How to Decorate a Side Table
Side tables serve dual purpose in the home. Often they are objects of utility and function; they provide a space for your TV remote next to the couch or a place for your books next to your night light. Sometimes, a side table can be for display purpose only, providing art for art’s sake. Before you begin redecorating, identify which type of side tables you have in your home.
Side Table Display
A side table display in your home depends on your availability of space. Do you have an empty space that looks a bit awkward? Do you have some awesome personal possessions that you would like to see everyday? A side table display can help you solve these dilemmas.
Colors
Visualize this space without the side table display. It’s an incredibly neutral space. The wall, baseboard, and outlet are white. The floor is dark hardwood. I could choose to occupy this space with almost any color. The main colors of my living room are green, burgundy, and brown. These colors fit easily into the side table display.
Note: The wall paint is Bright White from Lowe’s Olympic One Collection in Satin. The baseboards are painted the same color, except in a semi-gloss finish. The flooring is mixed red and white oak stained with Minwax Dark Walnut.
Tell a Great Story
Our things reflect us. At some point in our journey they came to us through no fault of our own, or we found them along the path. They tell stories about us and reaffirm the stories we tell ourselves. When asked we can say, “Oh yes, I bought that when I lived in…” or “That belonged to my great aunt so-and-so”.
Sometimes the most sentimental object of your side table display will be the furniture itself. The gorgeous solid wood table that is holding all the decor is a family heirloom that belonged to my paternal grandfather. It has been between me and my dad since grandpa passed away when I was 17 years old. The table is a beautiful and versatile piece of furniture. It’s on wheels which makes it easy to move around. I have used this table for many things including a nightstand and TV stand. When you are furniture shopping, or going through a loved ones things after they’ve passed, look out for pieces of furniture like this and hold on to them.
The story behind that mahogony record player is that it was gifted to me in Portland, OR when I first arrived in the city. I moved there without much of a plan and stayed with a friend whose grandfather had recently passed away. I’m not sure how old it is, but it cannot be very because it has a CD player in the side. I still own a few records, but almost never play them anymore. In Portland I had no TV in a tiny studio apartment. This record player was my main source of entertainment and served as the focal point of the room.
Emerald Elements
Green being my favorite color, I used it copiously on this display. It’s a popular color to use in home decorating because of its soothing properties. Green makes us think of nature and good fortune.
The skull is a chia pet that belonged to my sister. It came to me when she moved to NYC. Skulls are an important item to consider adding to your own home décor. They add a little bit of badass to your repertoire and help to remind us of the philosophy: Memento Mori (remember death).
The wine bottle came from my sister’s move as well and was chosen for no other reason than its contents recent consumption. It also has an image of a cat wearing triceratops horns, which is awesome. The pothos plant inside the wine bottle is a piece that broke off the pothos on my fireplace mantel in the move. I put the broken part into the bottle to root it over a year ago. Pothos are as happy to live in water as they are in soil. The plant is unlikely to get any bigger in this container.
The emerald glass piece is a candleholder that belonged to my mother. She used to keep it with her Christmas things. I love its character and color. It helps add height to support my pothos.
Keep it Open
What makes this side table display look so clean? I promise you, I did not dust it before taking its photograph. In home decorating, it’s essential to utilize negative space. Negative space is a concept in art that considers the space around an object. You see the space, even though there is nothing there. I first came to this concept when studying drawing. It’s very applicable to home design. Don’t feel the need to occupy every nook and cranny inside your home. The openness in a home is what makes it appear larger and cleaner than in reality.
Sofa Side Table
Unlike the display, which is a unit in itself, the sofa side table is generally attached to another piece of furniture. Sometimes it’s not against a wall, but rather floating in the middle of a room. This makes consideration of present colors more challenging.
Stay Neutral
My house is already minimal when it comes to colors, though just in this photograph you can see green houseplants, a red compost bin, and some yellow lemons on the counter. My ultimate goal in decorating is to be able to see harmony in design from wherever I am standing in a room, no matter what direction I am facing. To achieve this, choose decor with neutral colors to display on your side table. Use items that serve to be both pretty and functional, like these tumbled marble coasters.
Bed Side Table
Your bed side table(s) should serve for function first and foremost. Most people have a lamp for light reading before bed. If there’s reading to be done then there will be books. Introspective and expressive types may also have their pen and notebook.
It’s also nice to have a clock on your bed side table. I didn’t have one for years, but I love this one. It was the first thing my boyfriend bought for me. It tells the indoor/outdoor temperature and weather forecast for the next day. This clock also has 4 LED light settings. I keep it brightest during the day and either low or off when I go to sleep. This clock was an excellent gift! See a listing for this clock on Amazon.
Consider the Present Colors
If you decide that you do want to add decoration to your bedside table, remember to consider the present colors. You may want to match your comforter or your furniture. Burnt orange, bronze, and copper are the colors most prominent in my bedroom. The decorative gift boxes on the bed side table fit right in. Now, imagine the space without them. Would the space do just as well? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Notes on Decorating Side Tables
Home decorating is all about form and function. You want your space to be user friendly and reflect your ideas on what is beautiful. Side tables may be mostly for function, but there are ways to make that function visually appealing. Use neutral colors whenever you cannot use colors already present in the room, and keep things open by utilizing negative space. If your side table is for display purposes only, I highly recommend decorating with things that remind you of your loves and good times.
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