Styling a Dresser

Hello!! I’m sharing some more details from the girls’ room and today we are talking about styling a dresser. This one can be tricky for a lot of people because it is a longer surface area to tackle. It’s also an area that tends to be a catch-all, especially in a kids room so I’ve got some tips for that as well!!

The dresser in Emily and Elizabeth’s room is one that I purchased before I started the process of redoing their room. Once I knew they would be sharing a room, I needed something bigger than what I had in there before. I’m a big fan of getting vintage dressers because they are typically made very well and are very solid and good quality for a less expensive price than you would pay for that type of quality in something new. I hadn’t chosen a color scheme or anything else yet so I was open to color and style. One day when I was browsing at my favorite antique market I found this one and instantly fell in love with the style and lovely blue color, so I bought it and figured that I would choose the rest of the pieces to go with this. It’s a big statement to choose a large piece that has a strong or bold color to it, but it can also be a good jumping off point for the rest of the room. I’m also a fan of not having everything too matchy-matchy so I’m ok if this is the only thing in the room that is this exact color of blue. In fact, I actually quite love to have something in a room that seems a little quirky or different like this blue dresser.

When it comes to styling the top surface of a dresser I do like to have things on there. Some like to keep it very clean with no decorations but my style is more layered and eclectic so I love to have some kind of vignette on there. I also find that an empty dresser top invites itself to become a catch-all, especially with kids so the decorations seem to help them realize that it’s for decorations and not a place for piling all of their “stuff.”

Two other tips I have for helping children to keep their surfaces uncluttered is 1 > designate one of the top drawers of the dresser as a place for their “treasures.” This gives them somewhere to keep and store the things they like to collect, but it also keeps it tucked away and out of sight. 2 > Place a tray on top of the dresser so that again they have a designated spot to put certain things instead of having it all scattered around. My girls use the mirrored tray on their dresser for their jewelry and lipgloss. Once it starts to get a little messy or out of hand, we can go through it to declutter and reorganize.

Two of my favorite items for a dresser are a lamp and a tray. Lamps are a must for adding personality and light and trays are fabulous for the reasons I mentioned above. Then I like to layer some additional things so that there is dimension, color and texture. I typically start by hanging the largest thing on the wall, like I did here with the mirror and then I will often add a couple of other framed pieces that I lean instead of hanging. This adds the layered look that I love so much and it also allows me to change and move those around as often as I like. Fresh flowers are definitely the ideal but since I can’t get them year round I am not opposed to using fake. Next to the flowers I added the gold sculptural piece and a jar of vintage dominos for a pop of black and contrast. It’s also always a good idea to use different levels so that everything isn’t the same height. Cake plates are great for adding extra height where you need it!

Next to the dresser is this extra large basket from Baby Swag Co that the girls use to put their pillows in at night. I love that it gives them a spot to put the pillows so that they aren’t just tossing them around the room. Again, I think that any time you can designate specific spaces for certain things in a kids room, you will have better success at them keeping things tidy and organized! (Rug and Nightstand from Land of Nod)

My biggest tip is to not be afraid to decorate a kids room just as you would any other room in your home. People are often surprised that I spend so much time and effort in decorating my kids’ rooms but I enjoy making their rooms beautiful just as much as I do the other main areas of our house. And just because they are kids doesn’t mean they can’t have nice things and keep their rooms nice as well. I think it really comes down to what they learn to grow up with. Also like I mentioned above when you designate certain areas for decorations and other areas for keeping and storing their things, they learn to keep things more tidy and neat.

Let me know if you have any questions about styling a dresser or specific items I’ve used in the girls’ room! I’ve got one final recap to share, with a few more photos and details so I’ll be back with that later! P.S. You can use these tips for styling a dresser in any room of your home. I use the same basic design principles in all of our rooms with dressers!

Happy Wednesday!

xoxoxoxo