Metal bedside tables, handmade

A bedside table is found by hand at night before the eye sees it. From her bed she feels for the glass, for the glasses, for the switch on the lamp, and she does it without light, from a memory that the body has taken over at some point.

The height decides: the bedside table must fit the mattress

The first thing wrong with a bedside table is rarely its shape, but rather its height. The hand that reaches for the glass while lying down expects the surface to be at the level of the mattress or a few centimeters above it. If it is lower, the hand reaches into nothingness. If it is significantly higher, the table moves in front of the edge of the bed and stands there like furniture that belongs to another bed.

There is no universal measurement for a bedside table because there is no universal bed. The sleeping height in bedrooms today ranges between 45 and 65 cm, and a box spring bed can quickly be 20 cm above a flat frame. Therefore, measurements are not taken up to the frame, but from the floor to the top edge of the mattress. Everything else is a number that doesn't help in the dark.

Two heights cover the usual situations. At 50 cm, YORU suits most box-spring and upholstered beds. TUKKON stands 45 cm high and suits lower frames, including those found in Japanese-inspired bedrooms. For a particularly high bed, the same form can be made in another height.

A flat side table like SPHERE with 30 cm looks good next to a bed and can also be used as a particularly low bedside table. Its height is originally designed to be the seat height of a sofa, not a mattress; In the dark, its surface is therefore deeper than the hand first looks for. If you like this low height, SPHERE is a good choice. If you want the area at mattress height, you can find it at YORU or TUKKON.

With a drawer or open: what is really needed next to the bed

A bedside table doesn't have to do much. He has to be able to do the little that is right, and that little differs from person to person. An open shape keeps the space under the furniture free and makes a small bedroom appear lighter. However, she shows everything that lies on her. A drawer holds what should not be visible: medication, charging cables, reading glasses, a book that has already been started.

YORU has two drawers with fronts set flush into its brass cladding, without handles or an obvious gap. From the front, the piece does not reveal that it opens. This is a decision in favour of the surface, with a price that only becomes apparent in the dark: a handleless drawer opens only when the hand knows where to reach.

What is almost always underestimated in a bedside table is exactly this behavior without light. An open shelf forgives every movement; Glass, book and glasses lie where the hand put them and the hand finds them again. A handleless drawer requires a small habit, a handle that sits after a few nights and then never needs to be thought about again. Both ways work. They just ask for different things.

An open surface suits those who often look for things at night; a drawer suits those who want a tidy bedroom in the morning. Combining the two on opposite sides of the bed is a third answer, more common than you might think. Two people sharing a bed rarely share all the same habits.

Show moreShow less

Metal in the bedroom: why it seems warmer than expected

There is a prejudice against metal in the bedroom: it appears cool. This is often true for painted and powder-coated surfaces because they reflect light flatly, like an unresponsive wall. Patinated brass behaves differently. Its tone is dark and warm, closer to evening light than to metal, and it absorbs the light of a bedside lamp rather than reflecting it.

In a room that is almost only lit by this one lamp in the evening, this is no minor matter. The area next to the bed is the first thing the light hits and determines whether the room will be soft or hard. Patinated brass remains dark rather than shiny in this light. It gives something back to the light without doubling it.

Brushed stainless steel goes the other direction. It is brighter, cooler and calmer and finds its place in bedrooms with a lot of textiles. Both surfaces have an advantage that a wood veneer does not have: no edge where moisture can penetrate and nothing that will swell if a glass of water is knocked over.

The choice between the two is easier in the bedroom than elsewhere because there is less furniture involved: a bed, a lamp, maybe an armchair. Once you have chosen the surface, you will find it in the same version on the Side tables and the Consoles. The bedroom is a good place to start. It is the room in which the material is seen least often and touched most often.

YORU: 45 × 55 × 50 cm with two drawers

YORU measures 45 × 55 × 50 cm and weighs 35 kg. The body is clad in patinated brass; the colour gradient develops during patination and differs on every piece. Two drawers are inset so that their fronts disappear into the surface. At 55 cm deep, it is closer to a small chest of drawers than a simple bedside surface.

The second decision for YORU is to move out. A drawer that is opened with one hand at night must not take the furniture with it; The 35 kg ensures that the movement ends where it belongs, in the extension and not in the body. Anyone who has ever had to hold a light bedside table with their second hand when opening it knows the difference. Here the second hand stays where it is.

