Dresser Top Organization
My dresser top is finally complete (still working on tweaking the organization inside of it but will be bringing that too in another post!) so I’m excited to show you how simple it can be to organize your accessories.
I’m all about function as much (honestly, probably a little more) aesthetic so I knew I wanted the surface of it to serve as storage, not just decor. Being that I’m not a fan of visual clutter, I made some conscious choices with the storage pieces.
Before getting to that, there a few things I want to break down in this that can help you if your dresser is constantly cluttered and feels like a dumping ground for crap that either
A has a home elsewhere and you just haven’t put it back or
B doesn’t have a home anywhere so it lands on the dresser (or nightstand or console in the living room, any surface basically)
The first thing is to figure out what your priorities are. Do you want the clear dresser top or do you want the convenience of throwing something somewhere when you’re in a rush? You can walk past it or try to find something on it and roll your eyes but if it doesn’t bother you that much that it affects your life, then you’re not really going to do anything about it. Let’s be real, right?
For myself, there is real motivation behind keeping everything as clutter free as possible in my home. I suffer from anxiety and also some physical health problems including rare brain and spinal cord disorders. My symptoms flare up significantly when I’m stressed and clutter causes me a lot of stress. It could be the way I’m wired or due to my upbringing in a cluttered household (or both!).
So my quality of life is significantly better when my home is organized. Tbh I think everyone’s would be but just like any major lifestyle habit, the person has to want the lifestyle and feel motivated to keep it up.
Whew, I know I’m getting a little deeper than a dresser top here LOL but I really think this is important for you to think about! And it obviously goes for every space/area of your home/life.
So if you’re like me and being organized is extremely important to you, then you’ll do whatever it takes to keep things neat. And here’s the best part: since I’ve been doing this for a long time for both myself and my Sort and Sweet clients, I’ve figured out ways to make keeping things neat as easy as possible. AND the more into the habit you are, the easier it just becomes in general! Putting things away is like second nature to me at this point. My brain doesn’t even really need to think about it. And that’s because of the systems I put into place.
Which brings me to my next point about things having homes. Many times when I’m in my client’s bedroom, there is shit alllll over their dresser. And, like I mentioned earlier, it’s usually either because it has a home somewhere (that, HINT, is not easy to access) or they never assigned it a home in the first place. So, there it is, just hanging out along with all the other homeless or displaced stuff.
In my opinion, your dresser should serve as an easy access point for things you reach for regularly. Whether it’s accessories or perfume like I have chosen it to be for or skincare, makeup and deodorant, you should choose what the purpose of the dresser top will be and organize accordingly.
And then not allow anything that doesn’t belong on it to hang out there. I mean, they can stop by as a guest but then they gotta leave and go back to their own home at some point!
Since I get asked, my dresser is from Home Depot and I simply swapped out the hardware with knobs I found at Home Goods. There are some similar rattan ones you can find at sites like Etsy or Anthropologie!
So first, decide how big of a priority having a clear dresser top is for you (if it’s not a big one, you’ve probably stopped reading at this point anyway) and second, decide the purpose of your dresser top. You might want it to strictly be for decor and, if that’s the case, the rest of this post might not really interest you. But you can change your mind/lifestyle over time and need it to be storage so in that case, I hope this gives you ideas!
As I mentioned, I decided the purpose of my dresser was to be storage for my everyday perfumes and accessories, specifically my jewelry, headbands, scrunchies (cannot believe we’re back to them but hey, they’re comfy) and hats.
I also mentioned earlier that I don’t like visual clutter so I went back and forth on how I was going to store these things while keeping visual clutter at a minimum.
To clarify exactly what visual clutter is - it’s basically having a variety of things in plain sight. The things can even be organized but if there are a lot of them especially in different shapes/sizes/colors, it creates visual clutter. This is why I’m usually not a fan of acrylic organizers because even if everything is organized and labeled and all nice, I can still see everything. Some people are OK with that, it’s all about your preference and threshold of tolerance for visual clutter.
This tray was an Amazon find (just like quite a few other things you see!)
