side table

A Bedside Table Story

This week we will explore a small section of our bedroom, a place where we lay our head and allow ourselves to relax and reset. I will explain to you my design philosophy behind and show you my top picks. Although many of the pieces I pick here fit well for small to moderate size bedrooms, for larger and more spacious bedrooms I would suggest you scale the items up in size according to the bed and room proportions. Remember, there is never a one size fits all design, what brings harmony into the design is the understanding of scale and proportion of the space. Once you have this basic concept in mind, you will be able to find the perfect piece for your space while keeping your home in visual harmony.

A side note, these design items work well in master bedrooms, guest bedrooms or vacation rental units, however, if you are looking into ideas for children bedroom, please stay tuned. I will be addressing the kiddo’s room in a separate post.

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Keep it light

In Chinese Feng Shui, the place we sleep should remain clutter free for the energy to flow freely. Clear energy enable us to clear out our thoughts. Same principle applies to our side tables, having just a slab of small surface area for the essential limit the amount of thing needed to be around us while we reset.

Store your phone and charger in a basket or box on the floor helps to distance the radio frequency further away from where we lay our head at night.

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Powder coated Power

I have showed you how to use this side table piece in the Coffee table cluster in the previous post. Now we are using it in a more traditional way. Smaller surface area to limit what is essential to promote a clutter free sleeping environment.

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Circle or Not

We have seen many leaning shelves for towel and books, here is another ingenuous design, the metal surface is a perfect circle, one edge is folded upward and becomes the leaning surface for this thin as air piece. Simple yet elegant design to keep your bedroom clean and clear.

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Bench to Table

This oversized stool or small bench is perfect as a side table or extra guest’s seating. Add a oversized tray for extra stability. Why settle for one function when it can do both.

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Turn to new height

This clever little stool is adjustable in height, which means It can adopt to a different bed height as well as table height for the extra guest who stays over for dinner

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Heng is Balance

I first discovered this magical Heng balance lamp at Kickstarter, it was designed by a talented Chinese designer back in 2016. The combination of simple form, beautiful material and innovative on/off “switch” turn a humble illuminating object into a work of art that brings joy and harmony to the user.

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The Arch of Glowing

This accent light has a seamless illuminating LED body panel that emits light with a soft touch to its invisible strip. This lamp works well from modern interior to children’s bedrooms without a doubt.

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Small and Mighty

This 5” diameter accent wall sconce may be small in size, but it truly does more than its clean look. The LED lamp head can be rotated 360 degrees from reflective light to task light. It also comes in many colors and material finish. Pick a matching color so it disappears with the wall or pick a bright color to make it pop, choice is yours to decide.

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A whimsical plate

Having the light source hung on the wall allows us to further reduce clutter on the nightstand. It is ideal to choose a wall sconce where the light source is hidden because reflected light is softer and more gentle to our eyes especially at night when our goal is a good night sleep.

Breaking the Coffee Table Norm

My favorite piece to style your first apartment

This post I will show you some of the items I love that fall within the style of timeless modern. I will show you a range of beautifully made items regardless of its price. Each of these items I show you should be multipurpose, which means it can be used in more than one space or it can be transformed from its original purpose to something else as the occasion needs. Setting this purposeful purchase mindset in advance allows us to make conscious purchases while affording us to invest in our possessions that we truly love.

Remember, each object we own should bring joy and memories in various ways. The process of finding the perfect multifunctional piece is not often easy and that's why I am here to show you what I have found and continue to discover over the course of the year. These are not trendy or seasonal items just off the retail shelf. They are well made and loved items that are meant to stay for a very long time.

You may find the pieces I show you here to be something that I own, the winner pick for my projects or simply a lovely piece I admire dearly. They are all priced within reach, so it works for most first time homeowners or a young professional. They can be vintage, second hand, a replica, a local or abroad talented designer. As long as this piece is something I love for various reasons, I will show it to you and tell you why.

For this week, let’s talk about coffee tables.

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Rainbow of Neutral

warm white, off white, cool grey and beige

Each piece in this image has a dual purpose. Flexibility is the key to my design philosophy. It allows me to rearrange the space over time based on functionality and mood.

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A Multipurpose-er

This large ottoman can turn into a coffee table, a bench for large gatherings when extra sitting is needed. The most elementary in shape but also the most versatile, It breaks down the formality in many spaces. It draws your eye’s attention to its simple form and perfect line.

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Ottoman for 2

Velvet reflects light in a mesmerizing way, its texture is irresistible to touch. This dusty rose pink is perfect for the extra touch of femininity. This generous 33” size may not fit for a compact Living space, but it is surely large enough to set up a Wine and Cheese plate for the evening night in.

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Conscious alternative

You may think Jute works only in nature inspired space, but you will be surprised how versatile this humble and affordable material can do. The subtle color variation of this natural fiber goes well in a sunny beach house to a moody city dwelling.


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Functional Sculpture

Pick a conversation piece that is beautiful as much as functional

This light weight, sturdy looking piece is made out of cork, an even more sustainable alternative to solid block of wood since harvesting cork only requires removing the outer layer of the evergreen oak bark.

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Modern yet Warm

This piece of solid wood sculpture is made out of FSC certified Ash. It goes perfectly with our Coffee Table rewritten idea or use it as a side table next to a sofa or flanking the bed.

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Fluid Metal

Metal piece is another great material I often use since metal is an infinitely recyclable material, they also take wear and tear very well, their strength allow ultra slim profile and airy design which is especially ideal for smaller space.

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Light as Air

Taking advantage of the strength of the Metal, this ultra thin top and bottom plate will allow it to slide under most surface include an ottoman. Beside it space saving design, You can also play around the arrangement of the circular composition however your mood guide you.

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The Joy of Swivel

This affordable piece is as beautiful as it is functional. It even swivels around for endless configuration. Pair it with a solid base ottoman to help ground this piece when using it stationary.

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Tray to Stay

This metal tray is both feminine and masculine in one. It works well in any space from Kitchen counter to the dressing room table.

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My Tray Crush

A love at first sight kind of experience. A tray that celebrates both craftsmanship and natural material in an uncomplicated manner. It is equally beautiful on any table top or as it would be hung on a wall.

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Not your Grandma’s tray

From Scandinavian to South East Asia, this maybe your tray of choice. Use it to organize smaller intricate displace over the coffee table or use it to organize all your vanity affair!