Home Organization

Use a Dresser to Organize

October 2, 2007

The garage or basement can easily become overwhelmed with cardboard boxes, tools and more. But organizing all of this stuff doesn’t require expensive storage solutions. You can easily make an old dresser functional again by using it for storage. Check out these inspiring tips for making this common furniture piece useful.

Find a Dresser

If you don’t have an old dresser at home that you can repurpose for storage, there are plenty of outlets for finding one. Check classified listings in the newspaper and online or visit garage sales for great deals. You may also find inexpensive dressers at second-hand stores or flea markets. Don’t worry about how it looks because you’re going to give it a great new appearance.

Spruce it up

Give your old dresser a new look by adding a fresh coat of paint. Then make sure it’s functioning correctly with new or tightened drawer pulls. Just because the dresser will be in your garage or basement doesn’t mean it can’t look great! You can paint it in one neutral color or get creative with bright colors, stripes or designs. Here are some tips for painting wood furniture and fixing up drawer pulls.

Painting

Wipe down the dresser inside and out to start with clean surfaces.
Sand until smooth with fine-grit sandpaper. Brush off excess sawdust residues.
Apply a coat of primer (white or gray) and let dry for 1 to 2 hours. Add another coat if necessary. Gently scrape the surface with a 3-inch putty blade to easily remove small bumps that may show up after primer has dried.
Add a coat of water-based paint in even strokes, following the wood grain. Allow the first coat to dry, and apply a second coat if needed. Or add different colors, stripes or designs. For easy organization, you can color-code the drawers.

Drawer Pulls

To make your drawer pulls look and work better, remove and shine them with steel wool if they’re metal. Or you could re-paint them in a fun color. Use new screws and tighten the pulls when you put them back on. To replace with new pulls, measure the width of the current pulls before heading out to your local home improvement store.

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