As we PS-ed in last week’s rug post, our hunt for a new master bedroom dresser recently came to a surprise end. We’d been trying to find something to replace this old Malm dresser that we’ve had for 5+ years (we literally bought it on an Ikea stop the day we moved from NYC to Richmond in a big red minivan) which will soon go live in the guest room.
It’s clearly too small for the wall. It’s not 100% functional anymore (the middle drawer got little wonky during the move) and it has a few visible battle scars from bouncing around our last house (at various points it lived in our bedroom, our guest bedroom, and finally the sunroom).
So we wanted something bigger. And something a little curvy and ornate (for some contrast to the modern elements in the room, like Ed the Bed and our big snowball-ish light fixture). Because we don’t want our bedroom to feel like a modern furniture showroom, we want it to have that layered, collected over time look. We both liked the idea of a dresser that was up on turned legs, especially since our bed also has a leggy design, so that similarity might tie the old dresser and the modern bed together in a not too obvious way. You know for a nice marriage of old meets new. And of course we wanted something that we could rescue (who doesn’t love “saving” sad old furniture) but we’d been unsuccessfully perusing thrift stores and stalking craigslist for weeks with nada. And then it happened. A dresser miracle. The perfect piece materialized seemingly out of nowhere. And by nowhere I mean my parents’ bedroom.
My mom and dad are actually prepping to downsize to a smaller house (now that their nest is empty) so they’ve been trying to find new homes for lots of their old stuff (I’ve already inherited stacks of old photos, school papers, childhood art projects, etc). So when we spotted my dad’s dresser on a recent visit we asked if they were planning to keep it (since it was old, leggy, and pretty much the perfect width). The answer: “Nope, we’re planning to put it on craigslist. Unless you want to take the old clunker off of our hands?”
“Uh, yes please.” Cue the cartwheels by Sherry in the background.
Turns out they’d be in our neighborhood to babysit our nephew two days later so they brought it down (we assumed it might take a few weeks to mosey over). Best dresser surprise ever. And that’s how we ended up with this beauty pretty much out of nowhere:
It’s bigger than our old Ikea dresser, so it fills up that wall properly. It’s also more traditional looking, so it balances out the modern pieces like Ed the Bed and the light fixture (just as we hoped). It also makes us really excited to get some old night tables in a similar tone and shape to further tie our whole old meets new thing together. Possibly with the same cool ring-pulls (we could also order those online and add them later) and a few drawers for concealed bedside storage, which we’ve always wanted.
And just as we hoped, it could use a little love (one of the drawers was busted when we got it, so I whipped out my screwdriver and whistled while I worked to get it secure again). Took about ten minutes. But (spoiler alert) that’s pretty much the extent of our “work” on the dresser for now. We’re not planning to paint or stain it. Even though we were excited at the idea of re-staining or painting an old seen-better-days piece, we just can’t justify that whole dog and pony show this time around. And this isn’t the polite way of saying that my parents wouldn’t let us touch it (in fact, they were dying to see what we’d do). We actually think the warm wood color works really well with the cool tones on the walls and in the bedding (while bringing out the honey tones in the curtains, the jute rug, and the gold leaves in the duvet). Plus as you can see from this shot…
… the rustic wide plank floors in the bedroom need more than just a little work (they’re discolored, stained, and splintering in a number of places). So we plan to refinish them in a darker mocha tone, along with the rest of the hardwoods in the house for a nice cohesive effect. So that should make the warm wood dresser feel even more special once it doesn’t blend into the floor quite as much. Especially if we have two antique-looking nightstand friends going on the other side of the room in the same warm wood tone (maybe we’ll get to refinish some old dark craigslist/thrift store finds with some lighter stain to get a not-perfect-but-good-enough “match”).
We’re totally charmed by our hand-me-down dresser’s imperfections, and love how they preserve the history of the piece. Maybe we’re being overly nostalgic since this is our first item of inherited “antique” furniture, but there’s something special about knowing the back story. My dad bought it from his cousin back in the ’60s for $100 and has used it ever since. It still boasts a scratch on the front of one of the drawers from when he transported it in his car’s trunk over forty years ago.
