Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale

Last summer, we gave our primary bedroom a little refresh… I replaced the bedding, added demilune bedside tables, then installed plug-in wall sconces. Replacing our upstairs carpet and window treatments have also contributed to increasing the visual appeal in this room, while making it more functional. Though we have made improvements, we’ve yet to fully renovate this space. In fact, you’ll still find the same paint color on the walls as when we moved in. We’re saving for a big primary suite renovation in the future, but in the meantime- I’m all about making small improvements that will be beneficial for the long haul. One of those much needed updates was sourcing a proper dresser for adequate bedroom storage and balance. Click through to see our newly styled dresser, my top furniture picks from Kathy Kuo, all of which includes beautiful bedroom storage with heirloom quality and vintage appeal. I’m also sharing an interior design lesson in scale…

Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale - roomfortuesday.com

*This post is sponsored by Kathy Kuo. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to create unique content while featuring products I actually use & enjoy!

A Lesson in Scale (Our Bedroom Vignette)

Five years ago, I scooped up a sweet little vintage desk for $20 and decided to tackle a white enamel desk makeover. I still love the way that desk looks and functions, but our primary bedroom is just not the ideal place for it- in terms of floor planning. I moved it to a guest room, where it fits much better. The only space for it in our primary bedroom was beneath the TV, and it was simply not wide enough to provide adequate balance for the heavy television…

Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale - roomfortuesday.com

To remedy this out-of-proportion visual, we needed something larger… something with more visual weight. Given, I claimed the entire primary closet, Emmett has been asking for functional storage space in our bedroom for some of his clothing- a reasonable request. See how the previous pairing felt super top heavy, thanks to the TV? That’s not the ideal balance for an interior vignette. The proportion had always felt off. I used what I had on hand at the time, but it has always bothered me. I saved multiple dressers from Kathy Kuo over the years, but more pressing projects demanded my attention (and budget). When they approached me to style & photograph bedroom storage, I jumped at the opportunity!

Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale - roomfortuesday.com

Doesn’t it look much better? The proportion of the TV finally makes sense and feels better weighted by the dresser beneath it. I also took this as an opportunity to finally hide our Frame TV wire. A general rule in design… top heavy items on the wall (televisions, art, mirrors, etc) need something with substantial visual weight to provide balance (a large piece of furniture, a fireplace or architectural feature, etc).

Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale - roomfortuesday.com

Dressers

Click directly on each dresser below to be redirected.

I almost went with the white dresser in the center of the collage, but ultimately landed on the Mason Modern Classic Grey Wood 9 Drawer Dresser because the size was perfect. It’s heavy and very well made… with solid wood construction, a jewelry tray, and soft close drawers. Which dresser is your favorite?

Nightstands

Click directly on each nightstand below to be redirected.

If you’re on the hunt for nightstands or bedside tables, I took time to roundup my favorites above! All of these have closed storage and would be ideal for maximizing storage space in the bedroom.

Additional Bedroom Storage

Click directly on each chest below to be redirected.

Lastly, I wanted to share some of those in-between storage chests… these could either work as bedside tables or as dressers that stand alone, depending on the size of your bedroom and the scale of your existing furniture.

Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale - roomfortuesday.com

FAQ

Where is the table lamp from?

It’s the Bronte Table Lamp from my shop!

Can you explain your styling process?

Given this is our main bedroom, I really styled with functionality in mind. While it would have been beautiful (my preferred vignette) to arrange oversized branches that broke the grid of the TV, creating an organic textural layer… branches or florals would have obstructed that view of the TV (Emmett watches television before bed while I read). That wouldn’t have been functional for us. Instead, I kept the styling low for that intention: stacked books, a table lamp that doesn’t get in the way of our view, and a tray that holds a favorite candle… which will most likely become a catchall for jewelry or emptying pockets.

Were you concerned about the dents in your wool carpet after moving the desk (in the before / after image)?

