Dimensions / Furniture / Nightstands / Floating
A floating nightstand is a shallow box fixed to the wall, about 20–35 cm tall: IKEA’s GRÅFJÄLLET is 42 × 29 × 31 cm and Room & Board’s Linear 51 × 41 × 30 cm (20 × 16 × 12 in). Because you choose the height, hang it with the top within 5 cm of the mattress top. IKEA sells the fixings separately because the load depends on the wall; Room & Board rates its own for 23 kg (50 lb) and recommends screwing into studs, which are usually 40.6 cm (16 in) apart.
| Height | Top against the mattress | Wall studs apart |
|---|---|---|
| 20–35cm | ± 5cm2 in | 40.6cm16 in |
Sources: IKEA (GRÅFJÄLLET), Homes & Gardens, Bob Vila. Checked October 2026.
Enter the nightstand, how high you will hang it, your mattress and your wall. Each check uses the numbers in the tables on this page.
Lengths in centimetres, weights in kilograms. 1 in = 2.54 cm.
The top is at 64 cm and your mattress top at 64 cm, 0 cm apart; within 5 cm either way reads as level.
You choose the height: set the top within 5 cm of the mattress, then mark the wall.
With studs 40.6 cm apart, a nightstand 51 cm wide has at least 1 behind it wherever it hangs, so it can be screwed into wood.
Studs are usually 16 in (40.6 cm) apart, sometimes 24 in in old homes.
Your 4 kg is within its 23 kg load.
Use the maker’s rating; IKEA says the load depends on the wall and sells the fixings separately.
Planning wall-hung furniture for a client? Photograph the wall, mark the bed and the studs in SizeMarker and send it with the fixing heights.
Mark a photo| Nightstand | W × D × H | Load and fixings |
|---|---|---|
| IKEA GRÅFJÄLLETHang it “at any height suitable for your bed” | 42 × 29 × 31 cm16 1/2 × 11 3/8 × 12 1/4 in | Fixings sold separately |
| IKEA STOMSÖDrawer 6.5 cm high inside | 36 × 29 × 20 cm | Load depends on the wall |
| IKEA EKET wall cabinet, 2 drawersLeave 5 cm above it to the ceiling | 35 × 35 × 35 cm13 3/4 in | Suspension rail included |
| Room & Board Linear wall-mountedDrawer 39 × 28 × 6 cm inside | 51 × 41 × 30 cm20 × 16 × 12 in | 23 kg, into studs recommended50 lb |
| IKEA LACK wall shelfThe simplest wall-hung top | 30 × 26 × 5 cm | 3 kg, depending on wall and fixing |
Sources: IKEA (GRÅFJÄLLET) · IKEA (STOMSÖ) · IKEA (EKET) · Room & Board (wall-mounted) · IKEA (LACK)
| Guide | Size |
|---|---|
| Top against the mattress topHomes & Gardens, a designer’s rule | Within 5 cm2 in |
| Above or below the mattress top, at mostIdeal Home, a designer’s rule | 5 cm |
| Standard bed, floor to mattress topCasper | 64 cm25 in |
| Wall studs, centre to centreBob Vila | 40.6 cm16 in |
| Wall studs in some old homes | 61 cm24 in |
| Plaster or plasterboard wallsIKEA | Hold less than wood, concrete or brick |
Sources: Homes & Gardens · Ideal Home · Casper · Bob Vila · IKEA (GRÅFJÄLLET)
The four here are 35–51 cm wide, 29–41 cm deep and 20–35 cm tall. IKEA’s GRÅFJÄLLET is 42 × 29 × 31 cm (16 1/2 × 11 3/8 × 12 1/4 in), STOMSÖ 36 × 29 × 20 cm, and Room & Board’s Linear 51 × 41 × 30 cm (20 × 16 × 12 in).
You choose: IKEA says to place it at any height suitable for your bed. Hang it with the top within 5 cm (2 in) of the mattress top, about 64 cm (25 in) off the floor for a standard bed.
It depends on the unit and the wall. Room & Board rates its Linear for 23 kg (50 lb), IKEA’s LACK shelf takes 3 kg depending on the wall and the fixing, and IKEA says the load of a wall-hung cabinet depends on the wall material.
It is best: Room & Board recommends installation into wall studs. Studs are usually 40.6 cm (16 in) apart, sometimes 61 cm (24 in) in old homes, so a nightstand narrower than that can hang between two of them.
Ones made for your wall. IKEA sells them separately for GRÅFJÄLLET and warns that plaster walls cannot hold as much as wood, concrete or brick; EKET comes with its suspension rail and needs 5 cm above it to the ceiling.
Floating nightstands raise two questions sizes alone do not answer: what load they take and what fixings come in the box. Mark the real sizes and the bracket position on your own product photo in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
