How to style a Bedside Table
AL + IMO LOW BED WITH HEADBOARD
So you’re Staging a room for a photoshoot or just have guests coming over?
Here are my tips on getting that magazine look in your bedroom which are severely impractical for real living but they sure do make a good first impression!
You know that feeling when you move into a new house and you just buy heaps of “things” just to fill the space to make it feel like a home? Well that’s the attitude I take when it comes to styling for shoots - I want my audience to feel a sense of comfort when viewing our products - the “I could imagine this in my home feeling”.
Our bedroom door opened is literally the first thing you see when you walk into our home so naturally whenever we have guests over I style the hell out of Al’s bedside table - fresh blooms, books, a carefully placed pair of reading glasses. As soon as we go to bed, all of those carefully and considered pieces are tossed to the desk outside.
So do these styling tips below translate to IRL? Absolutely not.
These are my top 5 tips for styling your bedside table.
1.colour
Pick a colour palate
There’s nothing quite like colour blocking to make an impact. It’s bold, beautiful and easy to pull off! See below i’ve chosen books and items in the same tone as the bed linen with a little pop of orange.
AL + IMO SCANDI BED
AL + IMO BOOKSHELF DRAWER BED
2. Texture
Mix textures to create depth
Although the jug and lamp are both by the same designer, their difference in textures provides a good contrast. The sheen of the ceramic next to the rough terracotta mixed with the smooth porcelain round bulb create dimension in the photo.
The image is softened by the organic shaped flowers against the hard surfaces.
Again you’ll notice that i’ve chosen a bold colour palate.
3. Life
Nothing like something living to give you life
Whether you go for an indoor plant or bunch of fresh blooms - make sure there are real. Bringing nature inside is a really great way to make a space feel real - like there’s someone living in the space keeping those babies alive. Plants help soften an image when you’re mixing lots of man-made objects.
Again here you’ll notice the colour-blocking and mix of textures.
AL + IMO MOD BED
4. Books
of all different sizes and ages
Don’t discriminate when it comes to books, remember to mix books of all sizes and ages. It’s another great way to add character to an image - I love particularly in this photo the soft-cover new book sitting on top of the really weathered older book. It makes you feel like it’s been used well making the space feel like a real home.
AL + IMO LEDGE BED
5. objects
pick things you would actually leave on your bedside table
Ok so maybe not your dirty tissues… but think, what would you use on your bedside tables?
My go-to’s are -
lamps
reading glasses
glass of water
coffee mug
jewellery
And as mentioned earlier
Books
Living plants
AL + IMO SQUARE SHELF BED
MORE home styling ideas
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We’re a husband and wife duo, building our dream life one DIY project at a time. We are proudly self-taught, furniture-makers, business owners, designers and stylists.
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Al + Imo Handmade “Good Design . Good People” Tea Towel. Featuring print by local artist Sophie Brain.
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