Capsule Decorating: Using Pieces You Already Own for Your Decor

This page contains affiliate links. By clicking a link and purchasing, I may receive a small commission. See my disclosure here.

What is capsule decor?

How many of you have heard of a capsule wardrobe? If you aren’t sure what it is, it’s basically where you take a handful of staple items from your wardrobe, (pieces that will complement each other) and put together a multitude of looks using different combinations. I remember a few years ago, there were several bloggers that I followed that were huge fans of the concept, and shared multiple ways to style a few pieces. It’s definitely a great way to stretch your budget and your style. I think the same thing can apply to your home decor. Why stop at the closet with this concept when most of us have a household full of decorations?

Today I am sharing several ways that I styled my nightstand using thirteen items from my home. I actually started out with much more, but was surprised at the amount of combinations I could create with just thirteen different items. (I count the basket sets as one item, and the candle holders as one item as well.)

Here’s a glance of the items I chose for my capsule styling:

How did I choose pieces for my nightstand capsule decor?

There is no wrong or right way to do this. Use what you already have on hand! But if you are struggling to come up with options, here is a little checklist of things that might help you get started:

These two images are very different from each other, but they check off most of the items in my formula listed above. Of course, you don’t need to only use the pieces listed above. As you can see, I used my checklist as a springboard, and then added in a few extra pieces like books and vases to help fill the extra space. It all depends on how many shelves you are styling.

When getting started on collecting your decor, look for items within the checklist that will work well together. When you find complementary items, you will be able to create countless looks. All of the thirteen items that I chose can easily mix and match with each other. Here are the other ways I created nightstand looks with the items:

I ended up putting together nine different looks from all of this decor, and I’m sure I could have put together even more, had time allowed for it. If you are like me and need to see all of the images together, I created one last collage to give you an overall sense of how many different combinations you can achieve.

Hopefully this post inspired you to take pieces that you already own and play around with them to achieve multiple looks. It’s fun to change up your decor, and the possibilities really are endless.

If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments, and if you aren’t signed up for my weekly newsletter, you can do that here.

You can also follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more home decor inspiration!

Shop the post!

• Table lamp (shop here)
• Picture frame (shop here)
• Similar vintage-inspired candle stick holders (shop here)
• Woven canisters (shop here)
• Medium faux plant (mine is unavailable, but love this, this, and this)
• Terracotta vase unavailable, but love these (shop here, here, and here) *I will be sure to share if mine becomes available again!
• Botanical print (mine is from an antique store, but love this, this, and this)
• Similar woven stacking boxes (shop here)
• Similar wood dough bowl (shop here)