Short answer: a queen mattress is 153cm wide. Two Cedora bedside tables at 55cm each, with a 5cm gap either side of the bed, needs 273cm of clear wall. Two Liverpool bedsides at 60cm needs 283cm. If your wall is shorter than that, one bedside is not a compromise. It is the correct answer.
The symmetrical bedroom is so standard in photographs that people force it into rooms that cannot hold it, then live with a bedside jammed against the bed frame and a door that will not open fully.
The Wall Maths
| Bed | Mattress | Two 55cm bedsides | Two 60cm bedsides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double | 138cm | 258cm | 268cm |
| Queen | 153cm | 273cm | 283cm |
| King | 183cm | 303cm | 313cm |
Those figures include a 5cm breathing gap each side. Remove the gap and you save 10cm, but the bedside then touches the bed frame, which looks like an accident rather than a plan.
Bristol Pine 2 Drawer Bedside Table
When One Is Genuinely Better
Four situations, and none of them is about budget.
- The wall is short. Under 273cm for a queen, one bedside and a clear side is calmer than two crammed ones.
- A door or wardrobe opens on one side. A bedside in a door swing is a piece of furniture you walk into in the dark for years.
- Only one person uses that side. A spare room or a single sleeper does not need the second one, and the floor space is worth more than the symmetry.
- The room is a walkway. A bedside is 45cm deep whichever you choose, and 45cm out of a narrow path is the difference between passing and turning sideways.
Making One Look Deliberate
This is the part people get wrong. A single bedside reads as unfinished when the rest of the room is still arranged symmetrically.
Three moves fix it. Hang the artwork or mirror off centre, aligned over the bedside rather than the bed. Put a floor lamp or a tall plant on the empty side so the two sides have similar visual weight without matching. And choose the larger bedside rather than the smaller one, because a single 60cm Liverpool reads as a chosen piece where a lone 55cm reads as a leftover.
Newcastle Acacia 2 Drawer Bedside Table
The Height Check Still Applies
One bedside or two, it wants to land within about 5cm of the mattress top. Cedora heights run 55.9cm on Liverpool, 60cm on Bristol, London and Manchester, and 64.4cm on Newcastle.
Measure from the floor to the top of the mattress with the bedding on, then pick the closest. A single bedside at the wrong height is more obvious than a pair at the wrong height, because there is nothing beside it to share the blame.
For the full comparison, see One or Two Bedside Tables.
Bedside Tables at Cedora
Liverpool Pine 2 Drawer Bedside Table - Natural
Solid Pine Frame with Oak Veneer
London Pine 2 Drawer Bedside Table
Solid Pine Structure
Manchester Pine 2 Drawer Bedside Table
Solid Pine Structure
Bristol Pine 2 Drawer Bedside Table
Oak Top & Solid Pine Structure
Newcastle Acacia 2 Drawer Bedside Table
Solid Pine & Acacia Structure
Liverpool Pine 2 Drawer Bedside Table - Black
Solid Pine Frame with Oak Veneer
Frequently Asked Questions
How much wall do two bedside tables need?
For a queen bed, 273cm with 55cm bedsides or 283cm with 60cm Liverpool bedsides, including a 5cm gap each side. A king needs 303cm to 313cm and a double 258cm to 268cm.
Is one bedside table acceptable?
Yes, and often better. It is the right call when the wall is under 273cm for a queen, when a door or wardrobe opens on one side, when only one person uses that side, or when the room doubles as a walkway.
How do I make a single bedside table look intentional?
Hang the artwork off centre over the bedside rather than over the bed, balance the empty side with a floor lamp or tall plant, and choose the larger bedside rather than the smaller one.
How high should a bedside table sit?
Within about 5cm of the mattress top measured with the bedding on. Cedora bedsides run 55.9cm on Liverpool, 60cm on Bristol, London and Manchester, and 64.4cm on Newcastle.
