Unique bedside tables: 20 designer models for the bedroom

Curved glass, leather, mirror, wood on slim metal bases: twenty designer bedside tables from the current catalogues of Italian and international makers, with ideas for choosing an unusual bedside table that actually works next to the bed.

Unique bedside tables are the ones that break away from the little box with a drawer: they might be made of curved glass, wrapped in leather, raised on thin metal frames or designed as small sculptural cabinets. They give the bedroom a personal touch, but next to the bed they still have to be practical: a height close to the mattress, a top for a lamp and a phone, a drawer or shelf for everything else.

This selection brings together twenty designer models currently in production, checked on the manufacturers’ official websites and grouped by material and character, plus a few ideas if you would rather skip the classic bedside table altogether.

How do you choose a bedside table that is unusual and still practical?

An unusual bedside table works if it gets three measurements right: the height, which should be close to the top of the finished mattress; the depth, which must not block the way past the bed; and the clearance needed to open drawers and doors. For the first point, see our guide to bedside table height in relation to the mattress, which measures from the top of the mattress, topper included.

The second criterion is the style of the bed. A large upholstered bed calls for lighter bedside tables, in glass or on slender legs; a minimal bed can carry a sculptural or upholstered one. If you are still choosing the bed, our selection of Italian designer beds and their brands includes several models by the same makers featured here.

Which designer bedside tables are made of glass?

Glass is the most original choice for a small bedroom, because the table almost disappears and leaves the floor visible.

• FIAM Charlotte de Nuit, designed by Prospero Rasulo: a bedside table in 8 mm curved glass, in standard or extralight glass, with an optional inner shelf in acid-etched glass.
• FIAM Dino: an 8 mm curved glass body with a drawer in white, black or dark brown lacquered wood; the glass also comes in bronze or smoked versions.
• FIAM Magique cubo, designed by Studio Klass: a frame in 10 mm bonded glass with a storage cube, which the maker offers both as a bedside table and as a side table by the sofa. The cube is also available in opal white, bronze or black.
• FIAM Toki, designed by Setsu and Shinobu Ito: a monolithic side table in 10 mm curved glass, which the FIAM website also lists with bedside table dimensions and a technical sheet. It is the best example of a side table used in place of a bedside table.

Which wood and metal bedside tables have an original design?

Here the originality lies in the construction: raised tops, exposed bases, unusual cuts and openings.

• Bonaldo Nelson, designed by Matteo Nunziati: a Canaletto walnut veneered drawer on a long, slim metal base; it measures 56 x 45 cm and stands 52 cm high.
• Bonaldo Isabey, designed by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti: a rectangular top with rounded corners, in Canaletto walnut or oak; the one-drawer version rests on two tubes side by side, like a twin column, while the two-drawer version is a solid volume.
• Bonaldo Partout: a wooden cabinet with rounded corners, a marble or ceramic top and an exposed metal trestle; 57 or 70 cm deep and 50 cm high.
• Cantori Concetto, designed by Borgonovo + Valsecchi: wood with metal fronts and a cut in the drawer inspired by Fontana’s cuts, which doubles as a handle; with one or two drawers.
• Cantori Mirage, designed by Maurizio Manzoni: a wooden body resting on a curved metal base, with a drawer that opens to the right or left; 39 cm high in the standard version or 45 cm in the tall one.
• Cantori Shanghai, designed by Maurizio Manzoni: one drawer and a glass shelf below the top.
• Cantori Valley, designed by Maurizio Manzoni: a lacquered wood body on metal feet, a linear metal frame along the back and sides, and a top with a mirror insert.

Which leather bedside tables are worth considering?

Leather, hide and faux leather give a bedside table a tailored look and soften the sound of objects being put down.

