How about taking the other drawers on that side out too and instead adding some shelves?
PS: I wish I had found a dresser like that!

I would suggest either a woven wicker basket or perhaps leather in a complimentary honey color to replace the missing drawer.

Pull the entire section of drawers out and convert it to a cabinet with a door. Have your craftsman make a simple door for you....it could even be just a single piece of wood. The hardest part would be matching the patina of the rest of your dresser.

I would add a matching wood panel to create an open shelf over the existing drawers. You could place a nice stack of books or a smaller basket, pottery, etc. for the cheap.

that is indeed a gorgeous piece. what a great find!

If it were me and making a drawer professional is cost-prohibited I would do a few things.

1. trade one of the bottom drawers to the missing one and exchange the white box to something more size-fitting and darker in color as not to catch the eye.

2. Pull out all the top drawers and fit the inside with a stained piece of plywood or something to make a shelf that goes across the entire top part of the credenza. Fill that space with similar baskets or boxes.

3. lastly- attempt to make a drawer front myself but exchange it with one of them on the bottom lol.

Three ideas:
1: It would be less expensive (although possibly still too expensive) to have someone make you a false drawer front that matches the others.

2: Take out the top drawer on the other side, and finish the spaces left by the now-balanced missing drawers as shelves.

3: Replace the missing drawer and the other top side drawer with drawers that match each other but not the originals, maybe in off white or black? You could make it yourself, or have someone make it for less than a matched replacement drawer.

I'd spend the money to get a replacement drawer made - Cconsider it the price of a nice vintage dresser in good condition since you got this for nothing.

That's a beautiful console! You could cut a piece of wood to fit in the bottom of the empty area, making it into a shelf-like space, for papers, envelopes, small books. You cold slip in vertical wood dividers too, like on desks or secretaries. Would look nice done on both sides to keep the symmetricality

Conversely, you could take out only the top drawer on the other side and make (or have made) a pair of matching, small cabinet doors. A lot of pieces from this period have cubbies with cabinet doors on them. then leave the remaining drawers under each cubby.

Seems your main problem is probably going to be the hardware. If it were a piece that the hardware wasnt so designed in and specific you could just make a new drawer and put new hardware on the whole thing, unfortunately its not. What I would do: move one of the drawers to the top, and make the bottom 2 spaces into one large drawer or cabinet so you can utilize the the remaining one drawer pull. If you can do it, I'd bite the bullet and pay someone too- its a nice piece.

I'm with fulinlin and Kensington...take the top drawer out on the other side to make it look intentional, then insert baskets!

Great find. I'm envious.

I think if you would do like pyrexmaniac says, it would be great. You don't need to match the patina of the wood if you go with a painted finish, like black or orange or blue or whatever accent you'd like for the room it is in.

I'd say opt for a do it yourself project. It would be tricky to match the finish and mill work to the original but here's another suggestion. If you Google "drawer box manufacturer" you'll find all sorts of companies who make drawers for the kitchen cabinet industry but also sell to the public. Find and order one that's the right size for the cabinet along with some glide hardware. Then purchase a small piece of black or brown bonded leather to wrap around small piece of plywood for the drawer front. Screw the front to the box and insert into the case.

Cut a panel that'll fit in the back, paint it to match the wall, and put something decorative in there.

What about an insert in a totally different material? A board covered in grasscloth or a frame with a wicker insert could match really nicely and look intentional.

Damn, I wish I had found that on the side of the road.

Try removing the other top drawer. Maybe symmetry could help?

I'm with funlinlin and Kensington and citygirlsf. Take out the top drawer on the other side and put in baskets. I think the baskets should be made of nice leather in a color as similar as possible to the finish on the wood.

As an alternative, you might look for a pair of nice trays to fit in the two top drawers.

i would maybe put a glass door in. and then maybe some old books in?

I also like the idea of taking out the drawer at the other side. and maybe put matching boxes in.

Beautiful piece, I would save up and have the drawer made to match. Very worth it! Or if you can find a drawer the right size you could just replace the front of the drawer with a made to match front and save money.

I would take out the corresponding drawer on the other side (the upper right drawer). I'm a Libra and like balance!
Then I'd stack (on their sides) various "coffee table / art" type books, or something else that fits that space that I'd like displayed.

I have a very similar credenza, and it is Bassett. The center drawers are the same, but the sides are cabinets.

I would also save up to have a drawer made to match.

i would have the centre drawers gone and the top and bottom remain and retro-fit black glass or a fun colour acrylic.

Perfect place for a nice stack of books. I like the asymmetry of it too. I know I always have a handful of art books that don't fit on the regular shelves anyway. Solve two problems at once! Also, I wish I found stuff like this on the side of the road!

