Choosing a Bedside Table for a Four Poster Bed

A four poster bed is rarely just a bed. It is the architecture of the room — the thing the eye goes to first, and the thing everything else is measured against. Which is exactly why the bedside tables beside it are so easy to get wrong.

Too small, and they disappear beside the posts. Too tall, and they compete with the canopy. Too close, and you knock your knuckles on a post every time you reach for a glass of water. This guide covers what to consider. If you are still choosing the bed itself, start with our guide to choosing a four poster bed.

1. Start with the height of the mattress, not the bed

The most useful rule for any bedside table applies doubly here: the top of the table should sit roughly level with the top of the mattress, or a few centimetres above or below it. That is the height your hand naturally reaches when you are lying down.

Four poster beds are often built higher than contemporary beds, and a thick mattress raises them further. So measure the finished height — frame plus mattress — before choosing a table. A low modern nightstand beside a tall traditional bed looks like an afterthought and is awkward to use.

2. Allow for the posts

This is the consideration unique to four posters, and the one most often missed. The foot of each post sits at the corner of the bed, which means the space between the mattress edge and the table is partly occupied.

• Leave clearance. Place the table so there is enough room to reach past the post comfortably. A small gap between post and table also lets both pieces read clearly rather than colliding.
• Check the post footprint. Thick, turned or carved posts take more room than slender square ones.
• Think about drawers. A drawer that hits the post when opened is a daily irritation. Side-opening or open-shelf tables can solve this in tight rooms.

3. Scale the width to the bed

A four poster carries visual weight well above the mattress. The tables beside it need enough presence to anchor the bed at floor level. As a rule, a king-size four poster wants tables with a generous top — enough for a lamp, a book and a glass without crowding. Measure the wall: the tables, the post clearance and the bed together should leave comfortable walking space on either side.

4. Keep the lamps below the canopy line

Bedside lamps on a tall table can reach up into the canopy frame, cluttering the lines of the bed. Choose lamp and table together so the shade sits comfortably below the rails, and so the light falls where you read rather than into the canopy.

5. Match, or contrast deliberately

There are two good approaches, and one poor one.

• Match the timber. Bedside tables in the same teak and finish as the bed create a calm, unified bedroom. This is the safest choice, and in a room with strong wallpaper or textiles it is often the best one.
• Contrast with intent. A painted, lacquered or brass-detailed table beside a dark teak bed can be striking — but the contrast must look chosen. Echo one element of the bed, such as its cane, its carving or its brass, so the two pieces are clearly related.
• Avoid the near-miss. A table in a slightly different wood tone or a slightly different carving style reads as a mismatch rather than a contrast.

6. Decide how much storage you actually need

A four poster bedroom is usually a room for calm rather than clutter. Drawers keep the surface clear; a closed cabinet hides more; an open shelf shows books and objects. If the bed has a cane headboard or cane panels, a table with matching cane detailing ties the room together.

7. Consider asymmetry in larger rooms

Identical tables either side are classic and rarely wrong. In a large bedroom, though, a table on one side and a small chest or writing desk on the other can make the room feel collected over time rather than bought in one afternoon. The heights should still be close.

A quick checklist

• Measure the height of the frame plus mattress.
• Measure the post footprint and the clearance you need to reach past it.
• Check that drawers open without hitting the posts.
• Check that lamp shades sit below the canopy rails.
• Decide: matched timber, or a considered contrast.

Frequently asked questions

How tall should a bedside table be next to a four poster bed?

Roughly level with the top of the mattress, within a few centimetres above or below. Because four poster beds are often higher than modern beds, measure the frame and mattress together before choosing.

Should bedside tables match a four poster bed?

Matching timber creates a calm, unified room and is the safest choice. A contrast can work beautifully if it echoes something in the bed, such as its cane or brass detailing.

How far should a bedside table be from a four poster bed?

Far enough to reach past the corner post comfortably and for any drawer to open freely, while staying within easy reach from the pillow.

Temple Town makes four poster beds and bedside tables in solid teak in its own workshop in Thrissur, Kerala. Founded by Meera Pyarelal in 1999, the studio works in the Heirloom Modernism idiom — made to be inherited rather than replaced.

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