Dressers, as we know, are useful case goods that can pinch hit as media cabinets, entryway tables, or dining room buffets, but since they're designed for clothes storage, they can look awkward out of context. To make a dresser seem at home beyond the bedroom, try updating it with color and accessories.
Changing the color or finish of a dresser (photos 1-3, 7, and 10) can make it feel like a standout piece that's tailored to a room's décor. To push the concept even further, accessorize it using objects in the same color — like vases, artwork, or lighting.
You might also try treating the dresser like a console table (photos 2, 4, and 5). Decorate it with a pair of lamps, hang a mirror over it, or ground it with a large painting.
If you're repurposing a dresser as a media cabinet (photos 8, 9, and 10), look for a case piece that's not too tall and has drawers or cabinets that can easily be converted into storage for electronics or DVDs. Embrace the nature of the piece: style a mid-century dresser with modern vases, or decorate a high-gloss white surface with sleek electronics.
For other ideas, click through the photos above and the links below.
SHOWN ABOVE
- Under the stairs: Red Dresser from Grange
- In the living room: Blue Dresser from Amy's Vintage Modern Nest
- As a buffet: Dresser from Zara Home
- In the living room: Photo from the Rug Company
- In an entryway: Photo from Tas-ka
- In the dining room: Shannon's 1930s Bungalow
- In the dining room: Ellie's Handmade First Home
- As a media center: Matt's Spirited Studio
- As a media center: Catherine and Christofer's 1930s Budget Colonial
- As a media center: Thomas Wold Turns Grandma Dresser Into Hip Grandkid Media Cabinet
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Photos: Grange, Sarah Coffey, The Rug Company, Tas-ka Webshop, Ellie Grover, Shannon, Annie Werbler, Violet Marsh Photography, Thomas Wold
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Love love love love LOVE that red dresser! How on earth did they get that awesome shiny finish on a wood dresser?
Dressers and I have done battle over the years. I'd accumulated EIGHT of them when we lived in our first big old farm house. Got sick of sticking/ill-fitting drawers and never being able to see what was at the bottom...never enough room, either. When we pared down and minimized I got rid of all but two. One is the perfect sagey green with parts of the paint flaking off to reveal a brown finish beneath. Shabby chic. I won't part with it and has a place of honor in the living room. It now holds candles, tablecloths, napkins and other whatnot. I've never felt the need to apologize for its presence.
I just love dressers-- I wish I had more room for more in my house, because they're just so great for storage. I have one in my dining room http://www.flickr.com/photos/abracat/3199363155/in/set-72157594304793295/ that I use to store cloth napkins, dish towels, tablecloths, etc.
I have a dresser in my living room, tv is on top of it, dvd's in the drawers. Love.
That last one is not really my regular style but I love it!
I have one in my kitchen and one in my bathroom. Both are great for storage in my 1918 home with very little storage.
This is so timely. Just today I was thinking about moving my dresser (which I don't use much) into my living room so my DVD's would take up less space. Very cool ideas.
Dresser/Buffet/Credenza/Sideboard/Linen Press/Batchelor's Chest/Nightstand...
Casegoods are pretty much all the same thing - It's a big box with smaller boxes inside: Some have drawers, some have shelves, others have doors covering the shelves and/or drawers, and others will have a combination thereof.
Folks shouldn't get hung up on names and where those names "belong" - Simply find the piece you like in the size and configuration that works for your needs and use it.
This red dresser is fantastic , the high gloss gives it a polish and update that could enhance any room
Man, that red dresser is faboo. Makes me want to go out and find a cheesy "French Provincial" cast off and update it.
I believe the way they got that finish on the red dresser is that lacquer was used, not regular paint. It's best applied as a spray, which is why my next home improvement purchase will be a paint spray gun. My bf picked up a dresser at the dump years ago, and I'm going to paint it midnight blue and get new knobs for the multiple drawers, then put it in my office to store odds and ends.
That red dresser looks like a candy apple and I lust after it! I'm casting my eye around my place to find something I can do that to. Need the how to, tho
Dressers are such versatile pieces of furniture, I have one in my kitchen that serves as my pantry and one in my living space which acts as a bathroom vanity. My cabin doesn't have indoor plumbing so it's where I get ready every morning, the top drawer has my girly stuff(flat iron, make-up, etc) and the bottom two hold linens.
This is so helpful! I've seen plenty of images of dressers being used for more than just storing clothes but I have always struggled to incorporate dressers into my own home. Good options!
We're going to put our television on a dresser when we move. Thanks so much for the other ideas! (I wouldn't have thought to put one behind a sofa!)