Much like my love for Fresca, Vietnamese food, marathon-ing tv shows (strangely into The Arrow and The Affair right now) and thrifting, my love for mixing all styles together never wanes. Sure, there are times when one style get more attention, or a new style captures my eye, but ultimately as long as its good, I don’t care what style it is. Of course mixing them together does get tricky at times (which is one of the biggest chapters in my upcoming book), but it can be done.
Welcome to 1 dresser, styled four different ways:
Click through to break down these style and vote for your favorite!
This dresser is simple and beautiful (vintage, from Shopclass). I wanted to buy it, but Ginny, my lead designer, snatched it up before I had a reason. She’s the worst. So before she took it home, we shot it a few different ways, to show the transformative power of styling. Sounds like a new self-help book.
This lady/man is bold, risky, and dares to put this wallpaper in a bedroom. But, wait, maybe they are so rich that they have a ‘dressing room’ which makes way more sense for this paper. Its metallic gold on navy and its wonderfully weird, unless you are an archeologist, in which case its so predictable. We played off the gold with the brass lamp, but then added color, contrast and femininity with the hot pink accents. Note my old trick (which you’ll see in all of these), there something vertical (the lamp) something horizontal that grounds it (the books) and something soft and sculptural to help bridge the two (the flowers).
Wallpaper: Bruce by Abnormals Anonymous
This lady is a more modern, but has a bit of granny inside of her (ring a bell?). The large scale of the flower wallpaper is contrasted by the tiny billy ball flowers and the simplicity of that vintage danish lamp (sorry, its mine). The portrait adds an element of ‘the weird’ because the graphic nature of the wallpaper can go really preppy and ‘decorator-y’ unless you shake up that pattern. And everyone should own that book, ‘Collected’. Its just wonderful.
Wallpaper: Floria by Abnormals Anonymous
Ok, so I suppose by this point you’ve realized that they are not 4 wildly different styles but instead four eclectic versions of me. Yes. This ‘me’ is happy, modern, and granny-glam with that dresser keeping it grounded and more masculine. The oatmeal tone of the lampshade is helping it all feel more pulled back and less ‘totally incredibly crazy lady’. Remember my love of trays and that every room could use a tray or two. In a bedroom it makes more sense to have a tray then a stack of books, certainly, and it kinda does the same thing visually.
Wallpaper: Fabric from The Fabric Store
Hey pretty fancy-faced lady in your bouffant and your fur. The smaller scale wallpaper needed a graphic, larger scale piece (like the portrait) to break it up and tell the eye what to do. Its like ‘hey eye, don’t get dizzy with that pattern, look into my eyes and get dizzy with love and sensual tension’. The simple lamp once again keeps it from going full on crazy (we put a porcelain floral lamp in there at first and we decided that nobody would vote for it). Wallpaper: Diamante Red by Hygge and West
What’s a win for us is if these four vignettes are equally voted for. The last few polls (my living room, the pillows) all had a clear winner, which taught us that my readers are eclectic, irreverent, fun, and don’t really want a particular theme. So while some are more pulled back and refined, none are particularly minimalist or contemporary because, well, I don’t think thats who any of us are.
So to recap: Here are the four different vignettes:
Now, folks the fate of these four looks is up to you. So do yourself a solid and click below (in the poll) to let us know which number you like the best! Once you vote you can see what the tally is (and no signing in or anything, just a click of the mouse). Oh, and in case you have two that you can’t choose between, you can now vote twice. I actually can’t choose between two of them so I figured some of you wouldn’t be able to either.
1. Floria Wallpaper by Abnormals Anonymous | 2. White and Wood Table Lamp | 3. Diamante Red by Hygge and West | 4. Round Mirror | 5. Marble Cleat Box | 6. White Bud Vase | 7. Cream Table Lamp | 8. Bruce by Abnormals Anonymous | 9. Leather Journal | 10. Woman Portrait | 11. Blue Lamp | 12. Ceramic Tray | 13. White Candle | 14. Brass Table Lamp | 15. White Leather Journal | 16. White Table Lamp | 17. Brass Desk Accessory | 18. Blue Candy Dish |
*photos by the lovely Tessa Neustadt
I voted for #2 just because I’m a big fan of navy blue and gold! You can never go wrong with that combo!
I like #2.
I’m waiting for my class to start, and I already got schooled now that I read this. Thanks for teaching us so much!
Who’s the author of the “collected” book please? So many books come up by that tilte…and if you say I need something….I buy it!
I voted for No. 4 because I just love the combination of geometric-looking shapes (and pointing finger) against the wildness of the wallpaper. Can’t believe this one is currently in last place in the running!
I know! I’m suprised, too. I voted for #1 and its losing hard.
#1!! it’s the best!!!
LOVE #2. It is the right balance of masculine and feminine. Just a heads up though…it would be more paleontologist than archaeologist. I only point this out because I am a geologist (and have a pulse on the nerd world) and know know how huffy my kind can get.