I'd go back to where I found it and knock on doors and/or leave a note and ask about it's whereabouts -- explaining that I had rescued the piece from the curb. I would ask about the drawer. Perhaps they still have it with some 'junk' inside and would be willing to part with it.

i was going to suggest buying a piece of wood and having it cut to fit the front. then paint it a bright color like this: http://gallery.apartmenttherapy.com/photo/080409sashahousetour/item/57585

But the symmetry and hardware on your remaining drawers makes it seem less than lovely.

I'd suggest paying to have a drawer made. If your first quote was too pricey, shop around. Lots of people love perserving vintage finds and would be happy to make you a drawer for a fair price.

How much could it be? $200? $250?

You won't regret preserving this piece and having a drawer made. It'll make you treasure it even more!

I think it's worth saving up some money to see if you can get something made custom to match, but only if it's going to be spot-on. Otherwise I think dl99 has a good idea; go with something like a frosted glass front, perhaps with an etching that is period appropriate. Removing the drawer on the other side and doing something symmetrical would definitely help it look like something intentional, and I'd consider moving the modified drawers to the bottom rather than the top.

Another idea would be to make

I would saw off each of the narrow drawer sides, move the legs to be under the just the wide drawer side, buy 8 replacement legs at Ikea and cut down the top of the side with the missing drawer and reattach. Then you would have 1 dresser, and two night-tables of different heights.

Geez...for me there is not other solution than to have a drawer custom made for this cabinet. Anything else would not look right to me.

I would pull out the two remaining drawers and convert the whole side to open shelving.

You could make a drawer (or have one made). If you don't want to spend on a carpenter to make a matching drawer front, make one from something beautiful and unique - milk glass, leather-covered, painted lacquered turquoise... there are endless possibilities.

Then you could pull out the corresponding drawer on the right, and replace its front so it matches the one you made.

I'd keep the front piece for later, in case you change your mind and want to have a matching one made after all.

Before you rule out getting a drawer made, check out Western Dovetail - they make drawers, and nothing but drawers:

http://www.drawer.com/

Take out the top drawer on the other side, put a shelf in on both sides.

Or, as one person suggested remove all the drawers and add shelves & a door instead. But I wouldn't worry about matching the patina, put a white door in. AT's had many posts with this style of dresser and it looks great with the wood/white mixed together. If you google midcentury credenza white & wood, click on images, you can see examples.

Could you get a craftsman to make just a little door that matches the drawer fronts and hinge it to the space? That would be cheaper than having a drawer built? Have you had more than one estimate? Because with stuff like this you usually find big variations in cost between different craftsmen.

Think of it this way, it was free, so even if you spend quite a lot on one drawer, the net cost is still relatively little for a lovely and useful piece of furniture.

But, if that just isn't possible now, at least replace the the white box with something closer in color to the wood.

I would check pricing for another drawer. The other thing would be to maybe hang tight and see if another drawer pops up somewhere. I've had various pieces of furniture come together through a little patience, keeping an eye peeled on the curb on trash nights, and scouring thrift stores and flea markets.

it's a really lovely piece and I would recommend checking around if you can get the missing drawer made for less. Since the piece cost you nothing, it is worth the splurge even it if will be a bit expensive.
Great find, BTW.

You could remove the other drawers on that side and have made/make a glass door for that side instead. Perhaps this glass door would have three wooden pieces on the front of it to match the three drawer pulls on the other side.

I have no idea if this would work but I would look for a place that could print a copy of a drawer front onto, minimally, canvas or some other strong fabric - you know the companies that print photos on tee shirts and even handbag fronts. I would then glue it to, ideally, a box or door, find something to coat it with so it looks solid and doesn't wear off - maybe varnish? -and put a barely visible knob so you can open it. Then you'll have a tromp l'oiel drawer, complete woth matching handler. I have no idea if this would actually work, and finding a shop that can print full size, taking a really food, dead on photo, etc. will take work but... http://www.ehow.com/how_5063284_make-photo-handbag.html for general info, and http://www.snaptotes.com/?gclid=CJifx8CA2qkCFSI55Qod-TZYaA. Good luck!

Make that handle...good... Typing on a iPad is challenging, especially in a text box.

playing of taureg's idea, what about taking the design of the handle, and sandblasting the negative of that pattern onto glass? Pop the glass in and hold it in place with quarter round or something similar. It would make the missing drawer spot decorative instead of functional, but it would look awesome...

Talk to some other carpenters, furniture restoration specialist, artist who work in wood, custom finishers. You will find the right person at the right price. This piece deserves it.

