Tallboy or dresser, which should I choose?

A tallboy stacks drawers vertically to save floor space, ideal for a small room. A dresser (lowboy) spreads drawers wide and gives a surface for a mirror or TV, better when you have the wall width. Pick based on your floor space and whether you want a top surface.

How do I plan bedroom storage?

Start with what you own, more hanging clothes means prioritise a wardrobe, mostly folded means more drawers. Then measure the walls, leave clearance for doors and drawers to open, and place each piece so walking space stays clear.

What height should a bedside table be?

Roughly level with the top of the mattress so it is easy to reach a lamp, phone or glass of water. Scale the width to the bed too, a small bedside can look lost next to a queen or king.

Bedroom Storage Guide (Australia): Wardrobes, Tallboys & Bedsides

Name: BuildPilot Adelaide Building Industry Dataset
Creator: BuildPilot
License: https://buildpilot.com.au/terms

Content scope

This guide has been reviewed for South Australia (Adelaide metro + regional SA). Building licensing, warranty, stamp duty and approval rules differ in other Australian states — verify against your local authority before acting.

A calm bedroom is really a well-stored one, enough hanging space, drawers for folded clothes and a bedside surface for the day-to-day. The trick is matching the right storage pieces to your room and how much you own, rather than cramming in furniture that blocks the space. This guide covers the main bedroom storage pieces, how they compare, and how to plan a layout that keeps clothes and clutter out of sight.

Things to consider before you choose

Plain practical advice for Australian builds. No fluff.

Start with what you own

Count roughly how much you hang vs fold. Lots of dresses, shirts and coats means prioritising wardrobe hanging space; mostly folded clothes means more drawers in a tallboy or dresser. Buying storage before you know the split is how rooms end up with the wrong mix.

Match the piece to the floor space

A tallboy stacks drawers vertically to save floor space in a small room, while a dresser (lowboy) spreads them wide and doubles as a surface for a mirror or TV. Measure the wall and leave room for drawers and wardrobe doors to open fully.

Bedside tables earn their keep

A bedside table with a drawer hides chargers, books and clutter while keeping a lamp, phone and glass of water to hand. Match the height roughly to the top of the mattress so it is easy to reach, and scale the width to the bed, tiny bedsides look lost beside a king.

Think about the whole layout

Plan where each piece sits before buying: wardrobe on a wall with door clearance, a tallboy in a narrow gap, a dresser opposite or beside the bed. Leaving walking space and keeping drawer fronts clear of the bed makes a small room feel far bigger.

Types of bedroom storage guide

Quick compare

	Wardrobe	Tallboy	Dresser / lowboy	Bedside table
Stores	Hanging + shelves	Folded clothes (tall)	Folded clothes (wide)	Nightly essentials
Footprint	Largest	Narrow, vertical	Wide, low	Small
Best for	Hanging clothes & bulk	Small floor space	Under a mirror / TV	Beside the bed

Wardrobe

The main hanging-and-shelving storage for clothes, from compact two-door to full built-in-style units.

Pros

• Hangs clothes
• Holds the most
• Hides bulk away

Cons

• Largest footprint
• Needs door clearance

Best for: Hanging clothes and bulk storage

Tallboy

A tall, narrow chest of drawers that stacks storage vertically to save floor space.

Pros

• Space-saving footprint
• Lots of drawers
• Suits small rooms

Cons

• Less surface on top
• Can tip if overloaded (anchor it)

Best for: Folded clothes where floor space is tight

Dresser / lowboy

A wide, low chest of drawers that doubles as a surface for a mirror, TV or decor.

Pros

• Wide drawer storage
• Useful top surface
• Pairs with a mirror

Cons

• Needs wall width

Best for: Folded clothes plus a styling surface

Bedside table

A compact table beside the bed for a lamp and nightly essentials, often with a drawer.

Pros

• Keeps essentials to hand
• Hides clutter
• Completes the bed

Cons

• Limited capacity

Best for: Nightly essentials beside the bed

How much does it cost in Australia?

Bedroom storage costs scale with size and build: bedside tables are the affordable end, tallboys and dressers sit in the middle, and large wardrobes are the top. Solid-timber pieces cost more than engineered-board ones but last longer. Because the right mix depends on your room and wardrobe, compare live prices for the pieces you need directly at the retailer.

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying storage before working out your hang-vs-fold split
Choosing a wide dresser for a room that needed a narrow tallboy
Forgetting clearance for drawers and wardrobe doors to open
Not anchoring a tall tallboy to the wall (tip hazard)
Pairing tiny bedside tables with a large bed so they look lost

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Bedroom Storage Guide

Bedroom Storage Guide

Things to consider before you choose

Start with what you own

Match the piece to the floor space

Bedside tables earn their keep

Think about the whole layout

Types of bedroom storage guide

Wardrobe

Tallboy

Dresser / lowboy

Bedside table

How much does it cost in Australia?

Common mistakes to avoid

More on bedroom furnishing

Trades who work with bedroom storage guide

Popular questions

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