Our goal was to find a piece of furniture to add storage under our TV to house our entertainment electronics, cords and other odds and ends that didn't yet have a home. Unfortunately we didn't take pictures of the process, but I can certainly describe what we did.
We started by removing the original handles and patching the holes left behind on the six bottom drawers with slices of dowels and a bit of wood glue. Next we gave the piece a quick sanding and three fresh coats of navy blue paint. We purchased and attached two sets of new handles and pulls.
We converted the top two drawers into shelves with false-fronts by resting fitted pieces of masonite (had them cut at Home Depot) on the wood rails/drawer supports. The only tricky part of the project was attaching the false drawer fronts with hinges and magnetic latches, which required some trial and error (and patience!) to get them to match up correctly with the body of the dresser. We also had trouble finding hinge screws that were short enough to not pierce the front of the drawer face (note the shims between the screw heads and back of the drawer face). Luckily, they are hidden away and no one will notice. We easily completed the project over the course of one weekend and were quite pleased with the outcome!
Thanks, Jenny!
(Images: Jenny Nelson)
19 comments02.05.13 10:00AMTara BellucciCategories:Main,Tech,DIY,Before & After,Budget Living,Painting,Reader Submissions Comments (19) Smart! Love the navy paint. posted by Cleogrrl on 02.05.13 at 10:29AM Way better. I'm doing the same to a buffett I purchased off of craig's list. Nice to upcycle rather than toss. Bravo. posted by LyonStill on 02.05.13 at 10:34AM Neat idea! posted by Susan1981 on 02.05.13 at 10:39AM Very spiffy. Love the blue. posted by medusa12120 on 02.05.13 at 10:40AM nice hack posted by ec05 on 02.05.13 at 10:43AM Small spaces can kill game systems and etc. (especially Xboxes!) so always remember to install ventilation! I've seen a lot of people stick old computer fans in their furniture to help with exactly this problem. If you can't deal with fans, I'd at least cut open as much of the back off as possible without compromising the furniture strength and keep the dresser a good bit away from the wall to encourage air flow.If you're going to have the drawer fronts open a lot of the time to operate the systems too, it might be fun to paint or paper the insides with some really cool pop of color too. :)
I love the white knobs. I hope the old hardware was in good enough shape to keep for another project someday - it looks fun too. posted by Kaete on 02.05.13 at 10:51AM @Kaete Absolutely agree about the inside of the drawer fronts. Crisp white would look stellar! posted by kayeu on 02.05.13 at 10:57AM Great choice of colour! And I love the mismatched handles. I've done a similar project recently with a bedroom dresser bought for $150 at an auction house. Took everything to convince my man to go with a coral colour... it looks great in our master.... he admits it ;) posted by bgcreations on 02.05.13 at 10:57AM Great job. Smart color choice. posted by thorndale on 02.05.13 at 11:35AM I love what you did with the video game drawers! posted by cdeaton on 02.05.13 at 11:44AM My husband put his foot down when I suggested something like this or us. The systems overheating is too great a risk, as Kaete mentioned. Still, for a simple DVD player and cable box they'd be awesome! posted by DovieAnn on 02.05.13 at 11:54AM I love this idea! posted by pixiedust03 on 02.05.13 at 12:05PM Like the paint but wish the original handles had been kept! posted by Sammystyle on 02.05.13 at 12:07PM Thanks for the comments everyone! We had a great time with this project and it made an awesome capstone to our January Cure.
@Kaete @DovieAnn I take your point about overheating my xbox, especially since we keep the drawer closed when in use, maybe installing something decorative on the side (http://tinyurl.com/afphvtc) would be a good workaround?
@Kayeu, @Kaete I agree that white would make the inside pop, maybe that'll be a target for phase 2...
Oh, and @SammyStyle, we've got the original handles set aside for a future project. Want em?
-(The Aformentioned Boyfriend) posted by Swatters42 on 02.05.13 at 12:18PM Very nice - the blue is fantastic. posted by Mary E. on 02.05.13 at 12:49PM We just did something similar to our tv cabinet (with lots of ventilation holes!) Finished the blog post today - it goes up tomorrow morning at 1500sqft.com! ...I do love that blue finish btw! posted by Kate from 1500sqft on 02.05.13 at 12:58PM cool!!! posted by nycgreenmomma on 02.05.13 at 01:13PM I think that grill would help a lot, and be a really cool accent piece to the furniture to boot. :) posted by Kaete on 02.05.13 at 03:58PM Swatters 42 - the grill is a great idea, as long as there's nothing next to this furniture that would block air flow. Until you get it installed, though, I wouldn't play the Xbox with the drawers closed. It will overheat and shut down in a matter of hours.
