Last week in my gift collection organizing frenzy I ended up with an empty dresser that once housed my gift collection but was no longer needed for that purpose. So what to do with an empty dresser….hmmmm…..a perfectly good although somewhat cheap dresser? Four wonderfully empty drawers just waiting to be filled. Oh the possibilities! I walked around and around my house visualizing it sitting in different areas storing all sorts of various things and then like a stroke of genius (okay that might be taking it a bit far) I came up with the perfect plan! Want to know what I came up with? I put it in the back corner of my living room…..and what will I store in it you ask? You did ask didn’t you? Candles and couch blankets! Boy was I ever feeling smart…you see I use to store my candles in the armoire that now housed the gifts so it was the perfect trade….and the blankets would be neatly tucked away but readily accessible for a cold winter’s day. So off I went and dragged carried that dresser down the stairs all by myself, got it into position in the corner, put a nice lamp on top with some flowers, loaded the top two drawers with the candles, the bottom drawers with the blankets and stood back to admire my work. Beautiful, just beautiful…..isn’t that just a lovely little story?
WRONG!
Unfortunately my story doesn’t end there………there is a problem….a very big problem……
My hubbie doesn’t like it!
In fact he thinks it’s the most ridiculous thing ever to have a dresser in a living room. Apparently dressers are only for in bedrooms didn’t you know??
So here I am begging asking you for your opinion to help settle this fight jovial disagreement for us.
Who’s right? Is it hubbie and his silly preconceived ideas or me with my brilliant clever ideas?
Go ahead be honest………I can handle it……….I think………
Update here (hubby didn’t mind after all).
Anonymous says
Kim and Reg have a dresser in thier livingroom… Ithink it looks smashing. S
Mary Anne Paul says
I have some beautiful hutches/servers/buffets that I bought in Belgium many moons ago and have used them for dressers/armoires intermittently depending on what my house required/allowed. They look stunning wherever or whatever their purpose was used for! So I say “right on” sister
Mommaroo2 says
I think it’s a great idea. It might not look good if you had a living room that was very sparsely furnished with cheap, plain furniture (like me!) because it might stick out like a sore thumb. But I like what you did. Looks good to me!
I put two dressers in my dining area. They are both plain-lined, low dressers that are about four feet wide, with six drawers each. They are on either side of the window, and are painted white. I am using them like sideboards, and I keep games, homeschool supplies, preschool art supplies, table linens, and overflow of other items in them. Lots of storage space, and I kind of like them.
Sue says
Hi Laura, What I have seen of your living room, everything looks so nice together. I think the corner where you have that dresser would be nice for the Xmas tree or something else. I have to agree with R. I don’t much care for it. I think it would look nice in your basement with your scrapbooking stuff. You asked. Have a good one. Sue
Anonymous says
When I saw the photo, I thought it looked really pretty! Sue has a good idea about keeping your crafting stuff into too.
~Velda says
lol I love your crossed out words! I have not one but TWO dressers in my livingroom– for all my cross stitch stuff! I say it looks fab!
Maggie says
We have a dresser in our LR that the TV is sitting on top of. IN it I store computer stuff – CDs, our camers, office supplies,
My Husband does not like it. He keeps talking about replacing it with an Armoire. As long as it has doors to cover the TV… But it’s down on the list of priorities.
shannon @ rocks in my dryer says
Well, I have a dresser in my living room, and it looks just fine! (Although my husband hates it too).
warpie says
Well, that’s actually a high boy, and an armoire would look better probably. To be honest I have a dresser in my dining room that stores all my china and crystal, for 2 reasons. 1) I needed storage for that, and the dresser could pass as a hutch without the mirror and matches the dining room furniture (I guess that’s 3 reasons) 2) It wouldn’t fit in the bedroom and I wanted the whole set, because if I didn’t get the set now, likely in 3 years I wouldn’t be able too, or it wouldn’t have the same amount of wear and tear.
Note I didn’t actually answer your question, I just presented my argument in how I got the dresser in the living room 🙂
Kim
Julie says
Sorry, but I have to side with your hubby here.
I can’t see the rest of your living room, but the dresser, while functional, would suit me better in the boudoir (or somewhere else).
Anonymous says
I like it!! Having a dresser in the living room really solves the “where do we put the blankets” problem. You did a great job of decorating it also.
Using a dresser as a coffee table on the other hand, not such a good idea:)
Carrie J says
I think it is fine, maybe until you can find a piece that fits there better. My thoughts on decorating…if Mama ain’t happy, nobody is happy! LOL
But don’t mind me, just surfing through!
Jenny says
It looks lovely with the lamp on it and the picture above it. It doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. However; I personally wouldn’t have it in the livingroom, for no real reason other than I don’t like dressers in the living room (unless they are antiques).
Gotta side with the hubby…sorry.