HA! I’ll change it. I thought about googling it see if i was right but then I got distracted by the epic Real Housewives episode last night.
yes, I think this one has the most masuline (or balanced) feel and that’s why I picked it. the florals and color of #3 wallpaper all make them feel a little too girly for me.
Navy and gold with a pop off hot pink and a fab brass lamp. And that weird/whimsical wallpaper pattern. Oh yeah, I’m all over that!
This was a really fun post, I’m actually a little scared of using wallpaper so this was a nice way to see some ways it can look awesome. Is there some kind of scale of wall paper to the size/shape/lighting/purpose of the room equation you can recommend?
Good question. I’d say that if you are scared go for a more tonal colorway that looks more like a texture than a big large scale pattern. Like #3, if that were in a gray or gold or light blue colorway then it would be really subtle and read more like a texture rather than a big POW of a pattern. Make sense? That could be a whole post though .. for sure. xx
PLEASE help us virgin wallpaper girls out with a post on what scale is good for tiny spaces like a powder room and big spaces like bedrooms or living rooms. Oh, and should we use temporary wallpaper (for the commitment phobic) or standard wallpaper choices? LOVE all four, but went for #1 due to the great color contrast between the wallpaper, dresser and picture. Yummy!
I completely second the previous poster’s request. I lurve wallpaper in beautifully designed spaces and ogle it regularly alll over the design-blog world but don’t know where to begin when I start thinking about my own living spaces. Help!
So torn between 2 & 3! ( I would have loved a floral lamp with 3, btw…. But I’m wacky like that. 😉 )
I know! it could have looked really good, but i was trying to make them all a modern version of crazy hoping that they would all tie, but once again there is a clear front runner (you have to vote to see which one it is).
I love this post!! Those wallpapers are all stunning and the pink flowers add a beautiful pop of color. I voted #2, although I was totally torn between them all. #2 is what I pictured having in my home, so that’s why I ended up choosing it 🙂
I immediately voted for #2 because navy, pink, and brass and 100% my jam. MEGA HEART EYES.
I’m with you. xx
Love the colors of #2 and the pattern of #3.
P.S. Fish bones would likely be a paleontologist, not archaeologist (archaeologists focus on human remains/artifacts) 😉
HA. Ok, editing now. xx
OMG I am in love with the Bruce whale skeleton wallpaper — and I actually am an archaeologist so I should probably mention that it would be more predictable for a paleontologist. 🙂 Still love it though!
I love the whale skeleton, too, but mostly because it’s beautiful, clever and named BRUCE which basically killed me.
Bruce?!?! Please.
🙂 Yeah, you win. Changing now. For some reason I thought these read more like dinosaur bones, but clearly I see now that they are more fish bones!
My eye was first drawn to #3. The fancy lady in the portrait and that blush wallpaper is seductive in a good way, like Grey Gardens before it aged. Thanks for the post!
Tie between 2 and 3 for me. I still hesitate to use much wallpaper in my own house but love seeing styled vignettes using wallpaper and you use it in some of the best ways I see for contemporary spaces. Also, I love that the “shop these looks” section includes some expanded pieces beyond the photographs that still play well with the elements in the shots.
#3 rocks
Love the fourth style, so pretty!
http://www.mintnotion.com
I voted for 1 and 2, but I also like the Wes Anderson-ish vibe of number 3.
I think this is more a vote on which wallpaper is your favorite than styling. I love them all. I voted the for the bones wallpaper.
Yeah, probably. Now I wish I had done some on plain/painted, but we have so many fun wallpapers at the studio. Plus knowing the audience they would choose a wallpaper so I figured now is the time to just show off all these papers. xx
im so glad you did the wallpapers. I just found my new one in number 3. Seems like every time I love a paper its Hygge and West. They kill it. This is going to look great in my dinning room with my turquoise chairs!!! Now if only I could find that perfect modern table to off set it;)
Gorgeous! Could you please share the author of the book “Collected” that you mentioned? Having trouble finding it. Thanks!
I like the “stuff” the best in the blue lamp setup but I only quasi like the red wallpaper…not really a big fan of any of the others.
can you check the resource link for the lamp #7? it is currently for the target threshold lamp pictured for resource #2 (they go to the same link, but aren’t the same lamp – i don’t think…) thanks!!
I voted for #1, because I liked the styling, but it was my least favorite paper. Put #1 styling against #2 or #3 paper (which I own, so I have a soft spot for) and you have perfection.
The portrait in #3 really speaks to me. Can you provide any info on it?
I’m obsessed with every wallpaper. If my ceilings weren’t a million feet high, I’d be wallpapering everything.
I voted for #4. That print just does something to me.
LOVE them all actually, but two more because there a couple of elements i like less in the others. I love all the art and all the wallpaper.
Just wondering, is it also possible to wallpaper two side-by-side short walls? Like a corner feature/accent wall? I recommended it to a friend and now I’m having doubts about it. Haha! Though I could suggest to wallpaper one more wall (to make it three short walls) and make it look like a big niche? Am I making any sense here? Haha!
I voted for #1 because I like the balance between white and color, but I prefer the shapes of items in the other vignettes.
