# Styling a Tallboy: The Best Items to Display, Store and Pair

- URL: https://www.luxoliving.com.au/blogs/inspiration/what-items-are-best-for-a-tallboy
- Blog: Inspiration (https://www.luxoliving.com.au/blogs/inspiration)
- Author: Luxo Living
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Tags: bedroom

A tallboy works best when the items on and around it are chosen with both function and proportion in mind. The most effective pieces include a statement mirror, a table lamp, a decorative tray, small plants, and a few curated objects that reflect your personal style.

## Key Takeaways
- A tallboy's vertical height makes it ideal for pairing with a mirror, which adds visual balance and amplifies light in the room.
- Grouping items in odd numbers (three or five) creates a more natural, visually pleasing arrangement on top of your tallboy.
- Functional pieces like trays, small baskets, and organisers help keep the surface from becoming cluttered while still looking intentional.
- Proportion matters: avoid items that are too large or too small for the surface area, and vary height across objects.
- What you place beside your tallboy (a chair, a lamp, a rug) matters just as much as what sits on top of it.
- Styling a tallboy is an opportunity to bring together the broader design theme of your bedroom in one focused display.

## Why a Tallboy Deserves More Styling Attention Than Most Bedroom Furniture

The tallboy is often underestimated. Most people buy one for storage, fill the drawers, and leave the top surface as an afterthought. That's a missed opportunity. The top of a tallboy sits at eye level or just above it, meaning it's one of the first things you see when you walk into a bedroom. Done well, it can anchor the room's entire aesthetic.

Unlike lower furniture such as bedside tables, a tallboy has vertical presence. Its height draws the eye upward, which can make ceilings feel higher and rooms feel more spacious. This makes the styling choices particularly important because the scale of objects, the layering of heights, and the negative space you leave all contribute to whether the piece looks intentional or just busy.

When you invest in quality bedroom furniture, the styling should match the investment. A well-chosen arrangement on and around a tallboy transforms it from a storage unit into a design feature.

## The Best Items to Place on Top of a Tallboy

This is where most people focus first, and rightfully so. The surface of a tallboy is your primary styling canvas. Here's what works best and why.

### A Statement Lamp

A table lamp is arguably the single most functional and aesthetic item you can place on a tallboy. It adds warm, layered lighting to a bedroom that might otherwise rely entirely on overhead fixtures. Choose a lamp with a base that sits roughly 40 to 50 centimetres tall so it clears the visual line of the tallboy without overwhelming it. Linen shades in natural tones work well in Scandi, Japandi, or coastal styles, while ceramic bases suit more earthy, organic rooms.

### A Decorative Tray

A tray corrals smaller objects and prevents the surface from looking scattered. Marble, timber, or lacquered trays all work depending on your style. Inside the tray, you might keep a small candle, a perfume bottle, or a pressed flower arrangement. The tray itself does the visual work of containing everything, making even a collection of practical items look curated.

### Greenery and Plants

A small plant adds life and texture. For a tallboy, trailing plants like pothos or string of pearls work particularly well because the vines spill gently downward, softening the furniture's hard edges. If you prefer an upright form, a small fiddle leaf, a succulent cluster, or a single stem in a bud vase all add height variation. Just ensure the pot proportions suit the surface area: a 10 to 15 centimetre pot is typically ideal.

### Books and Decorative Objects

A small stack of two or three hardcover books adds colour and personality. Lay them flat and use the top book as a plinth for a small sculpture, a candle, or a stone object. Decorative objects work best when they feel personal: a piece of handmade ceramics, a travel souvenir, or a small artwork. Aim for an odd number of objects, as groupings of three or five are naturally more visually engaging than pairs.

### Candles

A soy candle in a quality vessel adds warmth and scent to your space. Taller pillar candles or sleek cylindrical holders add height variation, while small votive candles grouped together create a softer, more intimate look. In Australia, brands like Ecoya or Glasshouse Fragrances produce candles whose vessels are attractive enough to display even when unlit.

## The Items to Place Beside or Near Your Tallboy

What sits adjacent to your tallboy shapes how it reads in the room as much as what's on the surface.

### A Mirror

This is the most impactful item you can pair with a tallboy. A mirror above a tallboy reflects light, creates depth, and balances the piece's vertical height. You have two main options: wall-mounted directly above the tallboy, or a leaner mirror positioned beside it. If you want detailed guidance, the article on how to decorate a tallboy with mirror covers this thoroughly, including sizing, frame styles, and placement tips. As a general rule, the mirror should be no wider than the tallboy itself to maintain proportion.

Browsing a range of mirrors is a good starting point if you're trying to find one that suits your bedroom's existing palette and material story. Timber frames complement natural or Scandi-style tallboys, while brushed brass or matte black frames suit more contemporary interiors.

### A Bedroom Chair

A chair placed beside a tallboy softens the vertical rigidity of the piece and creates a functional corner in the bedroom. An accent chair with a cushion adds colour and texture without competing with the tallboy itself. Bedroom chairs work well positioned at a slight angle so they feel welcoming rather than formal. This combination also creates a visual vignette that makes the whole corner feel considered.

### A Small Rug

If your tallboy sits on timber or tile flooring, a small rug underneath or in front of it grounds the piece and adds warmth. A 60 x 90 centimetre rug is usually sufficient. Wool, jute, or cotton rugs in natural tones complement most bedroom styles without competing with the furniture.

