What To Put At The End Of A Bed (23 Furniture & Decor Options)
Like your bed, there is a need for a careful selection of supporting furniture, decor, and accessories, as these elements can contribute to the functionality and aesthetics of your bedroom. One of the most common places to add secondary furniture or accessories is at the end of your bed. Being out of the way when accessing your bed area makes it a convenient place for a pair of camp stools, for instance.
Aside from these, we’ve listed 23 other options to put at the end of your bed. We’ve included other items to make your bedroom more comfortable, personalized, and visually interesting.
Bench
From woven stool seats to upholstered versions, a stool is the go-to end-of-bed furniture for most hospitality and residential bedrooms because of its low profile and armless structure. With a compatible design, a bench at the end of the bed will easily pass as part of the ensemble and will complete the look of your bedroom.
The bench designs available in the market cover a wide spectrum of designs, which include the more famous Mid-century or Scandi-style furniture with the bench’s tapered legs and the use of light wood materials. Upholstered benches are also popular for high-end homes, but simpler bench designs, such as sides wrapped around with rattan covering, give a more casual look.
According to Kayla Haven, designers emphasize the practicality and visual appeal of placing a bench at the end of a bed if space permits. A bench not only completes the look of a bedroom but also adds extra seating and storage space, making it a smart, space-saving piece of furniture with multiple uses.
Ottoman
Like the bench, the ottoman is used as an additional seat where you can rest while removing or putting on your shoes. But unlike the bench, the ottoman is usually shorter and is upholstered, with modern versions having extra storage inside the seat. This can add extra bedroom storage.
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Lark Interiors explains that ottomans are not limited to just one function; they can serve as extra seating when needed. This flexibility is particularly useful in bedrooms, where space might be limited, and the need for additional seating can arise when hosting guests
When choosing your ottoman or a bench, choosing furniture at the end of the bed that is lower or at least at the level of your bed is best. The typical height of ottoman seats is 16 to 18 inches, while beds are between 16 to 24 inches.
Accent Chairs
Instead of the long and low-profile seats, accent chairs with higher back support are usually placed in pairs that can add to the vertical dimension. The back can act as a visual buffer as well as an element to define functional areas in a large bedroom.
Designers suggest early planning to ensure the chair fulfills the desired functions. The chair’s color and upholstery can dictate the room’s color scheme and add a luxurious touch. Designer, Jennifer Ebert says that for smaller spaces, compact and armless chairs are recommended to maintain flexibility and prevent the room from feeling overwhelmed.
Chest
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The long box with a lid cover and hinge hardware is a common scene for the classic end-of-a-bed design option. Travelers in the past placed their belongings in a chest box instead of modern luggage.
The chest box, complete with lock plate, straps, and corner bumps, gives that vintage feel to a bedroom, but there are more modern styles, such as seat and storage trunk designs where the top lid doubles as a seating space. Upholstered and tufted chest chairs are also available.
Chaise Lounge
Just like benches, a chaise lounge provides comfortable seating, but these lounges mainly accommodate the legs of the seater. Thus, the user is almost sleeping on the lounge.
This is why chaise lounges usually have a seat arm or reclining back on one side, and the other serves as a lower edge with an armless structure to allow the legs to rest.
Pet Bed
The end of your bed is the most convenient area for your pet to sleep as it is close to you but doesn’t invade or occupy much of your personal space. You can get a customized pet bed to accommodate your pet’s needs while following the available dimensions of the end of your bed. There are elevated pet beds to provide a leveled pet bed with your bed furniture.
Storage Bench
For a serene nighttime slumber, it helps to have fewer visual distractions. A storage bench is perfect for maximizing available space while keeping a neat and well-maintained bedroom. Storage benches are less likely to look like storage furniture and can easily add desired texture, pattern, or color to a room.
Bookcase
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One of the challenges of an avid book reader or collector is where to store your books. Place a small bookcase that’s just at level with your bed or significantly higher to provide additional privacy.
Kids’ bedrooms can enjoy an accessible set of books by the end of their beds with a safe one-level shelf or tray design for the little ones to snuggle their books in easily. Some kids’ end-of-bed shelves also come with pull-out seats on the sides.
Low Table
A 16 to 18-inch table is versatile furniture to temporarily place books for reading, coffee, food, clothes, or other personal items. Placing an ensemble of décor, for instance, a vase of flowers, a pile of coffee table books, or candles, is a great way to accessorize your space.
Settee
With comfort as its main feature, the settee is similar to your typical sofa but shorter, typically accommodating 2 to 4 people, more like a small sofa. This is perfect for couples who want extra seating that has enough sitting area and won’t exceed the width of full or double types of beds. Most settees will have a width of 50 to 70 inches, while your full or double bed has a typical width of 74 inches.
