This title is no exaggeration; it’s seriously genius. And I should know because that was one of the creative upgrades I made to my space during the pandemic. Let me just show you why a bookcase nightstand is the perfect hack–especially for small spaces. Bonus: just like me, you probably have an extra bookcase you can swap without having to purchase a thing!

Let’s talk about what made me switch to a bookcase nightstand. It was the beginning of the pandemic and we were so ready for change; what, with everyone now being trapped inside their homes and all. I live in a 425 square foot apartment, and while I have worked from home for years, I didn’t like the feeling that I had to stay indoors, ya know? So, my solution was to trick myself into thinking I had more space!

Enter: the bookcase nightstand. As far as living space goes, we really only have the bedroom and the living room. So it became very obviously stupid to waste “all that” square footage in the bedroom to just spend it unconscious and sleeping. In NYC, you just don’t waste space. I’ve said time and time again that every space needs at least 3 uses.

Sean, my partner, has always had crazy work hours–sometimes he wouldn’t get home until 3am! So, pre-pandemic, I had space to myself. But now, we were sharing a live/work space and were both at the apartment all the time. I needed to carve out a space for myself so I didn’t go crazy.

I have an art desk with a tall etagere bookcase in the living room–AKA free new nightstand. I swapped out the Milo Baughman side table that I used as a nightstand and there we go! I now had vertical space to work with–which is a very New York thing to have.

I then spent some time scheming what I would do in my little self care nook that I carved out for myself thanks to the bookcase nightstand. I got woven baskets to corral items like incense, books, nail polish, essential oils, crystals, e-readers, headphones, and every sort of self care item I could think of. It was magical and the best decision.

Using a Bookcase Nightstand is GENIUS

I kind of feel like nightstands were originally like old phones. You know, brands would try to make them as small and minimal as possible, until everyone realized that small screens suck, small keyboards suck, and phones need to be bigger even if technology allows for them to be smaller. Same goes for nightstands. Small and minimal doesn’t last and gets frustrating.

Design-wise, we have already been inching towards this change anyway. I keep seeing nightstands getting wider and wider, with more inner shelving and storage. People’s routines demand functionality, even during rest hours. More and more people are learning to have a self care routine, or a night time wind down routine, and that involves items that take up space.

So, to give you some ideas, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite bookcase nightstand options that are as stylish as they are functional. I tried to think about architecture–this is a vertical item, after all–color, texture, and material. We don’t want just a giant visually heavy item; we want something that adds further interest and personality to claim your corner of the room.

Bookcase Nightstand Roundup

What do you think? Are you convinced a bookcase nightstand is a good or even genius idea? Who knows, maybe 2021 will be the year you carve out more space just for you inside your home. It might be the year when you reimagine your current space and put your mark on things, taking claim of space and filling that space with things that nourish your soul. That’s what my bookcase nightstand has done for me!

-Kristen

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