Not at all! Check out this easy post on how to remove furniture indentations from carpet. The first time it happened post carpet installation, I did have a moment of panic, but now that I know how to effectively remove carpet indentations… it’s a non issue. You can’t even tell where the desk sat at this point- they’re totally gone!

Can you link your drawer organizers?

Of course! You can find them on my Amazon Home Organization board.

Bedroom Storage from Kathy Kuo Home & An Interior Design Lesson in Scale - roomfortuesday.com

I hope you enjoyed this post! Sometimes it only takes moving or swapping a single piece of furniture to make a big difference in the overall feel of a room. This one has been a long time coming. I’m not going to lie though… I smashed the dresser into my freshly painted entryway stripes carrying it up the stairs with Emmett. The dresser looks totally fine, but there is a pretty big scuff in the entry wall I need to repair and touch up paint in the week ahead. I think it was worth it though. Let me know if there are any bedroom design or storage dilemmas I can help you with!

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4 Comments

  1. Good morning Sarah; I’m glad you’re back; I’ve missed you! This new vignette feels properly balanced. I love the dimension the new dresser brings to the space. This is a new to me brand- but how incredible are these?! My favorite is the bottom right- what a stunner! I’d probably pair it with the third 3-drawer chest on the right. Stunning! I have a dilemma in Aaron’s room, but it’s too large a dilemma to hash out here. Let’s just say, while Brookes room is huge, Aaron’s is more like a cupboard. I’ve spent more time than I care to admit, brainstorming layout options. I just need the budget to massively overhaul it, I think. Ha!! Anyway, love the lesson in scale- and perhaps I need to apply that to Aaron’s room. I hope you have a wonderful day- your bedroom addition looks fantastic, and I bet Emmett is happy to have more storage!

    1. Sarah Gibson says:

      Good morning, Lauren! Happy Friday! It’s definitely feeling more balanced, and I’m happy the cute little desk perfectly fit in the guest room. It was a win/win! Kathy Kuo definitely has so many gorgeous, high end, designer options when it comes to furniture & decor. Happy to introduce you to a new inspiring brand :) If you need layout ideas, you know who to call. Saving up is definitely half the battle (at least in our case). Emmett is happy to have a space for his things, and I’m happy it looks much better. Hope you guys have an amazing weekend ahead! xo

  2. Hey, hey! Good morning! The change in scale is like a breath of fresh air. Gorgeous dresser too! What I especially love is that, although not perfect, you have thoughtfully decorated your room with functional, attractive, budget finds while you slowly swap in quality pieces and plan for a full renovation. This feels so relatable…and smart tbh. I personally need contemplation time in order to make my best decisions. As for the furniture you’ve featured, I’d have a tough time choosing! I’m definitely drawn to the wavy, serpentine shapes and reeded textures. The burl is an obvious “yes”, but I’m also attracted to the lighter, slightly rustic pine and oak pieces. See. This is why I take forever to make purchases; too many beautiful, unique options. Ha. You’re making so much progress on so many spaces all at once! Exciting (and busy!) times at Casa Gibson. Scuffs to your lovely new stripes notwithstanding.😭 We’re off to the hotsprings on this gloomy, drizzly morning. Cheers to a pleasant and productive almost-Friday, Sarah!😉💜

    1. Sarah Gibson says:

      Hey, hey! Good morning to you! The vintage enamel desk is looking super cute in the guest room and the dresser is a much better fit in our bedroom. Whew! I feel like things suddenly feel orderly. That is really the best compliment- thank you! I’m glad that concept has shown, because that’s what slow renovating or decorating is all about. Collecting things over time that will work for years to come. I LOVED the wavy dresser, but the lead-time didn’t work with the timeline this time around… same for a few of the traditional wood ones. I spent way too many hours narrowing it down. I’m so happy with the one we landed on though! It definitely feels exciting and busy over here lately. We’re headed to Kentucky next week to see the fam, and then our family from Nashville arrives, so of course I’ve set some deadlines to wrap things up. Hope you’re having a good week!