Anonymous says
I dont have a dresser in my living room…..BUT….I think yours looks great…..why should he care he is a man….
Melissa Kaufman - WA says
I like it!
Tammy says
If I were to put a dresser in the living room, I’d be in the same position as you. =) I would probably find a different place to put it.
Anonymous says
gotta side with hubby on this one
org junkie says
Okay so mixed reviews here I see…I think I agree with….. everyone…lol. I am loving the storage factor of having the dresser in the living room but I would have to agree that I could probably find a more suitable piece of “livingroom” furniture to serve this purpose AND keep the peace in my household. You know I’m always looking for a good excuse to buy me some more shelves….he he!!! Thanks for your opinions everyone! But of course now I still need to find a home for the dresser and I’m running out of space….yikes!
Laura
momrn2 says
I think it’s fine but my hubby would probably be saying the same thing as yours.
Debby says
I think it looks fine! It doesn’t loko like a dresser.
Anonymous says
Why don’t you cover the dresser with a tablecloth? That way you get to keep the storage, but it’s not obvious you have a dresser in the livingroom.
By the way, I am a new reader to your blog. I really enjoy reading! You have some good ideas and you inspire me to organize my house little by little. =) Stephanie
org junkie says
Stephanie, I’m liking the tablecloth idea, a friend of mine suggested that also so I may have to try it. I’m not very creative though so it might end up looking worse…lol.
Thanks for commenting!
Domestic Goddess says
I think it is a fabulous idea.
One thing you might want to consider is if it doesn’t “match” the furniture in the room. Say your furniture is coffee colored or cherry wood color etc, possibly painting it the same color as the wood on your other furniture would change his mind.
Anonymous says
I’m totally on your side with this one. My mom uses a dresser in her living room (mind you, she is a decorative painter and has painted it to match her living room decor and it blends seamlessly) and she stores all her table linens and extra china there.
Good luck convincing hubby!
Rachel says
Don’t call it a dresser – it’s an occasional table with drawers!
Seriously, look in any furnitrue catalogs and there are “dressers” like that made for the living room.
Now, if it’s the wood that he doesn’t like, because it doesn’t match the rest of the room, laminate (if that’s what it is) can be painted!
Anonymous says
I like it, but if hubby doesn’t you know he will never shut up about it. Or you could make something up like I do. I would say “Oh I saw this in a magazine about England and they do this all the time” I do this so often my hubby now asks me if I’m lying to him. Of course not!
PS I do this to the kids too. I know my bad.
Karla says
I think it looks very nice! In fact, when I saw the photo it didn’t even look like a dresser to me.
Rachel Anne says
I can’t view the picture for some reason, but judging from the mixed reviews, I’ll offer my opinion on any odd piece of furniture. I’d consider painting it, maybe with a nice distressed finish, and changing out the knobs (or pulls). I did this with a dresser and it made all the difference. It is in my main living area. Love your site!
warpie says
Luara you said the magic words!!!! “running out of space”
Time to purge and re-org, maybe it’s not working for you anymore!!
Kim
honey says
Hi Laura! If I had that open space and wanted to fill it, I would put a comfy chair there to read by the window! I can’t tell if there is room, but even a child’s reading nook would be cozy and useful. This is me who used to think every empty wall needed something, but I’m trying to be more light and airy with my decorating these days. 🙂 If you want to keep the dresser there; you can see if your husband will like it painted to match the rest of the room.
honey says
Oh-one more thought. I’ve gotten rid of some things I really wanted to hang on to but had no perfect place for. So I moved them out of sight and “forgot” them; so I donated them, and I am so glad they are gone! 🙂
Angela O. says
While I agree with Dr Phil that the home decorating is the woman’s domain, I don’t care for the dresser in the living room. However, I do like easy access to blankets in a living room and the corner does need something so I say go find/buy something suitable and get rid of the dresser. Good luck. Like your site . . .
Blessed Beyond Measure says
I guess I’d consider how many times lately he’s expressed an opinion, or desire, and you’ve gone with it. If its been awhile, I’d give on the dresser, showing respect for his opinion. Maybe you can retalk it, ask for options, til you come up with something you can both live with. I have an old dresser in our living room, complete with mirror attached, painted it black to go with the rest of the furniture and it houses candles and light bulbs (we have a lot of them). I set out a candle, photo album and lamp on it and it doesnt look so much like a dresser as just an end table. But then, my husband is used to my falling in love with junky old furniture and feeling the need to adopt it, bring it home, let it take up residence.
Krissy says
I have 2 dressers in my living room (vanity and standard) – granted they are antiques with curve to them – but I have no idea what we’d use to fill the room without them. I need blanket storage! My grandmother has a dresser in her living room. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have an amoire/dresser (highboy?) in their living room.