A perfect example of hiding visual clutter would be what I did with my perfumes. I’m really simple when it comes to smells so I just use two and wanted to corral them on this tray. I could have very easily plopped them on the tray and called it a day and it would have been fine. But I found these glass and bamboo top spray bottles on Etsy and thought, hey this will look more streamlined!
I chose the white Stackers Classic boxes and added and acrylic top!
Was it necessary? Not really. Does it cost a little extra to do this? Yup. But I did it anyway because it’s worth it for me. It makes me happy and since I’m pretty minimalistic in life, I have the extra money to spend on something like this. It’s also a one time cost versus something else “unnecessary” like getting your lashes done which you know people do, like, all the time (month after month, time after time).
The next thing I decided to store on my dresser was my jewelry.
This isn’t all of it but it’s most of it. I went through a HUGE decluttering sesh with my jewelry when I moved and got rid of anything that wasn’t in great condition or I never saw myself wearing aka it didn’t spark joy. There are a few pieces that are sentimental that I don’t wear regularly (or ever) that I store safely elsewhere. These are my everyday or on the weekend fun pieces and I picked them out before buying these Stackers boxes.
I love these because they come in so many colors and styles and are completely customizable. If I acquire more jewelry down the line, I can add another box to stack (hence the name).
I opted to go with an acrylic top even though it can technically be seen as visual clutter. Honestly, you really can’t see it unless you’re on top of it so it doesn’t bother me. The white Stacker box with a hinged lid has a silver clasp which wouldn’t have fit in with my gold motif and the only other color Stackers that have a gold clasp are in taupe and black which are super cute but wouldn’t match.
I even tried the taupe first and hated it on the dresser, it just clashed!
So the acrylic top is sold separately and you can also purchase tops in natural wood or walnut. They also come in either the classic size (like mine) or supersize.
I chose only two boxes to hold all of my jewelry:
One 25 section sorter for earrings, delicate hair clips, an anklet and my one - yes one - necklace
(I told you I pared down a lot!)
The other is a three section sorter for two statement necklaces, two larger pairs of earrings and a few bracelets
Again, if I acquire more jewelry - whether I buy it or it’s a gift - I can either add on another box or I can let go of something. It’s that simple ;)
Moving onto the thing that took me for surprise - being that I talk so much about hating visual clutter - is this headband and scrunchie linen holder. I was looking for a way to conceal my hair accessories and instead, here they are, on display.
It’s these silly lil mind games I play with myself that keep me from having too much clutter. Crazy maybe but it works!
I just saw the holder and had a good feeling about it (btw, it’s available with just the headband section!) and I decided to make a deal with myself. I coincidentally have 6 knotted headbands and 6 sherpa scrunchies in more or less a color scheme. So I figured I can display them but ONLY them. I’m not allowed to buy any more or else - unlike the jewelry option of adding a Stacker box - I have to get rid of one.
Lastly is my hat wall! I was recently quoted in an Elite Daily article regarding Gen Z decor trends (I felt so young when the writer asked me for ideas haha!). Of course I had to put an organizational spin on it and one of the things I detailed were hat walls. It’s not only a piece of art to display your style but also functional storage. BOOM! Two for one!
I found these walnut and gold hooks from Amazon and added my three little hats. I actually have 3 Panama has for the summer so will be swapping them out this weekend (another trick I played on myself - limit myself to 3 winter and 3 summer hats so I can easily swap them out!).
By the way, I just have to rave about this wire sign I ordered from an Etsy shop! It came out SO cute and it was custom (I get this song stuck in my head way too frequently so had to make it my morning motto!). If you’re interested in a custom wire sign for yourself, check out Le Rustic Chic!
And that’s it! Hats, headbands, scrunchies, jewelry and perfume are the only things allowed to hang out on my dresser top. Anything else that lands on it is just a temporary guest and has to go home at the end of day.
By giving my dresser top a purpose, I know when something random lands on it and that it doesn’t belong. And I always know where I need to find any of the items listed above. Saves me SO much time in the long run!
I hope you have an amazing MDW and I’ll catch you soon!!
PS if we’re not friends on IG yet, come hang out!
PPS I have an Etsy shop now if you’re looking for gifts for that organized person in your life!
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.