Styling and decorating a chest, dresser, console or side table is often a key component to making a room feel lived in and welcoming. Leaving surfaces empty is a missed opportunity to create wonderful narratives for your home. We have put together our top tips on how to dress furniture that sits on the side.

PAINT IT

Here at our Design Studio we are often repurposing pieces of furniture with a lick of paint to keep them fun and exciting. Whether you’re adding a vivid colour to a neglected cupboard or changing the entire style of a chest of drawers, paint has the power to transform!

We recently collaborated with our friend and artist Tess Newall who has painted the antique cabinet in our Library at The Soho hotel. This freshly painted design has given the cabinet a new lease of life and completely transforms the room. Just take a look at this before and after…

StudioSosenka have recently caught our eye with their furniture pieces. They are painted in vibrant folk art styles and inspired by Eastern Europe. We love them!

Or you could get creative and transform furniture with some Annie Sloan stencils.

CURATE A COLLECTION

Collections of quirky objects such as antique plates, unusual figurines or colourful ceramic pots, grouped together and cleverly framed can suddenly take on a whole new meaning and become an interesting artwork in their own right. Using a chest or console as a space to display a group of similar vases, or a set of candle sticks is a brilliant way to create interest and achieve a level of design-led styling. Often a single object on its own will not make an impact, but when displayed as part of a collection, it will be transformed into the most interesting feature in a room. We encourage you to be bold, think outside of the box and enjoy the process of making art installations with your own collections.

ADD GREENERY

Flowers and greenery always have the power to make a room feel full of life. It could be freshly-cut flowers or potted plants. We love bringing these green little touches to our interiors. They are so beautiful and fresh. Abundant in their shape, scale and form, flowers and plants are one of our greatest joys. Use a variety of antique pots if you wish to create height and character to your dresser or side tables. For more ideas visit: Flowers: Our Styling Handbook.

We hope we’ve inspired you to embrace crafts and give your dresser tables and side consoles some well deserved attention. Explore more ideas with our blog post: Unexpected Table Lamps.