Judi says
okay, does he not watch home improvement shows?? they are always using furniture in the “not intended for” rooms! I like the idea. If I had an extra one I would put it in my living room! And I agree with Jen, why should he care? He’s a man! 🙂
Donna says
I think it’s great!! We have a hutch and a pie safe in our family room, being well used for organized this and that…so, maybe I’m not the person to ask 😉
Doris says
My daughter wanted more space in her bedroom, so with the help of underbed storage bins and new shelves in her closet, she got rid of a lingerie chest and a dresser similar to yours. I put that lingerie chest in our den. Like yours, it’s a great stand for a lamp and I filled those drawers with candles, photo albums, etc.
I vote with you! 🙂
Anonymous says
Hi, I think it looks great.
By the way I have a dredder on my lounge (living room area) juts by the entrance. It has all the kids pics on it, my husband does not like wholes in the walls, and I have put all my tablecothes, napkins and table runnes in it. I have quite a lot of handmaid antiques in it passed on from generation to generation. Also having grown up all over (missionary kids) we used to improvise and I cannot famtmom what is the issue with a dresser.
Take care…
Mrs. T from South Africa
The Lazy Organizer says
I think it’s fine too. Tell your husband if he doesn’t like it then he is welcome to move it. If he’s anything like my husand it will stay put!
Peggy says
I have a dresser in my living room. It has an antique look although it isn’t. It is great for mail. Each person in the house (4 of us) has a drawer. There is also a drawer for candles and flashlights and light bulbs and another drawer for photos. The little mirror on top has a small drawer that holds stamps, address labels, and letter openers.
I think the dresser looks great!
Kim says
Is there a closet anywhere you can put it? Best would be a closet in the same general area. I don’t have an opinion about how the dresser looks, but then I have a church pew in my living room!
I do however have an opinion about listening to dh. If your husband truly wants it moved, I would respect that. I feel it is my responsibility to make OUR home a pleasant place for my hubby to come home to at the end of a long day. If he sees that and it reminds him of your disregarding his opinion, that goal is thwarted.
Jennifer says
You’re brilliant. It looks fine, and the lamp will add light. However, after reading the comments I have to say that I do love the ladies asking you to respect your hubby’s wishes, especially if he doesn’t speak up too often.
But, I do think it looks more like a “chest” than a dresser, and that could be used anywhere. I would ask hubby if he might let it stay for a bit to see if he changes his mind (or you do, to his way of thinking!). It might just seem weird because it’s new.
Deanne says
I’m with you on this. I’d say that it would look maybe just a tad, wee bit better if it were centered under that picture. But as far as the concept goes, you are totally right! I like the way it looks, personally. And no, dressers are not only for bedrooms. No more than armoires are (and that’s what they generally are used for – storing clothing when you have limited closet space – but that particular piece of furniture has branched out) and besides, I don’t think that the dresser looks all that dresser-y-ish, kwim? 🙂
whimsy says
hmm.. not sure about living rooms, but I have one in my DINING room that I love. yes, DH did make fun of me at first, but it wasn’t the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last.
Heather Townsend says
I’m obviously reading this waaaaaay after it was written… However i stumbled across your site, fell in love with it and I have been going through the archives… I’ve wanted to comment several times, and finally… found something I couldn’t NOT comment on. I have a dresser in my living room, too! My son had a dresser in his room that was much too big for him, too big for his stuff… On the other hand, My living room needed a new storage solution quickly. We have two computers out there, plus the t.v. and game systems… So my son got a whole new bedroom set, with a dresser that fits his needs and I moved the larger dresser out to the living room. Office supplies, paper, game disks, software… All out of sight now in the dresser drawers.
Lisa says
well..i am putting a dresser in my kitchen? so who am I to say? I am using the dresser that has big open doors to house my big crockpot and deep fryer and platters and the small drawers for big kitchen gadgets I don’t use often enough to take up room in my silverware drawer. I am refinishing the dresser because it was ugly and beat up….but other than that..a banana is a fruit until you add it to ice cream and make it a sugary dessert….if you don’t think outside of what can be repurposed, you’ll never know what it can be!
Krissy F. says
The storage idea is great…I like the table cloth idea! Add some glass to the top maybe?
Amy says
I like your thinking, but as my husband tells me, I can take the girl out of the trailor but not the trailor out of the girl, he is right. Lol but when u think about it, blankets come out for only a season, I take mine down to basement when I take winter cloths. But if u have to have the blankets use a matching armoire or tall closed cabenit or a nice classy longer and shorter dresser
Karen J says
Its fine, it serves a purpose. But your husband would be more open to it if it was painted or stained to match the other furniture (sorry you didn’t show the rest of the room). We are searching for a dresser to put our television on.
Maybe show him some pictures of rooms with dressers in it (ie HGTV, other blogs, etc.)