Help me style this dresser (with photo)

[pinkhampoppy]

I just can't get it to look right. All suggestions welcome. Nothing is particularly sentimental and can go elsewhere in the house. I'd like to keep the books on it though.

I feel that because the top set of books is quite dense it's slightly overbearing. The bottom half is good. I'm only addressing the top hatch. I would take the upper books and split in two anchoring the bottom shelf at either side. Take the tall multi photo frame and have it on the left and the larger bowl on the right. Work your way up the shelves putting items in groups. When you group items try for odd numbers (3s or 5s) but visually similar eg photos together, China objét together, similar colours together, take you eye on a zig zag journey up from bottom left to top right. Have your favourite/best in the middle at eye level. Have a strong anchor piece at the top right that will prevent the viewer's eye from "flying off". This is just classical composition principles that most people "get" and feel comfortable with from looking at narrative art in mostly European history.

I wonder if it’s because it seems to be on its own on that wall - there’s nothing flowing from the dresser to anything else. Do you have an alcove it could go in or is that the only space you have?

If it needs to stay there, look on Pinterest for how to style a dresser. I never thought I would do it myself but it was invaluable when I sold my house earlier this year.

I can't see a problem! Looks good to me!

I would maybe have a hanging plant on the top shelf

maybe have some of the books lying flat on one of the shelves with a picture frame on top of it.

If you look on pintrest, they have some great ideas on how to style dressers

I'd have all the books lower down and the ornaments higher up. Have you got any pretty plates? They always look nice on a dresser if it has the little lip on the shelf which holds them in safely.

@MenaiMna thank you, this is brilliant!

Thank you to other posters, off to join Pinterest!

I think the current problem is that it looks styled with some nice things, but the things you are styling with aren’t particularly interesting because of the way you have them, they look plonked. Clear the two top shelves and start to collect something, blue and white China, pigs, glass,pincushions, Staffordshire greyhounds, anything that has a connection. I would use the next shelf for photos but not in straight row, arrange them in layers a bit higgledy piggledy. That would leave the wide shelf for pots or vases of posies or plants, that lovely blue bowl and your other displayed items but not all together, in rotation, a few stacked books. Leaving the bottom two shelves for the books, which will also make it more stable weight wise.

@viques thank you. I'm going to spend ten minutes faffing with it now.