We don’t know exactly how old the piece is, but it has a stamp in the back of one of the drawers that says it was made by the “Abernathy Furniture Co” and they appear to have started operations in the 1850’s in Kansas (thanks Google).
After a couple days of using it I realized it possesses some weird auditory memories for me. When I heard Sherry opening and closing the drawers from the other room, the sound of the metal pulls clanging against the wood gave me distinct flashbacks to hearing the same noise coming from down the hall growing up. Weird how sounds can do that to you, right?
The only other “work” it really needed (besides a few screws to secure that broken drawer rail) was some help getting the drawers to slide more easily (each one of them stuck and dragged a little bit). Sherry had heard the old “rub soap on them” tip a few times, so she broke out a bar of Dove that we had leftover from her mom and stepdad’s visit (we use Dr. Bronner’s soap, but she worried “eco soap” might not be the same).
Off she went rubbing the dry bar of soap on each of the rails. Both on the bottom of the drawers…
…and even on the tracks inside the dresser itself, in an attempt to “wax” them so they’d slide more easily without catching.
The verdict on this little trick? It made a noticeable difference, but it didn’t solve things 100%.
For being a totally free solution, we’re happy we gave it a try. But if you guys have any other suggestions for helping this baby slide a bit better, please share ’em. We’re thinking we might try wax or something.
As for what’s on the dresser, the big white lacquered box is a charging station that we got at Pottery Barn Outlet a while back (as seen in this road trip video), the ceramic egg crate is full of Sherry’s jewelry, the table fan is for the summer, the two white bowls are full of Sherry’s bracelets/necklaces/glasses, and the three frames are pics that Sherry and I snapped on each of our wedding anniversaries. And yes, there’s a ceramic animal friend worked in there too thanks to my weird wife (a bronze ceramic pig that she found at HomeGoods for $6 a few weeks ago). I actually think the dark bronze twist is kind of cool, but don’t tell her I said that or it’ll feed her strange addiction.
Now for the bigger picture. Here are some more bedroom photos, just so you can see how the new dresser plays with the other things in the room (which is most definitely still “in progress” and in need of some art, a nice long bench, a big white built-in or cabinet to the left of the bed to balance the door, those aforementioned leggy honey-colored night stands, and maybe even some new table lamps among other things).
Should be a good time (or not, depending on what we find and how many places we have to go- haha, there’s the husband perspective on shopping). In the end, as exciting as resolving our dresser dilemma is – one of the best parts is that we’re finally able to move some of our clothes out of piles in the closet and into proper storage (four full drawers of it). Which means after 3+ months of living here with mountains of shirts and pajamas on the floor of the closet thanks to a smaller dresser with one inoperable drawer, we officially have no more excuses for not organizing things. Uh oh.
So that’s our first antique hand-me-down adventure. Or “furniture inheritance experience” if you’re fancy. And I’m not gonna lie. It does feel kind of fancy. The idea that we own something older than my dad is, in the words of Miley Cyrus, “pretty cool” (anyone else watching SNL lately?). Even if it’s a little beat up and didn’t come from an auction house. Have you guys ever gotten something especially awesome or particularly sentimental handed down from a family member? Anyone run into the moral dilemma of whether or not to make changes to it? We got lucky in this instance (since my mom and dad were more eager to refinish it than we were) but we know that might not always be the case. Sticky.
Pssst- Wanna see how we completely refinished an old craigslist dresser with stain and paint for Clara’s nursery? Click here.
Rachie says
I like it!! BTW – that ceramic egg carton is such a great way to display the jewellery xo
Jaime says
I read recently that running a line of glue from a hot glue gun along the drawer guide helps it to glide along nicely (after it hardens, of course)… But maybe you’d have to rub off the soap residue first so that the glue adheres to the wood?
