This, as you may or may not recall, is the moodboard for Abe’s new room. One thing that it doesn’t have in it is a dresser (also curtains. But I have an amazing plan for curtains that I’m very excited about! AMAZING. Well, I think so anyway).
I didn’t put in a dresser because I wasn’t sure what sort of dresser I wanted….and I’m still not. But I happen to have an embarrassing stockpile of dressers sitting in my garage, so it’s just a matter of picking one out and then deciding how to paint or refinish it for the room. And I thought maybe you all could help me decide. Please?
Here are the three contenders:
1. His current dresser:
This one wins the nostalgia vote. It was Dave’s Dad’s dresser when he was a kid, then Dave’s, and then it’s been in every one of our kids’ rooms at some point or other. We painted it white and bought little animal pulls when it was in Ari’s nursery, and then we repainted it and added the whale pulls for Abe.
I could see it in the room, although it would need to be painted again and to lose its whale pulls :(. Not sure how I’d do it….black and white with brass pulls? Navy?
The main issue with it, though, is that we’ve learned from experience that those little drawers don’t work as well for big kid clothes as for baby and toddler clothes. They’d work fine for now, but eventually it would get a little inconvenient.
On the other hand, if we DON’T keep it in Abe’s room, I’m not sure where it will go. I assume one of the kids will eventually take it for their own kids (or at least I hope), but I hate to stick it in the basement until then. I suppose it could always be used to store something other than clothes somewhere else in the house…..
2. Campaign Chest:
I posted about finding this at the thrift store nearly a year ago, when I guest hosted Thrift Score Thursday. And then I thought for awhile that I was going to use it in our basement….but it turned out there wasn’t really a good space for it down there. So it’s still hanging out in the garage, waiting patiently for a home.
Pros of the campaign chest are that–duh, it’s a campaign chest, and they’re awesome. Also it’s small–which is a good thing in Abe’s fairly small (just under 10 by 12) room–but it also has three good sized drawers, so it works better for non-baby clothes than his current dresser. Cons? I don’t know. Maybe it’s TOO small?
I don’t know how I would paint it….black again? I keep saying black, but that’s what I like the best so far with the green walls, so….nothing wrong with black, right? Especially once I polish up that brass hardware and make it shiny again. Or also maybe navy for this, too.
3. Mid-century dresser
I’m sorry this picture is so terrible. I didn’t feel like moving it outside for a better shot. This is another thrift find that’s been sitting in my garage for over a year. It came with a shorter, longer friend that’s currently holding our TV in our den.
So this is laminate, and the finish isn’t in great shape….I think some kind of shiny lacquer paint? My blogging friend, Brynne, of The Gathered Home fame, suggested maybe one color for the main color and then a different color for the recessed part where the handles are, which I think is brilliant (she probably doesn’t remember that she suggested this, so long ago was it, but she did, and I remember!)
I can see this style working well in the room, and I think the size is perfect; it has a lot of drawer space without taking up a ton of floor space. Cons? I don’t know! I’m light on cons for all of these! I should have another baby and add another bedroom so I can use all these dressers! Wait. No I shouldn’t.
Anyway, thoughts? About which dresser and/or how to paint it? As I think I mentioned, the situation right now is that his old dresser is down the hall from his room in our bedroom, so we should probably get this situation resolved one way or another pretty soon.
i vote for the campaign dresser because duh campaign… but also here are my thoughts….
emmy had one similar in style to the first and eventually yes it was just too small, not deep enough. the tall one i love but it will be hard for abe to open the top drawers, and he will try. 😉 but seriously i had a tall dresser next in emmy’s room and she couldn’t get to those drawers so now she has long and low and it has been perfect!
well, he IS my shortest kid ;). I could also go with the long and low version of the MCM dresser (the one that has my tv on it right now)….except I don’t think it will work with my current furniture lay out plan….
I vote for the campaign dresser!
I Love the mcm piece! I just saw a diy at classy clutter that would work! http://www.classyclutter.net/2015/08/diy-aztec-inspired-dresser-makeover-and/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ClassyClutter+%28Classy+Clutter%29
ooh–pretty!
I like the campaign dresser best as it is, but I think the mid-century dresser will work better for his stuff. Winter is coming and he will have all kinds of sweaters and thick pants to stuff in there (I have some things for you!) You’re going to need the space! I really like the idea of painting the recessed areas a different color- that’s what I would do too.
I like the mid century dresser. It’s ridiculously awesome and sad that it’s in the basement. It goes great with the vintage art. I think you can use the campaign dresser in your room.
Hmm…I could use it in the Dave’s office half of my room…..
So I’m reading this and going, “Yes! I vote the mid century dresser,” and then saw that you mentioned me and my suggestion which, you are right, I totally don’t remember! (insert crying-laughing emoji here)
But I also love the campaign dresser, but then again, it does seem a little small… I’m no help here!
Ha! I should have been all sneaky and said something like, “if only I could figure out how to paint it…what with those recessed handles and all….” to see if you would suggest the same thing again 😉
Oooh, my vote is for the campaign dresser! A) because we’re dresser twins (!!!) and B) because it needs to be rescued from the basement. Also, because it’s small and probably the perfect size for Abe 🙂
I’m leaning mid century at the moment…BUT I also thought of another space in the room where the campaign chest might work. Use ALL the dressers!
I love the campaign dresser. It is reminiscent of a trunk, which just fits so perfectly with the National Park, rustic travel theme.
It’s true! I hadn’t even thought of that!
I think the campaign chest fits more with your theme, but I always love some MCM and that’s a sweet (and probably more functional) dresser. So: No help at all!
I hadn’t even thought of how the campaign chest fit in thematically until a couple of people pointed it out!
I’m team campaign too. Navy would be quite lovely, although that yellow is so bold and beautiful. The blanket has a yellow stripe, good enough right?
You can’t tell from the picture, but the yellow paint is in really bad shape, so it would need to be painted even if I kept it yellow. I love the yellow, but not necessarily for THIS room 🙂
I really love the campaign dresser as is. It really is a great piece and perfect for the room.