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5 Things That Could Be Found on Your Bedside Table

by Marti Rose Shanker

They say that one’s fashion can tell you a lot about a person, but I say otherwise. A bedside table is the true storyteller, and the best lens to look at in getting to know someone in the most authentic way. Is it messy? Is it simple with just a vase of fresh cut flowers? Candles? If you’re stuck at home and your bed has become your permanent WFH desk, here’s some ways you can easily jazz up your bedside table while staying true to who you are.

“Small Cures” by Della Hicks-Wilson

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It may be a small plum-colored book, but it has such a big impact on fixing, unfixing, purposing, and repurposing yourself. Divided into three captivating parts: diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, Della Hicks-Wilson, a UK-based poet, presents to you a voice so enriching, raw, and gently honest through her latest poetry book debut. With each page turned, her truths about the complexities of healing and heartache dig deeper, leading to questioning and a deep introspection. Her words come off the page so gracefully and delicately that it sounds like it’s coming from a close friend whispering in your ear while being embraced in a hug. In a time of turmoil, with the presence of COVID-19 still lurking around, reading her profound book was my literary remedy on my bedside table. With “Small Cures”, a balmy archive of personal thoughts and her dated Tumblr posts, I was able to see a beautiful portrait being drawn of how finding such honesty in heartache, love, and loss can help you see the “small cures” of the everyday. Like me and my grandma, who I read Della’s words aloud to, you’ll find yourself and mind leading astray and burrowing deeper into her touching, emotional journey she shares.

Jenki Matcha

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If you’re like me, I almost always have a drink alongside me because 9/10 times I wake up feeling parched. Lately, I’ve been trying to kick coffee to the curb and try other healthy alternatives like an almond milk matcha latte. Matcha has quickly become a popular beverage in cafes and at home, and with this saturated popularity of the drink, it can be easy to botch with low-quality ingredients. Pro-tip: your matcha powder should always be a bright green color not a dull, olive hue because that’s when you know it’s a ceremonial grade product. Launched in the middle of a worldwide pandemic in February, Jenki is a new matcha brand that I recently discovered and am genuinely hooked to its incredible taste. It’s a matcha that packs a punch (with antioxidants and vitamin A, C, E, K + B complex!) and has travelled the world for you– it’s based in London, sourced from a single-origin, family run farm in the foothills of Uji, Japan, and ships internationally.

Wolf & Rebel

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Before you leave… repeat the mantra: P, W, K. Phone! Wallet! Keys! I’m a ditzy person, and this simple saying helps me become the professional adult that I am. For me, I grew up having printed colored keys that coordinated with each person, place, and bundles had more charms than keys. On your bedside table, there may be some earrings, tossed keys, and your wallet. Keep a saying or your love’s name close to you on a brass, handmade keychain from Wolf & Rebel. For $12, it’s so much more than a keychain– it’s been handmade, thoughtfully sourced, hand-packaged.

Art by Lana

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On my bedside table, I have a framed piece of artwork propped up between the tabletop and wall. Looking at it when I’m groggy and a bit cloudy headed helps me feel inspired and awoken with a renewed fresh sense of energy. If you’re looking for a piece that’s minimalistic yet intriguing to the eye, SF-based mixed artist Lana Barkhordarian Burstein creates beautifully wooden framed and textured mixed media on canvas pieces. Place this small scale canvas next to a crisp white summery bouquet of flowers for a neutral, calming, and clean aesthetic. It might be a deceptively simple piece of art, but upon further glance into the textures it becomes a more intricate piece, finding depth within the imperfections of its rough feel.

Tube Bookends

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Bi-Rite Studio is a design shop in Brooklyn every hip creative in the design community knows about, and if it’s not on your radar yet, get in sync now. I first fell in love with their funky, colorful vintage aesthetic and overall “Copenhagen” vibes after discovering it via my daily IG scrolls, and even more so walking aimlessly around their unique, geometric-themed BK store (pre-COVID). Painted in soft, pastel tones like a pale mint, yellow, pink, or green, this tube shaped bookend is the perfect fix to organizing that pile of magazines or quarantine reads you’ve been catching up with. Maybe you’re not a big reader– I confess I have lots of learning to do and improvements on becoming one– but there’s lots of fun ways to get started like joining Man Repeller’s Book Club or following along to an IG book-focused + reviews account like Read_InStyle.