Jenni says
I have an old claw foot dining room table that was my grandparents. It has a low spot on the table surface where someone in the table’s history left a hot iron and burnt the wood. My grandfather sanded it out when they got it…but I think it’s so cool that this table has it’s on little history that we’ll never know all of it’s secrets.
Mary says
Love the dresser!
We have one inherited piece at the moment and I was very reluctant to do anything to it (it was my mom’s great uncle’s) but I’ve finally gotten over it. It has a crack that needs to be repaired anyway, so I’m planning on stripping it and staining it dark to match our other furniture. It also has knobs that screw in from the front (so the inside front of the drawer is solid) and I’m having such a hard time finding knobs to replace them with, I’ve decided to just get the regular screw in from the back kind. In all honesty, we don’t ever plan to sell it since it’s been in the family so long, so if we lower the value (whatever value it may have) it doesn’t really matter. It has sticky drawers, too, so we’ll have to try the candle trick!
We’re also getting an antique piano (that seriously needs to be restored) and dresser when my parents move next year. They originally belonged to my great-grandmother and one of her sisters; we think they’re both from the early 1900’s. Can’t wait to get them!
catie says
huh, weird. i’m from kansas and i know an “abernathy” from here as well. i’ll have to ask him if they are related!
YoungHouseLove says
Woah- you might know the soul heir to the Abernathy fortune. Haha.
xo,
s
mopock says
Try a petroleum jelly for the drawers (aka, vasceline, etc.). I’ve also used it to help my old, worn windows slide better. Run them a couple of times with a rag close to catch any run-off and you should be golden!
Katie says
Your bedroom is coming together so beautifully – congratulations! :)
Steph says
I absolutely LOVE the mixing of the old with the new. What a gorgeous dresser!
Random question: Sherry you mention drinking tea at night, what kind of tea do you like?
YoungHouseLove says
What type of tea don’t I like is more of the question. Haha. I drink it all, from green tea to black to and even chamomile (lately I’ve been enjoying chamomile with honey, mmm).
xo,
s
Lisa says
I will third/fourteenth the “wax it” recommendation. We do that to our vintage kitchen drawers and rope-strung windows. Helps immensely.
I don’t often comment, but the beauty of your dresser (and, of course, the personal history) make me say: HOLY CATS, that is gorgeous! The glow of the wood, the styling, the proportions, everything about it is perfect.
Congrats on your find!
Robyn says
I have dresser envy! I’ve been looking for a dresser at thrift stores & my friend Craig, too. No luck. Of course, I have ridiculous requirements. I know the right guy or girl will come along soon. I am talking about a dresser. I’ve already won the husband jackpot. The search will continue.
Liz says
I inherited a dresser from my grandmother that is almost identical! The pulls are different and the legs on mine are just a little different (clawfoot bottoms) but the body and detail is almost exactly the same! I love my dresser! My husband has hinted at wanting to get a bedroom “set” and maybe painting the dresser and handing it down to our daughter, but I just can’t bring myself to do that (paint it that is). I also like not having a matching bedroom set…I don’t like things to be too matchy. And it has the added bonus of making me think of my grandmother whenever I see it (which is every day!). Cool side note, I was cleaning out my drawers the other day and found that one of my cousins had scratched his name inside when we were little. So fun!
PS–Your dresser looks like it was made for that wall!
Sally says
I’ll ditto the wax suggestion. I use it on my dressers and my kitchen drawers. I have a chunk of wax from the craft store that I use.
Love the old dresser! I ended up with one in a similar way – when my grandparents moved into assisted living there was a dresser no one wanted. It was in bad shape. My parents got it refinished and gave it to me. I love it and love that it was from my grandparents house, even if it’s not a fancy antique. I bought nightstands that are also maple and have a similar leg shape (with more modern, less fussy detailing) for that old-meets-new look.
Kiran says
Love the new dresser. Oiling might solve the sliding problem :)
georgia says
You are totally feeding my Addiction….
