Brighton 2-Drawer Bedside Table — In Russet

Faux bamboo is one of the oldest and best tricks in decorating. When Europe fell hard for all things Chinese a couple of centuries ago, and the Prince Regent built his bamboo-mad pavilion in Brighton, cabinetmakers began turning ordinary wood to mimic the ringed, segmented look of real bamboo. It caught on and never quite left, because it does something clever: it brings a little wit and a little of the exotic to a piece without ever tipping into costume.

This two-drawer bedside table carries that tradition lightly. It's built from solid wood in a warm russet finish, with softly turned framing that reads as bamboo from across the room and as beautifully grained timber up close. Two proportioned drawers give you real, everyday storage on brass knobs: the kind of piece that looks like a decorating decision but works like a workhorse.

It's a natural at a bedside, the drawers right where a reaching hand expects them. It's just as good in a hall holding gloves and keys, or in a bathroom stacked with towels: anywhere a plain bedside table would do the job, but a slightly charming one would do it better.