I say that from unfortunate experience :| posted by jancola on 02.05.13 at 06:04PM Apartment TherapyThe Homies 2013The January CureToursApartmentKidsHouseWorkspaceRoomsBathroomBedroomDining RoomEntrywayKitchenLiving RoomOutdoor SpacePlayroomNursery & KidsHome OfficeGarageStorage & ClosetsProjectsHow ToBefore & AfterCraftingDecoratingRenovating ProjectsPaintingGardeningCustomizingOrganizingCleaningSpace PlanningTips & TechniquesWoodworkingReusingUpholsteryKids CraftsLife at HomeBudget LivingLuxury LivingPets at HomeHealthy LivingSmall SpacesSetting Up HomeEntertaining at HomeParentingMindful LivingGreen LivingRenters SolutionsDecor StylesHappy ModernEclectic CollectorNew TraditionalSimple ChicWarm IndustrialOrganic ModernClassic GlamDramatic ModernBefore & AfterSmall SpacesGood QuestionsBudget LivingGreen LivingVideoProductsAppliancesFurniture & AccessoriesGarden SupplyHardware & MaterialsHomekeeping & CleaningHome TechToys & GearLocalUSAustinBostonChicagoLos AngelesNew YorkPhiladelphiaPortlandSan FranciscoSeattleWashington DCInternationalCanadaEnglandFranceHollandItalyClassifiedsAll CategoriesTop Posts
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Hiroshima Sofa by N...The Seablanket by V...Pomegranate Glasses...Go to Apartment Therapy Marketplace Saving the world, one room at a time About Us Our Team Contact Us Email Updates Apartment Therapy Top Posts If you're going to have the drawer fronts open a lot of the time to operate the systems too, it might be fun to paint or paper the insides with some really cool pop of color too. :)
I love the white knobs. I hope the old hardware was in good enough shape to keep for another project someday - it looks fun too.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:51:09Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:51:09Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Kaete","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689735","user_id":"349047","body":"@Kaete Absolutely agree about the inside of the drawer fronts. Crisp white would look stellar!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:08Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:08Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"kayeu","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689736","user_id":"499971","body":"Great choice of colour! And I love the mismatched handles. I've done a similar project recently with a bedroom dresser bought for $150 at an auction house. Took everything to convince my man to go with a coral colour... it looks great in our master.... he admits it ;)","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:46Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T15:57:46Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"bgcreations","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689769","user_id":"87480","body":"Great job. Smart color choice.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T16:35:05Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T16:35:05Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"thorndale","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689779","user_id":"346565","body":"I love what you did with the video game drawers!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T16:44:20Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T16:44:20Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"cdeaton","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689789","user_id":"185037","body":"My husband put his foot down when I suggested something like this or us. The systems overheating is too great a risk, as Kaete mentioned. Still, for a simple DVD player and cable box they'd be awesome!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T16:54:29Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T16:54:29Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"DovieAnn","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689801","user_id":"63717","body":"I love this idea!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:05:12Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:05:12Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"pixiedust03","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689804","user_id":"454578","body":"Like the paint but wish the original handles had been kept!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:07:29Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:07:29Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Sammystyle","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689823","user_id":"501938","body":"Thanks for the comments everyone! We had a great time with this project and it made an awesome capstone to our January Cure.
@Kaete @DovieAnn I take your point about overheating my xbox, especially since we keep the drawer closed when in use, maybe installing something decorative on the side (http://tinyurl.com/afphvtc) would be a good workaround?
@Kayeu, @Kaete I agree that white would make the inside pop, maybe that'll be a target for phase 2...
Oh, and @SammyStyle, we've got the original handles set aside for a future project. Want em?
-(The Aformentioned Boyfriend)","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:18:06Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:18:06Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Swatters42","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689866","user_id":"492212","body":"Very nice - the blue is fantastic.","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:49:00Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:49:00Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Mary E.","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689873","user_id":"414985","body":"We just did something similar to our tv cabinet (with lots of ventilation holes!) Finished the blog post today - it goes up tomorrow morning at 1500sqft.com! ...I do love that blue finish btw!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T17:58:31Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T17:58:31Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Kate from 1500sqft","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1689890","user_id":"243396","body":"cool!!!","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T18:13:05Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T18:13:06Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"nycgreenmomma","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1690064","user_id":"30024","body":"I think that grill would help a lot, and be a really cool accent piece to the furniture to boot. :)","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T20:58:27Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T20:58:27Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"Kaete","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"},{"id":"1690172","user_id":"32423","body":"Swatters 42 - the grill is a great idea, as long as there's nothing next to this furniture that would block air flow. Until you get it installed, though, I wouldn't play the Xbox with the drawers closed. It will overheat and shut down in a matter of hours.
I say that from unfortunate experience :|","commentable_id":"183704","commentable_title":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects","commentable_site":"apartmenttherapy","commentable_url":"http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/before-amp-after-jennys-dresserturnedmedia-storage-january-cure-reader-projects-183704","deleted":"f","anonymous_display_name":null,"created_at":"2013-02-05T23:04:20Z","updated_at":"2013-02-05T23:04:20Z","commentable_type":"MovableTypePost","spam_status":"not spam","ancestry":null,"user_display_name":"jancola","commentable_title_text":"Before & After: Jenny's Dresser-Turned-Media Storage Makeover January Cure Reader Projects"}] }); comments.render(); comments.refresh(); });(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); var _comscore = _comscore || []; _comscore.push({ c1: "2", c2: "14868646" }); (function() { var s = document.createElement("script"), el = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.async = true; s.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js"; el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el); })(); (function(s, p, d) { var h=d.location.protocol, i=p+"-"+s, e=d.getElementById(i), r=d.getElementById(p+"-root"), u=h==="https:"?"d1z2jf7jlzjs58.cloudfront.net" :"static."+p+".com"; if (e) return; e = d.createElement(s); e.id = i; e.async = true; e.src = h+"//"+u+"/p.js"; r.appendChild(e);})("script", "parsely", document);
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