Old mixed with new is my thang! <3
I have a Old Dresser in my Bed room, its about 80 years old i think, and its A-mazing, i love my Mr Dresser.
Check him out, he totally needs to be Bee's waxed up to make him shiny … http://ramblingsofgeo.blogspot.com/2011/03/dressy-dresser.html
Bee's wax and Wire wool is the way to make it shiny so my dad says.
Are you thinking of Putting a mirror above the Dresser or Art work? I would love to put a huge Antique-ish ornate mirror above it in a modern funky colour… Oooh its exciting! (can you tell i dont get out much… haha)
x
YoungHouseLove says
We’re thinking we’d love some art for above the dresser and the chair on the other side of that wall since we have a mirror above the nearby sink vanity (and don’t want another one on the same wall to be overkill).
xo,
s
georgia says
It would be like the house of mirrors at the funfair! Everywhere you turn you can see your self…hehe
JeanEllen says
I’m so glad you shared the story of where the dresser came from! We “inherited” a ton of antique furniture (and some, I now know are “vintage”) from my grandmother when she downsized, as well as other pieces we’ve received as gifts from family. I realized one day that there must be great stories behind these pieces that would be lost so I started a weekly feature on my blog where I document each. I had the best time sitting down with my grandmother to learn about some of her contributions! Feel free to read about them here– http://meltonpoint.blogspot.com –Click on “Furnishing Friday” to skip straight to the furniture stories!!
Carrie says
I love the dresser and the pulls are very cool! Inherited furniture is great!
I have a bedroom set that my grandparents bout in ’68, not really antique but definitely vintage. It lives in the guest room. I would like to update the hardware on it. I also have a chair that was my great-grandfathers; it has since been recovered in a hideous peachy orange material so I have a blanket thrown over it. I would love to have it recovered one day!
Jessica says
My husband is a cabinet maker and before he hands over the custom piece, he waxes all the drawer bottoms. :) That’s the pro’s technique!
Auditory memory is awesome! I have exactly the same one with my mum’s blanket box. The screechy old heavy metal handle always made a noise loud enough to be heard anywhere in the house. I now love that noise for it’s sentimental value.
Carrie says
I’m just amazed at how quickly your room is coming together! It takes me months to get stuff done when I add piece by piece like this. Love the dresser and (while I know its a while off) I can’t wait to see your darker floors. I think its gonna be DA BOMB!!! (do people still say that? unfortunately I do. lame)
MelissaG says
Nice dresser! It’s so cute that you always have to mention that you use “eco-friendly” things. Love Bronners for many purposes!
seansmom says
I have the rocking chair that belonged to my Grandmother. She passed away back in the middle 60’s and the chair went to my uncle. He keep teasing me that I could have it when he died, however, when my son was born in 1985, my uncle called and said “come get the rocker for that baby!” Some of my fondest memories of my grandmother were of her and I rocking in that chair. I rocked my son in it, and someday, I hope to pass those same kind of memories(and the chair) on to my grandchildren(when I have grandchildren).
Mallory B. says
I cracked up when I saw this post because I definitely bought that ceramic pig a couple weeks ago too!!! $7 at TJ Maxx! It is actually white, so it would match the YHL ceramic animal collection :) I actually bought it because I went to the University of Arkansas, so anything Razorback/pig related gets my attention. It is also just so darn cute!
P.S. I love the dresser! Getting it from your parents makes it even more special.
michelle says
That dresser is lovely! We have an antique dresser in our guest bedroom that we got from my husband’s grandmother. We actually spotted it in her basement. It had actually been in the basement for years! We later found out that it originally belonged to my husband’s grandmother’s aunt. It has probably been in their family at least 70 years! We are also going to use it as a changing table in our future nursey!We did not change the dresser at all we love just the way it is!
blake says
no offense, but i’m not a fan of the dresser as-is. am i the only one? you’ve got a lot of white and chocolate tones, and i think it would look more cohesive to stick in that range. also curious why you didn’t opt for a tall dresser. i know this house is a work-in-progress, but i’m really wondering about a bunch of recent decisions: taking off ed’s slats (looks wierd without tapered poles and loses the drama of the clean lines and height); iron sconces above bed; mish-mash of color/pattern in guest room (rug with the wall color is awesome and sophisticated — but the poka dot curtains, pottery barn duvet and green headboard takes it down a few notches). the living room, however, is looking really focused.