• Cantori Elvis, designed by Sante Cantori: a wooden structure fully covered in leather or faux leather, a rounded top and soft-close drawers; 49 x 37 cm, 49 cm high.
• Cantori Valentino, designed by Castello Lagravinese Studio: covered in leather, with a bronze base and a handle inspired by luxury luggage; 52 cm in diameter, 54 cm high.
• Cantori Teo, designed by Castello Lagravinese Studio: a square-section metal frame and a round top covered in leather, nubuck or faux leather, or lacquered; 40 cm in diameter, 53 cm high.
• Cantori Narciso: a solid square-section iron frame, with top and drawer finished in mirror, metal or leather; 45 x 45 cm, 53 cm high.
• Alivar Round, designed by Giuseppe Bavuso: a steam-bent MDF body, frame and lower shelf in oak or in hide with decorative stitching, legs and tray in painted steel.

Mirrored and lacquered bedside tables: which models?

In a more decorative bedroom, mirrors and lacquer reflect the lamplight and turn the bedside table into a statement piece.

• Tonin Casa Drops Night, designed by Tosca Design: bronze or smoked mirror-effect doors with applied solid wood drops, a shaped, rounded top, and a structure in Canaletto walnut, dark oak or black ash with gold-finish details.
• Tonin Casa Honey Night, designed by Nicola Tonin: Canaletto walnut cabinets with bronze mirror doors, part of the same collection as the chest of drawers and dresser.
• Alivar Oriental Night, designed by Giuseppe Bavuso: a matt or gloss lacquered MDF frame, rosewood interior, solid ash base and push-to-open doors; the lacquers include white, cream, mint, amaranth and black.

Is there an iconic, colourful designer bedside table?

Yes: Kartell’s Componibili, designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri in 1967, are small storage units that work well as a bedside table. The Classic version is round, 32 cm in diameter, and sold in fixed configurations of two, three or four elements, in six gloss colours and a matt silver. It is the right choice if you want a recognisable piece without investing in a full bedroom set.

Bedroom style	Recommended bedside table	Why
Small bedroom	Curved glass (Charlotte de Nuit, Dino)	Minimal visual bulk
Warm minimal	Wood on a metal base (Nelson, Isabey)	Raised top, clear floor
Contemporary classic	Leather and bronze (Valentino, Elvis)	Soft materials and tailored details
Decorative	Mirror (Drops Night, Narciso)	Reflects the lamplight
Colourful or youthful	Kartell Componibili	Gloss colours, recognisable shape

What are the alternatives to a traditional bedside table?

You do not always need a freestanding bedside table. The three most common alternatives are:

• A shelf or wall-mounted bedside table: it frees the floor, makes cleaning easier and allows wall compositions that mix shapes and colours in rooms of any size; fix it at the same height a freestanding table would have.
• A bed with integrated bedside tables: headboard and side tops form a single piece, with wooden or upholstered panels to which units or shelves are attached; useful when the wall is narrow.
• A side table instead of a bedside table: a coffee or side table of the right height, such as FIAM’s Toki, makes the room less predictable and is ideal if all you need is a lamp, a book and your phone.

Mismatched bedside tables on either side of the bed are another original idea, as long as they share something, such as colour, height or material. To complete the wall with art, shelves and wall lights, our guide on what to put above a double bed helps you build the composition around the bedside tables. For comparing models, finishes and sizes before you buy, the Arredare Moderno catalogue is a useful reference.

Sources

• FIAM, bedside tables (Charlotte de Nuit, Dino, Magique cubo, Toki): https://www.fiamitalia.it/comodini/
• Bonaldo, Nelson: https://www.bonaldo.com/en/product/nelson-bedside-table
• Bonaldo, Isabey: https://www.bonaldo.com/en/product/isabey-bedside-table-designer-wood
• Bonaldo, Partout: https://www.bonaldo.com/en/product/wooden-bedside-table-partout
• Cantori, bedroom furniture and bedside tables (Concetto, Mirage, Shanghai, Valley, Elvis, Valentino, Teo, Narciso): https://www.cantori.it/it/prodotti/mobili-notte-e-comodini/
• Alivar, Round: https://www.alivar.com/portfolio/round/
• Alivar, Oriental Night: https://www.alivar.com/portfolio/oriental-night/
• Tonin Casa, bedroom collections (Drops Night, Honey Night): https://www.tonincasa.it/collezione/moderno/gruppi-notte/
• Kartell, Componibili Classic: https://www.kartell.com/it/it/ktit/shop/product/componibili-classic/kar0496620