world, refuseniks would live in a sanctuary of unique furnishings, kind lighting and curious antiquities and art.
If you like…
A shabby chic bedside table adorned with single stem flowers in glass bottles is a dead giveaway that a free-spirit sleeps here. A hat on a rustic bentwood chair beside the table may belong to a beach-lover or someone who loves long country walks down country lanes.
- Pastel colours
- Pretty lampshades
- Single stem flowers
- Magazines for light reading
- Frangipani-scented candles
- Chalk-painted furniture
- Beachy accents, especially shells
- Seagrass basketry
A shabby chic bedside table adorned with single stem flowers in glass bottles is a dead giveaway that a free-spirit sleeps here. A hat on a rustic bentwood chair beside the table may belong to a beach-lover or someone who loves long country walks down country lanes.
If you like…
You love the outdoors and bring that into your living environment. Tropical motifs are found on your bedlinen and cushion covers. You decorate with plants and enjoy displaying your fun crafty projects wherever there is a blank wall.
- Leafy plants
- Graphic mishmash patterns
- Woven baskets
- Anodised lamps
- Lime frond prints, pineapple and citrus colours
- Crafty objet d’art
You love the outdoors and bring that into your living environment. Tropical motifs are found on your bedlinen and cushion covers. You decorate with plants and enjoy displaying your fun crafty projects wherever there is a blank wall.
If you like…
Family and status are of equal importance and this is reflected in your taste where tradition and comfort carry great weight. Your decorating style is elegant and refined, although it sometimes lacks creativity. You are inspired by a range of classic styles including town and country, British colonial, French provincial and romantic Victoriana.
- Taupe, cream and white with a little black contrast
- Trims on lampshades
- Crystal lamp bases or jewellery boxes
- Sweet fragrant posies
- Padded bedheads
- Bronze figurines
- Mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture
- Drawings, paintings or photographs of your family
Family and status are of equal importance and this is reflected in your taste where tradition and comfort carry great weight. Your decorating style is elegant and refined, although it sometimes lacks creativity. You are inspired by a range of classic styles including town and country, British colonial, French provincial and romantic Victoriana.
If you like…
You love the romance of an adventurous life in the wilderness, living in a cabin in the mountains or a boat shed by the lake or even a humpy campsite in the bush. Spending time away from the home – outdoors and exploring – is just as important as spending time in the home.
- Pilgrim-style furniture
- Boys’ own adventure books
- Brass lamps
- Boys brigade ephemera
- Animal storybook illustrations
- Rustic log beds
- Scout’s knots
You love the romance of an adventurous life in the wilderness, living in a cabin in the mountains or a boat shed by the lake or even a humpy campsite in the bush. Spending time away from the home – outdoors and exploring – is just as important as spending time in the home.
If you like…
Winning the popularity contest is modern – think clean lines, solid colours and designer-labelled furniture. You like this style because it lies somewhere between sanitised minimalism and rustic country – a simple timber-toned, softer option perfectly suited to busy lifestyles.
TELL US
From looking at your bedside table, what do you think your style is? Tell us about it in the Comments section.
MORE
Bedside Tables With a Difference: 11 One-of-a-Kind Ideas
Spend More Time in Bed … With the Right Bedside Table
- Warm caramel-coloured hardwood panelling
- Simple timber block furniture
- Fixed bed lamps
- Monochrome textiles with a shot of vivid colour, especially lemon
Winning the popularity contest is modern – think clean lines, solid colours and designer-labelled furniture. You like this style because it lies somewhere between sanitised minimalism and rustic country – a simple timber-toned, softer option perfectly suited to busy lifestyles.
TELL US
From looking at your bedside table, what do you think your style is? Tell us about it in the Comments section.
MORE
Bedside Tables With a Difference: 11 One-of-a-Kind Ideas
Spend More Time in Bed … With the Right Bedside Table
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I'm definitely a combination of about six of these, so not sure what to make of that.