YoungHouseLove says
No offense taken, Blake. No one’s required to like everything (or anything, for that matter) in our house but us. We tend to be fans of lower dressers, especially in rooms with standard ceilings. Plus it’s enough storage for us already and we’re excited about having room for some big art above it.
-John
neglegb says
I know this is totally off topic and I’m sure you have addressed this before… I am a newbie. where are both of you from originally?
YoungHouseLove says
I grew up in Northern Virginia (just outside of Washington, DC) and Sherry is from New Jersey, though now part of her family lives on Long Island.
-John
Kristy says
I inherited a chest from grandmother after she passed away almost ten years ago. It was kind of stocky, and had this ugly black faux leather material riveted to the outside. My mom and I stripped it to reveal this beautiful carved detail and we ended up adding legs so it’d fit nicely under my bedroom window.
Mari Anne says
Pleeeze don’t paint it! It’s lovely!
YoungHouseLove says
Don’t worry, Mari Anne – we’re not planning to!
-John
Nallely says
i saw on tv that rubbing banana on stuck drawers helps to hydrate the wood.. greetings from mazatlan, mexico =)
Gina @ Temporary Nest says
This is one of my favorite pieces you guys have. I love those pieces. I have an old dresser from my moms childhood bedroom that we painted silver a million years ago… but sadly it’s kind of dying now… and I’m looking for another antique form someone else! Can I just say I love you guys? <3
Hilary @ My So-Called Home says
That dresser is beautiful. Sounds like you guys are looking for nightstands similar to ours, too bad ours were custom-made.
http://mysocalledhome.blogspot.com/2011/02/if-i-was-from-paris-i-would-say-ooh-la.html
Holly Austin says
Looks awesome! And while I paint every piece of furniture I can get my hands on, I totally agree that this beauty should be left alone. Love it :)
Stacey says
Your room is coming together so well! Looks great!
Ditto on the candle waxing trick that most have told you about. It does work. Maybe sanding a little before you wax would be even better…
jeannette says
half turpentine, half beeswax, in a jam jar for a couple of days, turns into a very smelly fabulous furniture polish cream. a good heavy layer on the bottom of the drawers will make everything inside the drawers smell like turpentine (for a day or two) and also make them close and open so smoothly and happily you can’t believe it. put some on the rails inside the chest too. perfect.
jeannette says
grate the beeswax, btw, or break it up in a ziploc with a hammer. you can get beeswax from local harvest on line — or at the farmers market from your local honey people.
jeannette says
sorry to spam you, but this wax dries hard, in a layer, unlike the oil and vaseline solutions. lasts forever.
Letia says
So, I am not sure if this will work for this, but I figure we should all get it anyway. I just recently heard of renaissance wax (you can find it on amazon). Apparently, it does everything (it reminds me of baking soda). It polishes shoes, coats sterling silver so you do not have to polish or hide, copper sinks, anything that rusts, rolltop desks (maybe it will help the drawers), preserves paintings, and apparently also coats over photos for preservation. CANNOT find a bad review. A bit expensive but apparently you use very little and it lasts forever.
Katie says
Ooo, I love it! I would never think to combine modern with antique-y. Also, I’m kinda glad you aren’t doing anything to it–at least not yet. It makes me feel a little better about all the staining and painting I’m NOT doing to our furniture :-)
jodi says
what a great piece! it fits your space perfectly.
and i totally get that auditory memory. your description alone gave me flashbacks to my parents dresser when i was a kid.
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
I love old pieces of family furniture. All it needs is a mirror or some artwork above it. Love how the master is coming together!
