One of The Hottest Design Trends Right Now? Ditching Your Dresser

Most bedrooms have three things in common: A bed, nightstand, and a dresser. But, do you really need that last item? Maybe not, say the experts. Take it from Beth Williamson, a staging and organization expert with Creating Space in Virginia. When she was staging a home for a client, she needed a dresser but didn’t have one that would work in her inventory. So she looked in her own home and realized that her personal dresser would work perfectly in her client’s bedroom—so she took all of her stuff out and staged it in the home. Surprisingly, after the home was sold, she found she actually liked not having a dresser.

“Now I don’t really want it back,” Williamson says.

Williamson is just one of many designers saying goodbye to the bedroom staple and instead embracing a sort of “open concept dresser” in an ultra-organized closet.

“The key to a peaceful bedroom, especially when there’s limited floor space, is creating room to breathe as opposed to cluttering it with unnecessary furniture,” says Tina Ramchandani, a Manhattan-based interior designer. And that means if a client has plenty of closet space (which of course isn’t always the case), the first thing to go is a dresser.

“I’d much rather use the wall space for a picture ledge, mirror, or art to create interest and maintain a minimal and effortless flow,” she says.

You’re probably thinking: “Um… where will all my clothes go?” But designers say it’s actually pretty easy. Annie Draddy, a New York City-based organizer and co-founder of Henry & Higby, says you can do one of two things: Max out of your closet or break down your dresser into small pieces of furniture and/or storage pieces.

“[These] can provide all the storage you need for clothing and intimates,” she says.

Your closet can include drawers or even a small, moveable storage piece that can easily contain the essentials such as socks and underwear, Draddy says. If the storage space is limited in the closet, there are many other storage alternatives including wall hooks, baskets, under-bed storage pieces, back-of-door storage pieces, and even a nightstand with a few drawers can work in a pinch, she says.

Carole Marcotte, lead designer with Form and Function in Raleigh, North Carolina, says she’d opt for a bench at the foot of the bed or a comfy chair in a bedroom instead of a dresser.

So, do you think you could go without a dresser? Or are you team dresser all the way?

• 5 Things Professional Stagers Always Buy at Target (For as Low as $3!)
• These 4 Things Create a “Perfect” Bedroom, According to Real Estate Agents
• The Only 6 Things You Need to Up Your Curb Appeal, According to Landscapers
• 5 Reasons Why I Regret Not Listening to My Friends Complain About Their HOAs
• 5 ‘Must-Haves’ Homeowners Say You Actually Won’t Care That Much About