Written by the Timbur workshop team, Lanseria. Updated 3 November 2026.
A floating dressing table is a dressing table that mounts to the wall instead of standing on legs. Choose it by the wall you have (800 mm for a narrow wall, 1,000 to 1,200 mm for a main bedroom), mount it so the top sits at desk height, pair it with a stool whose seat is about 300 mm below the top, put the light in front of your face rather than above the mirror, and make sure the drawers are ported so the dryer cable disappears behind the unit. This guide works through each of those decisions with real sizes, using the units we build in our Lanseria workshop as examples.
What size floating dressing table do you need?
Start from the wall, not the catalogue. Measure the clear width between the two things that bound the space (a wardrobe, a window reveal, the corner) and subtract about 100 mm each side so the unit does not look wedged in. Then choose by what you will keep on it:
| Clear wall width | Unit width to choose | What fits on it | Timbur example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 700 mm | 500 mm | One drawer, a mirror and a tray of daily items | ONE Mini Dresser (500 x 420 mm), Strand Compact (540 x 430 mm) |
| 900 mm to 1,000 mm | 800 mm | Two drawers, mirror, room for a lamp | ONE Midi (800 x 480 mm) |
| 1,200 mm to 1,300 mm | 1,000 to 1,050 mm | Three drawers, mirror, lamp and a jewellery box | Strand Floating Dresser (1,040 x 450 mm) |
| 1,400 mm and up | 1,200 mm | Three wide drawers and a full-width top | ONE Wall Hung Dressing Table and Drakensberg Floating Dressing Table (both 1,200 x 480 mm) |
Depth matters as much as width. At 420 to 480 mm deep, a unit holds a mirror, a lamp and the things you use every morning without pushing you away from the mirror; much deeper than that and you lean to see yourself. Because every unit is made to order, we can usually adjust the width to an awkward wall; ask before you order.
How high should a floating dressing table be mounted?
Mount it so the top surface sits at desk height, about 730 to 760 mm off the floor. That is the height your forearms rest at naturally when you sit, and it leaves room for a stool underneath. Check two clearances before the brackets go in: the lowest drawer front needs at least 600 mm of clear floor beneath it for your knees, and the mirror centre should sit roughly at seated eye level, which for most people is 1,100 to 1,200 mm from the floor. On the units with a built-in mirror panel (the ONE, ONE Midi, ONE Mini, Drakensberg and Strand Compact) the mirror height follows automatically once the top is at desk height. In Gauteng our installation team sets the height on the day, with you sitting on your stool.
Mirror and stool pairing
Most of our floating dressing tables include the mirror, so the proportions are already worked out: the ONE, ONE Midi and Drakensberg are 1,200 mm high overall with the mirror, the ONE Mini is 1,150 mm and the Strand Compact 1,020 mm. If you add your own mirror, keep it narrower than the unit and hang it so the bottom edge sits 150 to 200 mm above the top, which leaves room for bottles and a lamp without the mirror reflecting the clutter.
For the stool, take the mounted height of the top and subtract about 300 mm: a top at 750 mm wants a seat at 430 to 480 mm. A backless stool or a small pouffe tucks fully under a wall-hung unit, which is the reason to go floating in the first place; a chair with arms will not. Leave about 600 mm of floor in front of the unit for the stool to pull out.
Lighting a dressing table
Light that comes from above the mirror throws shadows under the eyes and chin, which is the opposite of what you want for make-up. Put the light in front of your face instead: two wall lights either side of the mirror at about eye height, or a mirror with a lit frame. Warm white (2,700 to 3,000 K) flatters skin; daylight bulbs (4,000 K and up) are more accurate for colour matching. If you only have a ceiling light, a small lamp on the top at the side of the mirror does more for your face than the ceiling fitting ever will.
Plan the power point before the unit goes up. A double plug on the wall directly behind the unit, about 300 mm below the top, is invisible once the unit is mounted and powers the lamp and whatever is plugged into the drawer.
Where do the hair dryer and straightener cables go?
Every drawer box on our floating dressing tables is ported at the rear, so a dryer or straightener lives in the drawer with its cable running out the back to the plug behind the unit. You open the drawer, use the dryer, put it back, and nothing crosses the top. It is the single feature customers mention most after a few weeks, and it is the thing to check on any dressing table you are comparing.
What walls can a floating dressing table be mounted on?
Drywall, brick and concrete all work, provided the fixings suit the wall and the wall is sound. Every unit ships with brackets and fixings. On drywall, the brackets have to find the studs or use proper hollow-wall anchors rated for the load, which is why we ask what your wall is made of before you order. In Gauteng, installation is included when you choose delivery at checkout. Elsewhere in South Africa the unit arrives with step-by-step instructions, and any handyman can fit it.
Floating or freestanding?
A wall-hung dressing table clears the floor, which makes a small bedroom read larger, lets the stool tuck fully underneath and makes cleaning under it a ten-second job. A freestanding dresser needs no drilling, moves with you, and gives more drawer volume. We make both: the Easy Dresser (1,200 x 450 x 780 mm) and Easy Solid Dresser stand on the floor at the same height a floating unit is usually mounted, and the Haenertsburg Console at 1,500 mm wide works as a dresser in a large bedroom or a console in a hallway.
Timber, finish and lead time
Drawer fronts and tops are solid French Oak or Kiaat, sealed rather than painted so the grain stays visible and marks can be sanded back. The cabinet is sprayed in Satin White, Satin Light Grey, Satin Dark Grey or Flat Black, and pieces ordered together are sprayed together so the colour matches your pedestals or headboard. Handles are push-to-open, concealed undercut, matte black or brass depending on the range. As of November 2026 the floating units run from R3,995 for the ONE Mini Dresser to R8,495 for the Drakensberg Floating Dressing Table; the current price is on each product page. Each one is made after you order, in our Lanseria workshop; the current lead time is on the lead times page and on every product page.
See all dressing tables, with a size table and current prices.
Floating dressing table questions, answered
What is a floating dressing table?
A dressing table fixed to the wall with brackets rather than standing on legs. The floor underneath stays clear, a stool tucks fully under it, and the mounting height is set to suit you rather than fixed by the legs.
How high should a dressing table be?
The top should sit at desk height, 730 to 760 mm off the floor, with at least 600 mm of clear space under the lowest drawer for your knees. A floating unit is mounted at exactly that height; a freestanding dresser is built to it.
What is the standard size of a dressing table?
Most bedroom dressing tables are 800 to 1,200 mm wide and 420 to 480 mm deep. Timbur's floating units are 500, 540, 800, 1,040 and 1,200 mm wide, so there is a size for a narrow wall and one for a main bedroom.
Does a floating dressing table come with a mirror?
At Timbur, yes on most models: the ONE, ONE Midi, ONE Mini, Drakensberg and Strand Compact include the mirror. Check the product page for the Strand Floating Dresser.
Can a floating dressing table be mounted on drywall?
Yes, provided the brackets are fixed into the studs or with hollow-wall anchors rated for the load, and the wall is sound. Brackets and fixings are included; tell us what your wall is made of before ordering so the right fixings are supplied.
How much does a floating dressing table cost in South Africa?
As of November 2026, Timbur's floating dressing tables cost from R3,995 for the ONE Mini Dresser to R8,495 for the Drakensberg Floating Dressing Table, with the full-size ONE at R7,495. The current price is on each product page.
Where does the hair dryer cable go?
Through a port at the back of the drawer box to a plug on the wall behind the unit. The dryer or straightener stays in the drawer with its cable attached, and nothing runs across the top.
