My favourite magazine, Kinfolk, semi-regularly publishes a series entitled “My Beside Table.” It is within these articles where the reader is allowed to glance into a bedroom and a world that is different from theirs. It is a seemingly uncomplicated concept, but one that I personally love exploring. The accompanying photograph rarely shows the actual bedroom itself, which only enhances the fun in fantasizing what the real space looks like. While I admit to never considering it before, I feel as if a beside table would say a lot about our personalities and lifestyle. Here is the most recent issue’s beside table.

Tell me, what would we find on yours?

Emory

STARR HOUT, WHO COFOUNDED THE NEW YORK–BASED FASHION BRAND APIECE APART WITH HER FRIEND LAURA CRAMER, TALKS ABOUT HER EVENING RITUALS AND HOW SHE’S MADE HER BEDROOM KID-FRIENDLY. 

There’s nothing in my bedroom except a bed, a crib and two side tables. I consider it a sanctuary and sacred space. I like to keep work away from my bed, which means no notebooks, sketchpads or pens. I’ve learned to keep my phone away from my sleeping area too—preferably in the other room, which helps us all sleep through the night. This really helps with putting my mind at ease and ensures that I’m not checking my notifications or responding to messages just before I go to bed. I like to shower before bed in order to wash the day away, then I try to feel grounded through stillness and meditation, which usually calms my nerves for a solid slumber.

It’s pretty important for me to have a bedside table with sufficient space to put various objects, so smaller tables just won’t do. I chose a nightstand that’s roughly the same height as my bed, which maintains the plane and makes it easy to retrieve things: It’s a tray table, complete with an Anglepoise lamp and a Braun clock.

A couple of the objects that live on my bedside table are some Aesop hand cream and a meditation singing bowl that doubles as a toy for my little 11-month-old, Finn, who’s drawn to its shiny brass and its ability to make music. While we’ve had to make some changes in our nighttime routines to adapt to a baby’s unpredictable sleep cycle, it’s been a joy changing the bedroom to suit his needs and sharing our space with him. Unfortunately, flowers are too much of a distraction for Finn though, as he loves to touch and often destroy bouquets.

In the morning I’m a firm devotee of Grady’s Coffee in a Robert Blue mug, and in the evening I’m never without a jumbo-size canning jar of water with a spike of coconut water. I don’t snack in bed all that much as it gets too messy, and I like a really clean bed.

When it comes to sleepwear, I favor Apiece Apart’s Peruvian tees or slip dresses, and I adore my white Fog Linen pillowcases and French linen bed sheets from Le Monde Sauvage in Paris. I’m a big fan of white beds and pieces of furniture that are simple, functional and timeless in their beauty. I love the blonde wood, burlap curtains, white linen sheets and sheepskin elements of my bedroom.

I enjoy reading soft, feel-good books before hitting the sack. Some of the ones currently on the table are The Art of Stillness by Pico Iyer, The Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler and the poetry of Mary Oliver. Before drifting off to sleep, or sometimes in dreams, my mind often returns to my favorite places in nature or sees light sparkling through the leaves and dancing on the sea.

While I’m usually an early riser, I end up spending a lot of time in bed throughout the day thanks to Finn’s nursing schedule. There’s a large tree right in front of our apartment that I love to look at while I’m nursing. I find its wide, generous arms inspiring, refreshing and recharging.

Hello, Followers:
Blog // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter // Facebook