If there is one thing I have learned over the past 31 days of Interior Styling, it is good style can’t be rushed. I had lofty goals to restyle almost every surface in my home. I made good progress with the entryway bench, the sofa table, the ottoman, and our dresser, but we have a ways to go. I know you are eager to see it all done, but inspiration from our master bedroom makeover is going to come on a slow drip. Today’s drop is how to style a nightstand for a man.
I see lots of inspiration for how to style a pretty nightstand with candles, flowers, and ruffles. Okay, not ruffles, but decidedly feminine inspirations none-the-less. What about his side of the bed?! I want my man to have a well-styled nightstand, too.
By going with a few more masculine options and personalizing it to my guy, here is what I came up with:
1. Great lamp – We have matching bedside lamps. More about how we chose those here. A gourd shape is usually curvy and feminine, but this version is faceted making it edgy enough to be masculine, too.
2. Framed print – I love the look of a frame leaning against the wall to fill up visual space. We have large nightstands, so this is a simple trick to make the styling look more full without lots of things. I choose this fun geek-chic print of glasses by Honey & Bloom. My hubby wears similar glasses, although not gold.
3. Wooden Urn and Manly Flowers – Flowers are certainly feminine, but a guy deserves some life next to his bed, too. I pulled it off in a masculine way, by using a small wooden urn for the vase filled with faux bells of Ireland. At our wedding, the flowers were calla lilies and bells of Ireland. I always thought of the bells as a masculine flower. A plant would work well here, too.
(I know I said faux greenery was one of the 10 Interior Styling Mistakes to Avoid, but there is no way we can keep live bells of Ireland and calla lilies year-round. The symbolism is more important to me here than the real stuff.)
4. Man Candle (Mandle?) – Yep, I just made up a new word. The black candle looks manly and has an equally manly scent. It is by Odin, when they had a collection at Target.
5. Stack of Books – I needed some horizontal lines. My husband loves to read, in particular business self-help books that are interesting and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, those books don’t have the most attractive covers. I used three stacked with the pages turned out. The one on top (Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell), has an all white cover.
On top of the books, I added a photo of the boys. My hubby loves being a daddy more than anything. I couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to bring in a little sparkle. The clip holding the photo is a smoke crystal card holder. Love how it repeats the faceted shapes of the lamp.
6. Small Tray – I found this great nickel tray in the bathroom section at Target (we use the same style to hold dryer sheets in the laundry room). It makes a perfect coaster for a water glass and a spot to set his glasses or a watch at bedtime.
Can’t wait to show you my side of the bed and how I coordinated the two nightstands!
Mandle…I really think it’s gunna catch on!! :) Thanks for sharing, I love that framed print! Can’t wait to see your side.
Happy Halloween!
-court
Looks great & I am in LOVE with your lamps…gorgeous! I’ve been doing something similar, repainting rooms and restyling but I’m going MUCH slower than all in 31 days LOL! On my hubby’s bedside table I also have a picture of him with each of our two kids in a double frame…just a nice memory esp with our daughter leaving for college next fall and a teen son who is now 6’5 lol. Have a great weekend!
hugz,
Suzanne
I LOVE the lamp – and the framed print – love the simplicity…
Anne, Thank you. My guy loves the simplicity, too. He tends to more minimalistic decor. I was so happy to get his seal of approval on his new nightstand decor!
Hi, I was wonder where You found the wooden urn? It’s so cute.
Sue, I found it at Target. I loved the shape and masculinity of it.