Styling The Dorothy Draper Dresser with Randal Ford

Last Updated on December 4, 2024

While meandering around the flea market a couple of months ago, I visited one of my favorite vendors. Since it was the last outdoor market of the season, this booth was filled with vintage treasures galore…but their Dorothy Draper dresser is what caught my eye. I’d been coveting one for years, but the price tag was always out of reach…that was until today. Let’s style her up with a Randal Ford’s Animal Kingdom print.

My first thought was to hang a vintage gilded mirror above her, but it was glam overload. That is one thing I always need to be careful with when it comes to Hollywood Regency. Go too far and I feel like I’m living on the set of Italian Real Housewives with plastic on the davenport.

The Dorothy Draper dresser is feminine. She’s the Marilyn Monroe of furniture. Curvy, bodacious, and makes a killer statement even without lipstick. My foyer on the other hand is teensy weensy. This was the only piece of furniture and Dorothy needed a masculine balance.

Randal Ford’s Animal Kingdom

I searched high and low from abstract art, vintage portraits, to my own personal photography. Nothing seemed to be THAT piece until I stumbled upon Kingdom by Randal Ford. Yahtzee. It was this perfect quirky sense of balance I needed for the space. At first, I was really drawn to the African Crane. His plume was fluffy, colorful, and he matched the One Room Challenge bathroom that was only steps away. He was perfect. I dropped him into my cart, but of course, kept shopping.

The flamingo was pretty killer too. Hmmmm, not really sure how I’m going to narrow this down to just one print. Better peruse the inspiration gallery. Ok, ya, not helping. It was making me want every single print.

I decided to sleep on it for a few nights before making my final decision. Jacob Sheep No. 2 kept speaking to me, and then I read his photographer’s notes. The sheep had a name! Moses. Ha! He was photographed right before his annual sheering, and since it was hot, he quite enjoyed the air-conditioned shoot and refreshing beverages in the studio. Sold. Moses, come to momma. I’m ordering you up in a thin gold frame.

Styling The Dorothy Draper Dresser

Once he arrived at the house, I got right to work. Pulling out all my lamps, vases, trays, bowls, and boxes.

After picking a lamp, I placed a new-to-me vintage marbled books that I never thought would be kept on the dresser but instead thought it would be heavy enough to keep Moses in place until The Boy could hang him for me. Hmmm. He actually looks pretty good there! I even dig him casually propped up against the wall. Love a happy accident.

After moving around boxes, and trays, and plants and vases until my fingers bled, I was happy with the mix of old and new, modern and glam, feminine and masculine. The Dorothy Draper dresser looked goooooooood and the styling was on point…or at least I thought so.

Shhhhhh, don’t tell anyone, but that is a faux plant. EEEP! There’s not a lot of natural light until late afternoon in the foyer, so something real here is a no-go.

Well, what do you think? Do you like Moses as much as I do? Would you have picked a different animal? Every morning he greets me on the stairs, and I can’t help but smile. Do you have a Dorothy Draper dresser? How is yours styled? I’d love to see it!

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