Maybe think of something "techy." Maybe you could put a speaker in the hole so you are able to have a functional and pretty way to play your ipod.

how about a cute little curtain? maybe take the top one on the other side out as well and have matching mini curtains

How about removing the other drawers and replacing them with a small curtain? It's inexpensive and you can easily make multiples out of different fabrics to suit your mood.

There's a lot of suggestions here but I think the two best solutions are taking out to top right hand drawer and putting in a simple shelf on each side as a temporary measure. In the long run you should save up and have a custom drawer made to fit. It is a lovely dresser and since you got it for free paying for a drawer would be worth it.

I see alot of suggestions for changing the one side to a door.. how bout making it a lil modern with a glass door on one side

Great find!

I don't know where you plan to put it, but what about taking out another drawer or two on the same side as the missing one and turn that space into a wine rack? You could just make a "hive" structure out of light weight wood. It would look similar to this piece I saw at World Market, but way more original. http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4246519

Here's a really crazy idea...(just for the fun of giving you a different idea than already posted)...

Take ALL the side drawers out. From both sides. Then re purpose all that space as a bookshelf full of books and decorative pieces.

THEN, take those remaining 5 drawers that you took out and re purpose those into another pieces of furniture completely. Perhaps a tower where you stack the drawers, or line them up side by side and create an under the bed type storage.

I wasn't really sold by the idea until I started typing this up, now I'm totally in favor for it... :)

did anyone say "go ask the people in the home you found it?"

maybe they have it still in the garage or something. A lot of people dont realize anyone would want their trash so they dont put it out with that in mind. probably not reasonable if its been more than a week though.

Make a new drawer yourself without trying to match veneer or materials, mimicking only the proportions of existing drawers. Paint it a colour that pops, perhaps a glossy blue/turquoise as a wink to the vase you already have on top of the dresser. A sort of deconstruct-found-furniture statement.

I'm with everyone who said "pull out the drawer on the other side and turn those holes into shelves." It'll still involve a little elbow grease, but less than making that side a cabinet or making a new drawer.

If you do put fabric boxes or wicker baskets into those new holes, make sure they fit... that white box looks too small for that space.

Wow, lots of great suggestions here! Thank you all. A couple of little clarifications: We use this as the dresser in our bedroom. It was found over a year ago in a city we were visiting so no chance of going back. The drawers are all solid wood with no metal tracks or hardware so there is already kind of a shelf there, with a wood rail down the middle.

sara.b. I really like your idea of taking all 5 drawers out and using that space for bookshelves, then creating a new piece of furniture for the 5 drawers. That way we don't lose the drawer space or do anything to further damage the vintage piece.

I also like the suggestions of taking out all the drawers on one side and adding a door instead. I hate to waste 2 drawers but maybe we can repurpose them into 1 or 2 nightstands to match.

And thank you to whoever said they have a very similar looking credenza that is Bassett. I had been wondering for a long time.

Saving up $200ish for a custom drawer to match is still an option (that much because of the unique wood handle) but I love all the creative solutions everyone is coming up with. Thanks!

Oops, I meant to say Courtney Slemaker not sara.b. … in case you haven't figured that out.

AT, I really wish there was a way to reply to individual comments!

Is the piece at the foot of your bed? Do you have - or are you thinking about getting a TV in your bedroom? If you were to use it as a TV stand, I'd recommend removing the drawer on the other side and making speakers to fit into the empty spaces, complete with the grill material of your choice. You could then hook them up to a receiver and have television and music in the bedroom.

Martina, can you please share the paint color on the wall behind the dresser?

I think everyone missed what actually happened here. This is an example of what I thought was a well-known scavenger technique. When you find a great item but aren't in a big enough vehicle, you take one drawer to lay claim to it. Then you come back and get the rest because nobody would take the big item missing a drawer. Nobody, except Martina. Oh well. Enjoy it.

I agree with bepsf. You will never regret having a drawer customized to match. This is such a stunning piece, it's a really worthwhile investment.

You're right. It looks heinous.....give it to me. :)

Have the 2 bottom drawers out - then you have real shelves/storage and only waste one drawer and it's free. If it's in your bedroom, store extra blankets/linen in them so it'll look soft and won't get fiddled with/messy constantly.

I think it would be best to make a inexpensive customize drawer to replace the missing one.
Just like looking for a house I always look for property bargains.

My Design partner and I tackled this dresser problem on a recent project! LOVE the way it turned out. A burlap curtain in place of the missing drawer. Check it out on our blog.... http://tatteredstyle.blogspot.com/2011/06/two-thumbs-up.html