Decorating With a 1930s Mirrored Dressing Table

Though the Great Depression was ravaging the country in the 1930s, it was also a glamorous, dramatic time. Few pieces of furniture reflect the style of that era as well as a mirrored dressing table. Like starlets of the past, you can sit before it and apply thick kohl liner or style your luxurious tresses, or simply use the table as a decorative piece. Dressing tables from 1930s are constructed of luxurious wood such as maple or oak. Additional decorative touches will make the dressing table blend seamlessly into your room, making it a functional, fun place to dress and prepare for your day. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Hang two black-and-white art deco prints on either side of the main mirror, above the wing mirrors. Dressing tables from the 1930s usually have rounded mirrors.

2

Hang small metallic wall pieces in a design on one side of the main mirror. If the dressing table is asymmetrical, focus on the side with less mirror. It will balance the area. Look for brushed golds, silvers or bronzes. If you can match the wall hangings to the drawer pulls on the dressing table, even better.

3

Stencil five music lines on the wall halfway between the highest point of the mirrored dressing table and the ceiling. Stencil notes for "The Star Spangled Banner" or a popular 1930s tune on it. You may also be able to find wall decals if you don't want to stencil.

4

Hang art-deco-inspired wall lamps in sea foam, light pink, white or yellow. Choose lights with bendable arms so you can direct the illumination to your face.

5

Hang two sheer, frilly curtains on either side of the dressing table. Positioning it between two windows is best because it will provide natural light to help you get ready -- but hanging a curtain rod on a blank wall also provides the right look. Choose floor length curtains in a shade that matches your lamps.

6

Find a polka-dotted cushion for your vanity seat and match it to the carpet under your chair. Don't stick with black and white -- go with the color in your room. Natural tones look great with the wood of a 1930s mirrored dressing table.

7

Add pieces of furniture made of the same wood as the dressing table. This will pull together the look of the room.