Dressing The Dresser | How To Decorate A Kitchen Dresser

A well-put-together dresser is a delight to behold. It’s the perfect combination of function and display, a marriage of utility and beauty. But how do you balance the two to create a harmonious feeling? We’ve put together five ideas to give you a helping hand.

Oh, and before we begin – if your dresser happens to find itself in the living room, dining room, or any other room for that matter, don’t fret! These tips will work wherever your dresser can be found. They’ll even look great on cabinets or shelves.

Back Wallpaper

This is probably the single most powerful thing you can do to totally transform how your dresser looks. If your dresser has shelves and cabinet doors, wallpapering the back really does add an unmistakable feeling of uniqueness.

@rebeccaandgenevieve understand this better than basically anyone. Papering the reverse of this cabinet with our Strawberry Thief pattern adds a deliciously dark, mysterious atmosphere. It also helps the other ornaments, namely bowls and crockery, really stand out.

Equally, using Emery's Willow as a backing for these shelves helps to carry the green mid-tone, helpfully lending coherence to this delightful kitchen corner.

Before choosing the paper, consider the room your dresser will be in, and the sort of impact you want to make.

A cabinet of happy crockery

Next up, it’s time to fill those shelves! Beautiful crockery is a popular choice for dresser shelves. Not only can you find a practical place to store essentials, but crockery can also sing colour and pattern into the room.

From plates to cutlery, we’ve teamed up with Spode, the company established in 1770 by potter Josiah Spode, to bring you your favourite Morris & Co. designs on fine crockery. You’ll find everything from pastry forks and cake holders to cups and saucers.

Show off those books

Need we say more? A classic tome or handsomely bound series would look delightful gracing these shelves. Here’s a top tip: the spine isn’t always the most attractive part of the book, so turn those pages onto its back and let the glorious cover art take centre stage.

Or maybe this is an excuse to get yourself some new books… we’d always recommend supporting your local independent bookshop, but if you can’t, shop at bookshop.org, where you’ll be supporting independent bookshops throughout the UK.

Lighting the way

A well-positioned light source can gently highlight the treasures kept in your dresser, causing shadows to dance over the various objects and colours to proudly step forward. It’s also a beautifully soft way of lighting the rest of the room.

For coloured hues and illuminating patterns, make our friends over at Pooky the first stop on your dressing dresser journey. With a range of sizes and shade shapes, choose from a large selection of iconic William Morris designs.