7 ideas to style your dresser

Supported by April & Oak

Dressers are becoming the latest furniture must-have. As well as offering additional storage space, we love that they provide a surface area for styling, and can be a decorative piece in their own right!

Here are some of our favourite ideas to style your dresser.

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1. Light source

You know how we always go on about the importance of ambient lighting and a dresser provides the perfect opportunity to rest a table lamp or candles.

For a formal look, place a table lamp on both ends of the dresser, or for something more relaxed and contemporary, place a table lamp to one end and balance the look with a styled arrangement on the other side.

2. Foliage or greenery

We incorporate a pop of life into every space we style and a vase with greenery, such as these eucalyptus branches, looks fabulous and dry beautifully, giving you months of longevity.

If branches aren’t your thing, an indoor plant is another fab idea. Devil’s ivy is one of our favourites for the bedroom as they can handle less light, and you can find our tips for growing and propagating devil’s ivy here.

3. Ceramic objects

You can’t go wrong with one or more ceramic objects on your sideboard. Look for pieces that pick up on the colour palette or theme of your room, just as DIY Shelley did in her bedroom.

4. Stack of books

If you ask us, a stack of books is always a good idea! Books are a great way to display your personal interests, and make a space more YOU. There’s also something so homely about the tactility of paper. 

You could create a larger stack of 4 or more books, or simply use 1 or 2 as a base and place a styled arrangement on top.

5. Photo frames

Displaying photos of family and friends is another fab way to personalise your home. We suggest using no more than 3 frames otherwise the top of your dresser can become cluttered and gather dust. Check out these tips on displaying family photos around your home.

House of Paige has used just about every tip in this list to style the top of her dresser to perfection!

6. Collection of something

A stylist trick is repetition. As soon as you combine two or more of the same, you create instant luxury. So, whether it’s a collection of objects from your travels, something you enjoy collecting or another group of similar items (such as perfumes), create a cluster of them and stand back to see how good it looks!

7. Above your dresser

Let’s not neglect the space above your dresser. Hanging a mirror, piece of art or even floating shelves is a great way to anchor the dresser and add interest to your walls.

We love how Amy from Homey Oh My used a large round mirror with black frame — it’s a focal point of the room. If you’re renting and cannot damage walls, leaning artwork against the wall can look equally as good.

Have these ideas to style your dresser inspired you to refresh your bedroom? If you’ve got more tips to add, share them in the comments below!

More styling tips

This article was first published in December 2020 and continues to be updated with latest styling tips and images.