End-of-Bed Sofa
The addition of an end-of-bed sofa creates a terraced or leveled look to your bed area, contributing to a cozy look. Most end-of-the-bed sofas will take up space with the additional visual weight due to the upholstered furniture. The minimum width of an end-of-bed sofa is 40 to 42 inches, so be mindful of leaving enough width for accessibility.
Foldable Screen or Room Divider
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There is no need for a major renovation to have that extra layer of privacy with foldable screens, usually made from lightweight materials.
Also known as room dividers, foldable screens usually contain several panels that are attached using hinges that allow the panels to fold and flap in the desired direction. Other dividers come with panoramic designs that fill across the spread of panels.
Small Desk or Vanity
A movable vanity can be placed at the end of the bed to fill in the space or if there is a lack of suitable space for your vanity at the sides of the bedroom. Vanity desks can also double as a reading or writing area, as vanity desks come with seats or stools.
Luggage Rack
Perfect for guest bedrooms, luggage racks are foldable cross bars that can be spread to provide tiers or shelves (usually two) for luggage to be placed and unpacked quickly. Luggage racks have an attractive profile as they usually come with only a frame and ties or bands that will stretch to serve as a platform for a bag or luggage to be placed and carried.
You can place your shoes or other smaller items on the lower tier. The luggage racks, with a width similar to your typical chair or seat, are usually displayed in pairs.
Plant Stand
A view of fresh greens is just the perfect way to induce sleep. According to experts, looking at nature can lower your heart rate. Inside plants are also known to purify interiors, improving indoor air quality in your bedroom. However, you’ll need the perfect plant stand to showcase your greenery while keeping it stable and at eye level when lying in bed.
Sculpture or Art Installation
A sculptural piece is the perfect three-dimensional décor to add interest to your bedroom. It can give a luxurious quality to the space while filling in a void, especially if you’ve got an expansive bedroom.
Placing an artwork installation or sculpture at the end of the bed is the perfect location, as you’ll be able to view the art piece while adding a privacy barrier between the other spaces in your bedroom. You might want to choose an art form that won’t disrupt you from getting a good night’s sleep.
Floor Poufs
Poufs come in different shapes and sizes, which makes it easy to find the right pouf to mark the end of your bed area. Whether it’s a solo pouf or for a group lounge, this fluffy pillow furniture will surely add an inviting and chic element to your bedroom.
Blanket Ladder
A blanket ladder is a simple yet useful wall décor that we’ve often seen in Scandinavian or farmhouse-inspired interiors. The blanket ladder, as the name implies, is your typical ladder made of wood but usually with a few rungs (mostly five rungs or steps) mainly used to place blankets, scarves, and any type of cloth.
Aside from bedrooms, small bathroom sizes, and laundry areas, I also find the ladder rack useful as towels and bathrobes could be hung on it to dry while being easily accessed without occupying much space. If your end of the bed immediately fronts a wall, placing a blanket ladder can divert the abrupt wall barrier. You can add color, texture, or pattern with decorative cloth hanging on your blanket ladder.
Decorative Baskets
When you’re looking for additional storage space at the end of your bed without moving bulky furniture, then decorative baskets are the perfect alternative. With so many designs to choose from, you’ll easily find the right style to match your preference.
Wicker such as rattan baskets are popular as it adds a natural element to the bedroom. You can choose to have one large basket, a pair of baskets, or more baskets at the end of your bed for added visual volume and texture.
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Multi-functional Furniture
From collapsible to convertible furniture, there are many modern designs available for furniture, and you’ll find multi-functional furniture that saves valuable space. In addition, you don’t need to purchase other furniture, especially if you’re aiming for a minimalist look.
Meditation Cushions
When you use your bedroom space for meditation, stretching, or yoga, you might want several meditation cushions. You can place an area rug beneath the end of your bed or use the mat that usually comes along with your meditation cushion, which does not ground the space.
Then, simply place your meditation cushion on the rug. This way, it can create an inviting space and remind you to do your exercise every time you get out of bed.
Pet Steps
For pet owners who have an injured pet or simply a pet that couldn’t jump easily on your bed, then adding pet steps at the end of your bed is a practical and safe means for your pet to come up easily.
Most of these pet steps are customized to fit your bed’s height, and you can also add additional features such as drawers underneath or have it upholstered to match your bed’s design.
TV Stand
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Having a TV in your bedroom has its advantages and disadvantages, and one of the benefits of having one is that you’ll be able to catch up on your favorite televised series. However, the added entertainment is not recommended for little ones. TV stands can come with caster wheels that you can easily move to adjust your viewing distance from your bed.
As a rule of thumb, the distance of your TV from your eyes should be twice or 1.5 times the diagonal measurement of your TV screen. Thus, you might want to consider a smaller TV if you have a smaller bedroom.
See more related content in our article about what size bench for a king bed on this page.