## Items That Should Not Go on a Tallboy

Understanding what not to place on a tallboy is just as useful as knowing what works.

Item
Why It Doesn't Work

Large photo frames
Too heavy visually, competes with the furniture's height

Multiple small trinkets
Creates visual clutter, hard to clean around

Electronics and cables
Disrupt the aesthetic, attract dust

Oversized vases (above 40cm)
Overwhelms the surface, looks unstable

Laundry or folded clothes
Defeats the styling purpose entirely

Too many books (more than 4-5)
Looks like a bookshelf, not a display

The general principle is: if it doesn't contribute to either the function or the visual story of the space, it probably belongs in a drawer or somewhere else entirely.

## Styling by Bedroom Aesthetic

The items you choose should reflect your room's broader design direction. Here's how styling choices shift across different popular Australian bedroom styles.

### Coastal / Hamptons

Opt for white or natural linen lamp shades, sea glass or shell objects, white-washed timber trays, and trailing greenery. A rattan or light timber-framed mirror suits this look well.

### Scandi / Japandi

Keep surfaces minimal. One lamp, one plant, one tray. Use materials like unglazed ceramics, raw timber, and linen. Avoid bright colours or patterned objects. Negative space is part of the design.

### Contemporary / Luxe

Brushed brass accents, marble trays, sculptural candle holders, and high-gloss ceramics all work here. A tall, thin bud vase in black or gold adds sophistication. Keep the colour palette tight: two or three tones maximum.

### Bohemian / Eclectic

This style allows for more: layered textiles draped over the corner of the tallboy, stacked books, collected objects from travel, dried pampas grass in a woven vase. The key is controlled chaos: deliberate choices that look unstudied.

## Things to Know
- Tallboys typically have a surface depth of around 40 to 50 centimetres, so items wider than 30 centimetres can feel oversized. Always measure before purchasing display pieces.
- If your tallboy is near a window, consider how direct sunlight will affect the items on it: some candles, plants, and artwork can fade or warp over time.
- Changing your tallboy's styling seasonally (swapping dried flowers for fresh greenery, or a summer candle scent for a winter one) keeps the space feeling fresh without buying new furniture.
- The drawer handles on your tallboy are part of the aesthetic. If you've upgraded your furniture but kept builder-grade hardware, swapping to brass or matte black pulls is a low-cost way to elevate the whole piece.
- Fragile or valuable objects should be positioned away from the tallboy's edges, especially in households with children or pets.
- When browsing tallboys online, check the surface dimensions in the product specifications before selecting display items, as sizing varies significantly between styles.

## Ready to Transform Your Bedroom Corner?

Pick one section of your tallboy styling to address this week, rather than trying to overhaul everything at once. Start with the surface: find a tray you love, place your lamp, and add a single plant. Once the top is sorted, look at what's beside it. A mirror and a chair are the two additions that will make the biggest impact on the overall feel of the corner. If you need inspiration, browsing a curated collection of bedroom pieces is the fastest way to see what works together before committing.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How many items should I put on top of a tallboy?

Three to five items is generally the right range for a balanced tallboy surface. Any fewer and the top can look bare; any more and it starts to look cluttered. Group items at varying heights and use a tray to contain the smaller pieces, which visually reduces the number of individual elements the eye has to process.

### Should a mirror be the same width as the tallboy?

The mirror should ideally be the same width as the tallboy or slightly narrower, not wider. A mirror that extends beyond the sides of the tallboy draws the eye outward and breaks the visual frame of the piece. If you're using a leaner mirror, it can be taller than the tallboy itself, which actually adds height to the room in a flattering way.

### Can I put a TV on top of a tallboy?

It's not recommended for most tallboys, as the height is typically uncomfortable for viewing from a bed. Most tallboys position their top surface at around 130 to 150 centimetres from the floor, which is too high for relaxed TV viewing. A low media unit or a wall-mounted screen at mattress-to-eye level will serve you much better ergonomically.

### What size lamp works best on a tallboy?

A lamp with a total height (base plus shade) of around 50 to 65 centimetres suits most tallboys without overpowering the surface. The base should feel substantial enough to balance the visual weight of the furniture but not so tall that it competes with a mirror above. Test the proportions by placing the lamp and standing back at the doorway, not by eye level at the tallboy itself.

### What's the best way to style a tallboy in a small bedroom?

In a small bedroom, keep the tallboy surface minimal and choose a mirror to amplify light and space. Limit items to a lamp, one plant, and a tray with one or two small objects. Avoid tall or wide items that visually block the flow of the room. A light-coloured tallboy in a pale timber or white finish will recede into the background and feel less imposing than a dark wood option in a tight space.

## The Bottom Line on What Items Are Best for a Tallboy

Knowing what items are best for a tallboy comes down to proportion, purpose, and personal style. The top surface works best with a lamp, a tray, a plant, and a couple of curated objects. Beside it, a mirror and a chair turn a simple storage piece into a proper design moment. Avoid overcrowding, choose items that suit your bedroom's overall aesthetic, and remember that negative space is part of the arrangement.

Start with what you already own and see what genuinely suits the surface. Then, if something is missing, add it intentionally rather than filling space for the sake of it. A tallboy styled with care is one of the most satisfying small transformations you can make in a bedroom.

## Related links

- [Inspiration](https://www.luxoliving.com.au/blogs/inspiration)
- [Store overview for agents](https://www.luxoliving.com.au/llms.txt)

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