What an awesomely fun post! Loving every combo you did as we have a MAJOR soft spot for wallpapers. So exciting to see 2 of our papers included and how you made them look just amazing.
Thank you thank you and go Bruce!!
I love all of these.
I wondered if you might do a post or two (or a series?!) on design solutions for everyday life. Like, how to organize/gussy up the place where you keep your keys; what to deal with the tissue boxes in every room (aside from just getting tissue box holders); the contemporary problem of POWER CORDS; various cool things to do with magazines and bills; places to hide kid stuff…
I’d love tips on how to make my home beautiful despite its general problem of being real and full of human stuff.
Thank you!
I second this idea. I would love it!
I third this!
Voted number 4! I think the blue flowers are a lot of fun and make a great statement. 🙂
I voted for #3 but I truly love them all.
Love them all!!! I voted for #1 but I’d happily live with any of them. Awhile back, you did a nightstand styling contest. You should do that for dressers!!! I will style the crap out of my dresser if you do that!!!
Wow I love them ALL!!!! You are amazing. I would never have chosen the wallpaper in #2, but I LOVE the way it is styled. I also love #3 and would be so happy if I owned that portrait, especially with the amazing frame.
I also want to say that this is a GREAT post. All of your posts are awesome, but this style (where you can see something styled multiple ways and VOTE for your favorite) is just really good. You’re my fave!
xx
Hannah
http://www.necessaryluxury.co
I was torn between #1 and #3. Voted for #3 because the bouffant lady spoke to me.
The wallpaper from 3. The lamp from 4. The picture from 1 blown up to be the size of the one from 3. The vase and flowers from 1 also scaled up a bit. The wallpaper from 2 decoupaged onto a tray.with the brass hand from 4 sitting atop it. 😉
I voted for n 2 but they are all fab!! xx
I love all of these! One question about the flowers though…I get why you include them in all of these vignettes, they add so much color and interest to each set-up. But if I’m being realistic I know I can’t keep up with buying fresh flowers (and keeping them alive!) consistently. Any suggestions for a replacement? Would you just use the empty vessel and keep everything the same?
Yes, I agree about the flowers! As much as I love them, it’s not realistic for every day life.
It’s also why I didn’t vote for #2, even though I want that lamp and like the navy/gold combo hardcore. Without the pink flowers to balance it out, the scene would lean more masculine, I think?
Even though I wouldn’t ever use the wallpaper in #1, I voted for it because it was the most balanced without flowers. I remember Emily talking about the balanced masculine/feminine thing on the show and I’ve thought about it ever since. I love the mustache/flower wallpaper combo.
Love no. 2 and no. 3 actually. The first one feels very old fashioned and 80s to me and no. 4 just hurts my eyes…
Love #3. I am looking for that Collected book. Who wrote it? Thanks. As always, love your stuff.
OH, I love what you have done with each of these.. this is one of those dresser I would have just walked past on it’s own, but the styling demands attention and admiration
http://www.tasteneapolitan.com/
I love these styled four ways posts! I feel like it helps me narrow down my style by saying “I really like this” or “I really don’t like that”.
I voted for #1 and #3, but the more I look at them, I am sooo drawn to #1. I’m not sure why. I think if I just saw the paper alone, I would never think twice about it. You just make it look so good. But that’s what you always do. And that lamp… oh that lamp!
I seriously love all these looks!
http://www.lee-lee-land.com
I’m thinking #2. Where is the lamp in #1 from though? I would love that in my living room.
Love them all! would love to see one styled with a big mirror because so many of us have mirrors over our dressers. I’ve been struggling with styling ours so that they are pretty but also practical.
It makes me super happy that you’re watching Arrow. I discovered it in September and haven’t looked back — I’ve seen seasons 1 and 2 twice and I’m gobbling up season 3 as it’s being aired. The current story arc is KILLING ME. I can’t wait for tonight to see the new episode!
Oh, and I loved the #2 option. By far my favorite — but then, I’m not really a florally-minded woman. I love the gold and navy together in the wallpaper (such a gorgeous blue!), and I love how quirky the pattern is. I would probably never put it in my own home, but I love seeing it here.
I’m interested in the book also. The closest thing I could find online was: Jay Jeffers: Collected Cool: The Art of Bold, Stylish Interiors. Is that it, Emily? The description sounded like it could be it.
Loved #2 – the boldness of the wallpaper really brought out the beautiful dresser. It just seemed perfectly balanced and would totally draw you in!
I really like the vintage dresser. I voted for #4…it’s kinda like a still life from my favorite artist, Matisse, he was all about the wallpapers & fabrics…and, I’m into ‘granny chic style’.
That fossil wallpaper is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. One of my majors in college was anthropology so I’m a total nerd for that kind of thing! Plus it’s navy and gold so hello? Major winner
Love the colors, shapes and themes going on with these! What a fun idea! #2 was my pick, but they’re all great!
xo
Christa
http://www.gardeniasandmint.com
the pattern of 3 looks like vaginas to me, haha!