How To Style a Bedroom Dresser

My husband and I tried living without a dresser for a few months after we sold our previous one before moving. Once our closet was overflowing and impossible to organize, we knew it was time to purchase a new one. Although I was excited to have the functionality of a large dresser again, I was even more excited to have an additional space to decorate in our two-bedroom apartment. The top of a dresser, especially a horizontal one, creates such a great base for functional and aesthetic home decor.

I decorated this dresser top for the holiday season when we first got it but recently gave it a refresh with some of my favorite neutral home decor items. I absolutely love how elevated this white Ikea bedroom dresser looks now that I incorporated some cohesive dresser top decor pieces from a large mirror to a small house plant. In this post, I share the six steps I used to style a low bedroom dresser.

5 Steps To Style a Dresser Top

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1. Start With a Clean Slate

The first step to styling a dresser top is picking out a beautiful dresser. Whether you are using a dresser you already own or purchasing a new one, it is important to clear it off, place it in its desired location, and wipe it down so you can start with a fresh, clean surface.

For our master bedroom, I knew I wanted to have a low, white, modern dresser with six large drawers for clothing storage. Although I would have loved to purchase the gorgeous white Quinn Lacquer 6-Drawer Dresser with Antique Brass accents below from West Elm, I knew it wasn’t in our budget. After doing some research and making a trip to the store, I decided to purchase the white Koppang dresser with black knobs from Ikea for only $129.

My brief review of the Koppang dresser is that it took three people, a power drill, and two hours to install but looks awesome in our small apartment bedroom. The quality is obviously not top notch but it serves its purpose and looks great for how affordable it was. Below are a handful of white dressers that have plenty of drawers, all varying in price.

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2. Establish a Color Scheme and Style

Although there are no rules for interior design, it is helpful to have an idea of what your preferred home decor style is. Do you love minimal, modern design with clean lines, a colorful boho room with lots of patterns, or one of the various other design styles? I am personally drawn to neutral, Scandinavian-inspired interiors but enjoy adding some bohemian pieces such as the dried palm leaves and some modern elements such as the brass jewelry box.

Another good thing to consider is if your style is more minimalist or maximalist. This will help determine how many pieces to style to achieve the desired look.

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3. Place an Anchor Piece

Depending on how you plan to use your dresser, you may already have an anchor piece in mind. Anchor pieces are typically the largest piece of decor used in one specific area, such as the top of a dresser. For example, you may have a lamp you plan on placing on top of your dresser to add ambient light to your space.

I decided to use a large wall mirror as the anchor for the dresser top which I use while getting ready and to reflect natural light in the space. You can shop some of my favorite wall mirrors below by clicking on the image. Once you have your anchor placed, it will be much easier to style the remaining space around it.

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4. Add Height and Key Pieces

Since anchor pieces are typically large, it’s likely that the low dresser top already has some height to it. If you have a large, tall lamp for example on one corner of the dresser top, it will be important to find a way to balance out that height on the opposite side with a tall vase.

Styling objects at various heights is also a great way to create more visual interest. My favorite way to do this is to style a beautiful vase with a real or faux plant, such as the dried palm leaves pictured below. I also added a large photo frame to balance out the height on the opposite side. Another great way to add height is by stacking large coffee table books and placing a smaller object on top.

Implementing various heights will help the eye move around the dresser top space and avoid having the area look flat. This will also help the overall space look more balanced and complete.

 

shop coffee table books

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5. Add Finishing Touches

In my opinion, picking out fun decor pieces is the best part of this process. This is where you can really show your personal style and incorporate smaller objects and unique finds. Although adding decor items is the last step to styling the top of a bedroom dresser, it is often the most important step to pulling everything together to create a cohesive design. Shop some of my favorite home decor items below.

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Styling a bedroom dresser is something you can switch up as often or as infrequently as you’d like to. As much as I’m loving this current dresser top design, I’m already looking forward to switching it up again later this year when I have some new home decor pieces I want to display. I hope you found this post helpful and feel inspired to re-decorate a low or tall dresser in your home.

 

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My name is Olivia, but I also go by Liv. I’m a Michigan based wife, dog mom, and creative that is passionate about positivity, simplicity, and living an intentional life. My goal is to inspire women to live a full life while also sharing practical tips to elevate their home, wardrobe, and daily routine.