Dwell: dress up your nightstand

Recently a friend of mine asked me for advice on how to organize the nightstand - which can easily accumulate unnecessary little things and before you know it you cannot even see your nightstand anymore. This is why this post. I have used a basic nightstand with some basic everyday objects which can be played up to get things organized and also look beautiful sitting on top of your nightstand. Although I am in the process of totally changing the decor of my bedroom, you can take a peak of what  the "before" looks like.  

First and foremost you have to get rid of clutter. Do a sorting of what you have and only pick things you will be using before you go to bed - like something you are reading, night cream, clock, water - and then add a few decorative items. Lets look at it step by step. 

After clearing the area, add a few books from your reading list. 

For all the little tiny things add a tray. This will be very helpful. I love using trays/plates in almost all tabletops. It automatically keeps things organized. 

By small objects I mean a candle or an item that is dear to you. It doesn't necessarily have to serve a purpose. I have here a candle which is inside a beautiful box. I can smell the candle every time I go to bed, even though it is not lit. And the other is a box where I have some cloves - if you are coughing at night this solves the problem. The small objects will pretty much tie the medium to larger objects and be visually beautiful as a whole. 

A large object can be anything. Here I have used a mirror - the mirror from my flea market trip. You can easily place a lamp, a large vase with flowers or any other object. 

Flowers or plants will brighten any space. It will also help you sleep better.

Light is absolutely the most important thing. If you area  a reader, then its a must. But it also adds that touch of softness and coziness. 

Here is a glimpse of the objects to play with. Feel free to change these into any other objects - which are pertinent to you. 

Again, don't stick to something forever. Change it up!