Karina says
When the current owners of a house that my husband’s grandfather built (he was a carpenter) decided to move, they contacted my in-laws to ask if anyone in the family wanted the sideboard that came with the house. It was offered to us and we said “of course!” sight unseen. We have acquired several family pieces from my parents which fit very well into our home and general style preference for mission/arts and crafts pieces and we were hopeful that this piece would coexist nicely with the rest of our furniture.
Well, when we made the trip to pick it up (5 hours each way) it was nothing like we expected. The sideboard screamed “I was built in the 1960s” with knobs shaped like flowers and lots of extra trim pieces on every door and drawer. We needed extra storage for our china and didn’t want to offend the in-laws, so we took it anyway and I immediately asked my husband if we could make some changes. Thankfully, he agreed that it wasn’t our style and we agreed to find a way to make it better fit in our home and avoid making his grandfather roll over in his grave. We replaced the knobs with antique-rubbed bronze pulls to match our kitchen and it is now a great addition to our guest room (that’s where everyone stores their china, right?).
lisa says
john and sherry, did you see this site about you guys?
if you didn’t here it is:
http://realestate.msn.com/blogs/listed.aspx?feat=4b0f6521-254c-4eb0-9fe5-e19bb5c6e73b>1=35009
YoungHouseLove says
We hadn’t seen that yet, Lisa. Thanks for the heads up and link!
-John
Vikki says
oh. my. word. it’s fantastic!!! Go you guys! :D
haha I was about to suggest a piece of ski wax for the drawer slides, but that’s just the Canadian/former ski racer in me talking :P Paro-wax is probably more readily available! Good luck; it’s just stunning :)
xo,
Vik
Camille @ the vintique object says
I was reading this and thinking, Please don’t paint the dresser, please don’t paint the dresser, please don’t paint the dresser.
And then, Yay, they’re not going to paint the dresser!
It’s a beauty.
lesismore says
love the picture from the bed where the light is perfectly centered in the mirror. gorgeous.
SchoolhouseKat says
Love the ikea light – we used that too and out of everything we’ve done those are the thing that generates the most compliments!
Sheila says
My mother-in-law gave us my husband’s old baby changing table from over 35+ years ago, and we used it for our 2 children and now passed it on to my sister. We just repainted it and it looked fabulous. It was very sentimental, and we’re so grateful she saved it all these years!
Diane says
Sounds goofy but Sunlight dish detergent works every time. In university my husband and I used it to fix closet doors that stick, squeaky bed frames and yes, even a sticky dresser drawer. Use a light touch or you get soap everywhere, and you also need to reapply periodically.
On a side note, this dish detergent will also kill mushrooms that grow on your lawn, give a squeeze and the mushrooms will be gone in a couple of days.
amber says
I see you have decorated the tops of your bed with decorative knobs…. could you tell me how you did that?
YoungHouseLove says
You can read all about that here Amber: https://www.younghouselove.com/2011/03/finials-they-stay-art-might-go/
-John
Pia says
White candle will do the trick. I see that other persons already stated that. Just wanted to write a comment and thank you for this site. I have enjoyed it a lot during my maternaty leave. Keep up the good work!
Even though some of the ideas you have are a bit too american for my swedish taste i love the site! Like coloured ceilings (in sweden all ceilings are white. No exceptions) and dark painted walls are a bit too much but the DIY projects and moodboards are excellent.
Thanks and take care!
Pia from gothenburg, Sweden.
threadbndr says
you all made MSN Online Real Estate with a link from the front MSN Online page! Congratulations!!!
http://realestate.msn.com/blogs/listedblogpost.aspx?post=4b0f6521-254c-4eb0-9fe5-e19bb5c6e73b
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much!
-John
Monique says
Glad you are adding older pieces and it’s in a great spot. Such nice detail and I’m loving the rings. Older pieces are built so much better and this piece will probably be something you’ll be able to pass along to your child too.