Hunting Around for Secondhand Nightstands: Some Possible Options

Project 365, Day 214/365

About two weekends ago, I found nightstands on Facebook Marketplace that were…kind of perfect. The price was right (something like $300 for a pair), they were solid wood, a simple silhouette, had a drawer and a shelf. I would have gone right then and there to snag them except…well, they were about two hours away. WAY out east. I hemmed and hawed about it. Were they worth 4 hours round trip? There was also a nearly perfect burlwood armoire (albeit a bit more than I wanted to pay even if I haggled) close-ish, so it could have been a one-two punch.

Charles, as he always does, tried to encourage me to not let the distance stop me from getting what I want. He was all for heading out there if we could figure out the space in the car. I sat on it a bit, thinking, digging around for other things that didn’t require quite so much effort.

And then I got the notification a few days later that the nightstands had sold. NOOOOO. And that, my friends, is the name of the secondhand game. You snooze, you lose.

Once I mourned their loss, I let another week or so go by before I started digging around again. I won’t lie, I’m not super excited about this week’s lot, but I’m gonna share some that were “eh, maybe” contenders just because I think that kind of thing is fun. There are other places I need to look—eBay, Etsy locally, OfferUp/Let It Go, actual thrift stores, flea markets—but here’s what I spotted today on a quick little trip around the interwebs:

These were my favorite of the lot. I found them on Chairish for about $700 for both. A bit more than I’d want to spend considering they are in Pennsylvania and I’d need to ship them, but I just love the profile. However, the top and sides are laminate, and I’m just not interested in that. If you recall from this post, I was hoping to find something I could refinish and paint and these just don’t really fit the bill. I’d prefer to leave them be…if only they were solid wood.

These are pretty dang great (and about $600). I’d swap out the hardware likely, but I like the straightforward shape and the storage. At 26 inches wide, they’re pretty much the perfect size. From the looks of the other photos including in this Craigslist listing, there are some nicks and chips, but nothing I couldn’t fix with some wood filler and sanding. Hmm…they’re kind of growing on me.

Okay, so what we have here is the equivalent of a ham and cheese sandwich with no other accoutrements. But sometimes, all you need is some condiments, lettuce, and pickles, and BOOM, you’ve got yourself a great lunch. Meaning, these are very plain Jane, but could easily be spruced up with a paint job and some great hardware. They are very affordable (about $300 for both) but are in rough shape if you look closely. I don’t believe they are solid wood, so that’s a bummer, and a lot of the surface is peeling away, chipped, or broken. Might not be worth the trouble.

A little mid-century but not so much that it will overwhelm my room design. I love the inset handle and the double drawers, plus the price is pretty good ($500). They’re a little smaller than I want (22-inches wide, 16-inches deep) but could work and in great shape. The only issue is they are way out east so it’s a matter of deciding if I actually like them enough.

I’ve really been into Lane Brutalist pieces lately. This is a single nightstand, but Chairish has a lot of pieces just like this one. I wouldn’t want to paint it, and the oak is a bit too yellow for what I’m looking for, so this is likely a no, but just a design I’m intrigued by.

I know I’m all like “I don’t want mid-century” but I’ve ALWAYS loved Broyhill’s Brasilia line. I once let a pristine Brasilia credenza slip through my fingertips and I still regret it, to this day. These are, *cough* not cheap, so they’re a no, but they very much hold their value, so if they were even remotely a reality for me, they’d certainly be more of an investment than a whim purchase. These need a bit of refinishing, and again, I’m not getting them, but I like their simplicity and subtle detailing.

I don’t know what it is about these but I LOVE them. The hangover lip on the top, the three drawers, the little swoopy at the bottom side edges. They’re 1950s Drexel Heritage, so I know they are very well made, almost right up the street from me, and a good price ($600). The only problem is their size…they’re too large. Technically called “gentlemen’s chests” so not exactly nightstands., they’re 34 inches wide, 32 inches tall and 21 inches deep. If we were going with a queen bed, they’d work, but with a king, they’re just oversized for the room sadly.

So…there are some decent options there but nothing that gets my heart pumping fast. I’m going to keep an eye out and check some other sources this week, and take it as a sign that if any of these I legitimately think will work are still around this upcoming weekend, perhaps I should take another look.

See you tomorrow, FOAS.