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How to Style a Long, Low Dresser

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

October 23, 2013 By Jackie

This dresser is my favorite styling project yet!  I just can’t get over how much I love it!  Removing the matching mirror from the dresser gave me a clean slate to work with.  Unlike my other styling experiments, where I tried multiple variations, for this one I knew exactly what I wanted.  I was eyeing decor all around my house for months that I longed to move to our bedroom and this was my chance.

How To Style a Dresser

Our dresser makeover is the start of a complete color makeover for the bedroom.  So, please ignore the black, white, and purple images you have of our bedroom past.  We are going for a fresh start with a charcoal, mint, teal, and turquoise palette.

My DIY West Elm-Inspired Herringbone Mirror (inspired by this mirror) was the start for the dresser overhaul.  It adds a graphic pattern to the wall and the off center placement allowed me to experiment with an asymmetrical arrangement.

How To Style a Dresser

To balance the mirror, I hung 5 more frames above the other side of the dresser.  More info coming on this DIY artwork project soon, but what you need to know for now is I framed foreign currency.  It is a cool eclectic look.  It was a free project (the currency was a sunk cost from past travels).  And, it was a simple way to fill out the wall space.

How To Style a Dresser

I am deliriously excited to have some of my favorite teal and turquoise and accessories all displayed in one place.  I shopped my house to find pieces to use, and bought a few new things.

How to Style a Dresser

To style the dresser, I broke it up into three zones, left, middle, and right.

On the left side, by the herringbone mirror, I wanted a table fan.  I love this retro-style fan (similar to this one) we picked up a few years ago.  Instead of just plopping it on the dresser top, I perched it on top of two decorative book boxes (the ones I found here).

how-to-style-a-dresser-with-a-tabletop-fan

I stood the third and smallest book box to the right of the stack.  To finish out this side of the dresser, I added a trio of mercury glass votive holders.  I know how to make DIY mercury glass, but when I spotted these for less than $5 each at HomeGoods, I couldn’t resist.

How To Style a Dresser

In the middle of the dresser, I kept it simple.  I centered a trio of turquoise bud vases.  I love them.  They were a cheap Target clearance find years ago.

west-elm-inspired-herringbone-mirror-3

On the right side, I started with a lantern on the back corner of the dresser.  I love the shiny silver domed top of the lantern, which I found at HomeGoods.  It was originally a dark wood, but I painted the outside teal and filled it with battery-operated candles.

How to Style a Dresser

How To Style a Dresser

Next to the lantern, I added my newest turquoise love…a tiered tray I picked up at the Prime and Polish charity event.  It is a dreamy spot to stash all my jewelry.   My favorite is the earrings dangling from the top tier.  A secondhand silver glass bowl tucked under the edge of the tiered tray to hold hair binders and bobby pins finishes this side of the dresser.

Tiered Jewelry Tray

I am in LOVE with this fresh style for our bedroom.  It feels so much lighter and more sparkly.  I can’t wait to share the rest of the room with you!  Did you spy our new bedside lamps in the mirror reflection?

How to Style a Dresser

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.  I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.

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Comments

  1. Jenna says

    October 23, 2013 at 8:46 am

    Love the styling! Great job!

  2. Lisa says

    October 23, 2013 at 9:51 am

    Wow! You are getting so skilled at styling. It looks beautiful. It’ll be fun to see the change in your bedroom.

  3. Diana says

    October 23, 2013 at 11:40 am

    I really like the simplicity of the 3 vases in the middle. It all looks great!

  4. Gwen says

    October 23, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    Oh isn’t it most fun to restyle your own space? Your furniture is gorgeous and changing accessories changes your look!! Love your jewelry display which I think ties in your homes color scheme too!!! And this all started with an invitation for a challenge!! Love it all!

    • Jackie says

      October 24, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      Thanks Gwen. What can I say I love everything in shades of blue and green!

  5. Sarah @ An Inviting Home says

    October 23, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    I totally love it!

    ~Sarah

    • Jackie says

      October 24, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      Thanks, Sarah!

  6. Michele Adams says

    October 24, 2013 at 6:58 am

    How or where did you frame the money?

    • Jackie says

      October 24, 2013 at 5:39 pm

      Michele, I will be sharing all the details soon, but I used floating frames.

  7. Emily @ Two Purple Couches says

    October 24, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    I love the tip to break the dresser into zones… I would have thought about it all at once, and it probably would’ve looked bare. There are so many unique and interesting elements; I love how you brought them all together!
    My biggest dresser challenge is how to keep it clean! Mine inevitably gets cluttered with mail, receipts, etc.

    • Jackie says

      October 24, 2013 at 5:37 pm

      Emily, that is why I love those book boxes there. Hidden storage :) It looks so nice clean, hopefully we will be motivated to keep it that way.

  8. Ann says

    October 25, 2013 at 1:45 pm

    So neat and pretty. Love the muted tones you’ve used, even though I am a vivid color gal myself. Perhaps I can move more toward the middle?

  9. Kim says

    October 27, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    Hello, I love the styling of the dresser . I wish I was a great decorator! Beautiful!

    Kim
    http://www.thisolemom.com

  10. Ginny Quilling says

    January 7, 2016 at 8:13 pm

    Too bad my favorites are the turquoise bud vases, since you said you purchased them years ago! The mercury glass votives are so great too. I will look for something similar. You have beautiful things and a great talent too. Thanks for all you do to help us.

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I believe you are the best person to decorate your home. You just need a dash of courage and a dose of decorating know-how. That's why I created School of Decorating.

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