Interior designers are ditching bedside tables in small bedrooms – these alternative solutions will make your room feel ‘lighter and more spacious’

Small bedrooms will always suffer from space-related struggles, but I've recently come across a clever trick to make the most of every inch in a tiny room, and it involves ditching an 'essential' piece of bedroom furniture.

Ditching your bedside table might sound like an impractical choice, but hear me out. I first spotted the trick when former Interior Design Masters winner, Roisin Quinn, made the bold decision to ditch the bedside tables from her recent bedroom makeover.

I have to admit, I think it's an ingenious decision. At least now that I've recovered from the shock of seeing this 'essential' piece of furniture removed. What's more, design experts say this is a growing trend, especially in small bedrooms.

If you're the owner of a small bedroom, listen up as these are the space-maximising alternatives that Roisin and our other design experts are using instead of the traditional bedside table.

Image 1 of 3

Now, when I first heard that Roisin had ditched bedside tables in her small bedroom, I was a little unnerved.

'But... where do you put your phone/glasses/book/other nighttime essentials you can't live without?!' I may have anxiously asked.

After all, we've all seen those minimalist homes with zero clutter on any surface, but here in the real world, I seem to amass essential 'stuff' at a rate of knots. And that stuff has to be put down *somewhere* at night.

Thankfully, eliminating the bedside tables doesn't mean no overnight storage. It simply means thinking outside the box as to what that storage looks like.

'We didn’t have room for traditional bedside tables,' explains Roisin. However, 'I realised I barely used them anyway; I just needed somewhere to put the essentials.'

Roisin's solution? To ditch the bedside tables and add an alternative form of storage to the bedroom: namely, wardrobes.

And when it comes to housing those overnight essentials that you need close to hand? 'We built shelves into the wardrobe instead,' explains Roisin.

It may be out-of-the-box thinking, but 'I absolutely LOVE them, says Roisin. 'It’s one of the best design decisions we made in this room, and it keeps everything within easy reach while making the bedroom feel so much less cluttered.'

That said, if your floor space is limited and you want to ditch your bedside tables, wardrobes aren't the only alternative.

'There are several space-saving alternatives that provide both style and functionality,' Roisin shares. 'Floating shelves, narrow picture ledges or clip-on bedside trays offer convenient surfaces without taking up floor space, while wall lights free up room by replacing table lamps.'

'A headboard with built-in storage or a bed with under-bed drawers or ottoman storage can also help keep essentials organised,' advises Roisin.

The designer has a Button & Sprung ottoman bed in her room, along with a statement headboard that draws the eye away from anything that might otherwise feel 'missing' in the room.

According to design experts, Roisin's choice also illustrates a growing trend in bedroom design.

'We're seeing a shift away from traditional bedside tables,' says Emma Deterding, founder and creative director of interior design studio Kelling Designs. 'Particularly in smaller bedrooms, where every centimetre matters.'

Rather than squeezing in furniture that makes the room feel cramped, like Roisin, Emma suggests using 'more integrated solutions such as floating shelves, slim wall-mounted ledges or bespoke headboards with built-in niches.'

'Each of these solutions will provide just enough space for the essentials while keeping your floor clear, which instantly makes the room feel lighter and more spacious,' says Emma.

'When space is tight, I always prefer to think in terms of integration rather than addition,' agrees interior designer, Laura Stephens. 'Floating or wall-mounted solutions are a brilliant way to keep a bedroom feeling light and uncluttered while still providing everything you need within easy reach.'

'In many of our projects, we’ve used simple floating shelves in place of traditional bedside tables,' says Laura, 'they're just large enough for a book, a glass of water or a small object you want close by.'

'When combined with wall-mounted reading lights, this removes the need for any freestanding furniture altogether, which instantly frees up floor space and helps the room feel more open.'

'I also like to build in subtle architectural details wherever possible,' says Laura, 'such as a shallow ledge within joinery or a recessed niche beside the bed.' Exactly the solution Roisin chose for her bedroom.

'These small interventions are incredibly effective because they don’t visually interrupt the space, but still offer functionality,' explains Laura.

Bedside table alternatives

As Laura concludes, 'in a small bedroom, every element needs to earn its place, and removing bulky bedside tables and replacing them with pared-back, built-in or wall-mounted alternatives is one of the simplest ways to create a calmer, more spacious-feeling room without compromising on practicality.'

'It's less about fitting in as much furniture as possible and more about making the room work intelligently,' agrees Emma. 'That's very much where bedroom design is heading.'