TUKKON is the reduced answer: a cylindrical solid-metal body, 60 × 45 × 45 cm, without a drawer, in patinated brass or brushed stainless steel. YORU, by contrast, is available only in brass. The cylinder has no edge for the hand to catch and no corner projecting into the room. At night, that matters more than it appears to by day.

If the two sides of a bed have different tables, keep to one finish. Two forms in the same tone look coordinated; two tones in the same form look accidental. This stands out in a bedroom, where so few things occupy the space that every piece has weight. What disappears among living room furnishings stands alone here.

Set up in pairs or individually

The classic solution is two identical bedside tables on the left and right of the bed. It seems orderly and always works, and yet it is not mandatory. In narrow bedrooms, there is often only room on one side, and a single piece then looks more deliberate than a pair, one of which is pressed against the wall.

When it comes to hand-made furniture, there is a second circumstance: no two pieces are ever identically patinated. This method does not provide strict symmetry. If you order a pair, you will receive two pieces from the same production that are similar to each other without being alike.

This is not a defect, but rather the characteristic of a process that each piece goes through individually. Two identical patinated brass bedside tables are like two people with the same name: related, not interchangeable. Anyone who has lived in the bedroom for years will eventually no longer notice the difference, or they will perceive it for what it is.

Another option is a deliberate contrast: YORU with a drawer on one side, a wall shelf for a book and glasses on the other. This saves floor space and feels lighter in a small room than two cabinets side by side. Your hand can find either in the dark; it only needs to know which side to reach towards.

When the height does not fit: bespoke pieces for the bedroom

Each piece is only built to order, and so a different height does not change the process; it is one more number on the order. What is required is the height of the top edge of the mattress and the desired width; This creates a drawing with a fixed price and then construction takes place. This approach is common for bedside tables, because bed heights are further apart than sofa heights, and a standard size rarely applies.

The width can also be adjusted if there is little space between the bed and the wall. 45 cm is set for YORU, but not for the bedroom; A narrower niche is no reason to do without the drawer. The form remains the same, only its dimensions follow the space. That's the difference between a piece of standard furniture that has to fit into a room and a piece that is created for that room.

Production takes five to six weeks and is delivered by freight forwarder to the curb without incurring any shipping costs. If a piece is in stock, it can be returned within 14 days. The 35 kg of YORU is a different piece of furniture in the stairwell with two people than alone. The weight that holds the drawer at night needs to be carried on delivery day; both belong to the same piece.

A video call shows how patinated brass behaves under artificial light better than a photograph. Its surface responds to the lamp above it, and no two lamps are alike. What you see is not just furniture but a preview of your bedroom's light. The remaining decision is made by day and lived with at night. It is rarely the reverse.

Frequently asked questions

What bedside table height suits my bed?

Measurements are taken from the floor to the top edge of the mattress. The bedside table should be at this level or a few centimeters above. YORU with 50 cm fits box spring and upholstered beds, TUKKON with 45 cm fits lower frames. If bed heights differ greatly, the same shape is manufactured at the desired height.

Do I need a drawer or is an open shelf sufficient?

That depends on the habit. A drawer holds what should not be visible, such as medication and cables. An open area is easier to use in the dark because nothing needs to be opened. YORU has two handleless drawers, TUKKON is purely a storage area.

Does metal feel too cold in a bedroom?

Often yes for painted surfaces, but not for patinated brass. The tone is between bronze and amber and absorbs warm light, especially that of a bedside lamp. Brushed stainless steel looks cooler and goes well with bright rooms with lots of textiles.

Should you buy two of the same bedside tables?

It seems orderly, but it is not mandatory. In narrow rooms, a single piece is often a better solution. The finishes of handmade brass may vary. Please clarify any special requests for a couple with us before ordering.

How heavy is YORU, and how do I get it into my home?

YORU weighs 35 kg. Delivery is by freight to the kerbside; two people are advisable for carrying it indoors. Shipping is free and production takes five to six weeks.

What is the difference between a bedside table and a side table?

Especially the height and usage. A bedside table is based on the height of the mattress, usually 45 to 60 cm, and often has storage space. A side table is located lower, usually at the height of the sofa, and serves as storage in the living area.

Are the bedside tables available in brass or stainless steel?

TUKKON is available in both surfaces, YORU only in patinated brass. In the case of a custom-made product, the choice of material is open in both cases.