The thing about home decor, at least for us and it seems like everyone else who is on a budget, is that it helps to take things slow. When you take one step at a time, you are able to spread purchases out and take your time organizing, reorganizing items until it gives you the look and feel you’re going for.

Decorating our dresser has been something we have put off until now. We bought our mid-century modern dresser from Wayfair months ago, but waited until we could give it the time, attention and budget it needed to make it pop. And we’re glad we did.

It seemed fitting now that we are in a new apartment, in a new city, to finally do something with it. The first thing we did was create a vision for what we wanted: functional and a source of expression for us. And so, we went with a bright, minimalist vibe for our dresser decor.

Our bedroom is not that big #apartmentproblems so we really wanted to maximize the space that we do have. We wanted to keep things light and elicit calm yet lively vibes (hence the plants and bright, earthy colors). The bedroom is where we rest and that’s why we wanted it to be our calm, peaceful haven.

Here are some items we used to decorate our dresser:

Framed artwork

Because we wanted to add a personal touch to our dresser since it is afterall in our bedroom, we decided to frame a piece of art our cousin/bff got us as a housewarming gift. It has our names written in Arabic calligraphy inside of a heart and in Chinese on the sides.

The other print we have laying on the dresser is from a local boutique here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, called Ursa. They sell things from furniture, home decor, clothing — all with an earthy, vintage vibe. We gravitated toward artist Elana Gabrielle’s print called “A Walk in the Valley.” Her art is a beautiful ode to nature and the wild, and we just love it. Both picture frames are from Target. 

Candle sticks + holders

We bought a couple of candle stick holders and candles from Ursa as well. They add a vintage touch to our dresser. Instead of getting the same size, we got one that was a little higher and one that was shorter.

Plants + plant accessories

Adding a plant to your dresser will immediately liven up the space. Live plants might be difficult to maintain but air plants and succulents are hard to kill and therefore, make good dresser plants. You could also use a faux plant. It gives you the “live” look minus all the work. We got our faux plant from Joanna Gaines’ Hearth and Hand collection at Target. There are also a bunch of plant accessories you can add to your dresser as well like spray bottles, mini tools like shovels to pair with a terrarium. 

Trinket basket

Who else loves to buy souvenirs when they travel? We do!! Other than our magnet travel collection we have going on, we love to cop cute and unique handmade pieces when we travel. It serves as a souvenir and it makes for effortless home decor. We bought this trinket basket on our dresser in Jamaica. We went to a small local market in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and met a female shop owner who made the baskets herself. It’s perfect for holding small, everyday things we use like jewelry and keys.

Empty vases/pottery

We’ve been really attracted to the minimalist look lately and with that, less is more. Sure you can have vases filled with plants, but why not leave it empty and let the pottery speak for itself? We found this beautiful vase at Ursa and couldn’t help but bring it home with us. It was made by Clay Coyote Pottery in Hutchinson, Minnesota, and adds the perfect amount of yellow to our dresser.

So those are all the items we used to spice up our dresser. Here are some other items  you can use for a clean look: coffee table books (see this post for our list of favorite coffee table books), normal candles, framed family photos, trinket dishes, lamps, vintage pieces, alarm clocks, perfume/sprays, trays.

We hope we were able to inspire you to go out and decorate your bedroom dresser in a way that is unique to you and your personal style(s). And if you do decorate your dresser, comment back with some pics of your own. We’d love to see them!

P.S. You may feel like decorating a dresser is a waste of time, but speaking from experience, if you leave it be, it’ll end up being a thing that you throw your random stuff on. Let us tell you, it can get messy real quick. That’s why it helps to set an intention and use the piece of furniture for more than it is — use it as something that livens up your space and sparks joy for you. (Yes, that is a Marie Kondo reference) 🙃