How tall should they be?

Most sit between thirty and thirty-six inches high. This aligns well with older, deeper mattresses and tall bed frames. Lower twentieth-century examples match the drop in bed heights that happened around the Art Deco period. You just need to measure your mattress height before deciding what fits.

I want to buy a pair for my guest room but they always seem to have a hinge on the same side. Is this normal?

True matched pairs with left and right opposing hinges are rare in the nineteenth century. Most antique bedside cabinets were made as single items for a room. When you find a pair with hinges on the same side, they were likely constructed as a batch by the same workshop. Opposing doors only became standard factory practice when matching bedroom suites gained popularity in the Edwardian period.

Can I paint the wood?

Stripping and painting destroys the historic finish. Polish and patina take decades to build up. If the surface is badly damaged, traditional wax is the better route.

My cabinet has a strong smell of old wood and musty air inside the main cupboard section. What is the safest way to clear it?

Odours get trapped inside small enclosed spaces over decades. Start by leaving the door open in a dry, well-ventilated room for a few days to let fresh air circulate. Wiping the unpolished interior wood with a lightly damp cloth can lift surface dust. Placing a small bowl of bicarbonate of soda inside the carcase for a week helps absorb lingering smells safely. Don't use harsh modern chemical sprays. They can damage the dry timber and leave an artificial scent that clashes with the furniture.

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Antique Bedside Cabinets from the 19th Century

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Antique bedside cabinets are small enclosed stands or cupboards built to sit next to a bed, designed historically to hold a candle, spectacles, or conceal a chamber pot until morning.