Saving Grandma’s Dresser

In the past 48 hours I have acquired four, yes FOUR, “Grandma’s dressers.” Three were at a church rummage sale. I was told that it killed the parishioner who donated them to give them up, but they had been sitting in his garage for far too long. They were beautiful, but quite dated, and also in need of some repair. The fourth was a freebie that a family just wanted GONE. They hated to let go of it because it was Grandma’s. But it was too big to fit in their new home.

Why are so many “Grandma’s dressers” languishing in garages and being given away to anyone who will come pick them up? Most are solid wood and are made using a level of craftsmanship that you rarely see anymore. Because they are so well made, even if they’re damaged they are usually repairable. Many have beautiful details that cannot be easily replicated and would make a huge statement in a room. So why are there so many orphan “Grandma’s dressers?”

For one thing, the trend in Grandma’s day was very dark, cherry-toned wood that, frankly, is no longer in style. Most people prefer painted wood and/or a lighter stain ( or dark stain without the red tones – hello, Espresso! ). Yes, the wood could be stripped and a different stain applied. But the same beautiful detail that makes many of these pieces so lovely also makes them a pain in the tuckus to strip. Trust me. Been there, done that, burned the t-shirt!

The other reason these dressers are often orphaned is because many are so freaking HUGE! Raise your hand if you’ve ever lived in a hundred-year-old house. If you raised your hand, you know why the dressers were huge. No closets! Or if someone added a closet at some point, it’s the size of a postage stamp. Clothes gotta go somewhere besides being draped over unused exercise equipment. They also were made to accomodate items that we no longer have as part of our daily lives. What are you going to put in a hanky drawer in this age of disposable tissues? How much could even fit?

Between the imposing size and dark stain, Grandma’s dresser can be overwhelming in many spaces, even if it technically fits. Yes, many of us enjoy having statement pieces. We don’t want them to be screaming at the top of their lungs, “Look at me! I have something to say!” So what’s a person to do? Yes, paint is a thing, so that can help tone down the screams. And there are gel stains that can be used over existing finishes ( although some are basically paint you apply with a rag 🙂 ) as long as you give them a good sanding first. “But it’s still so BIG! I just don’t have space in my bedroom for it!”

Two things I want to submit that may not have occured to you. First is that you don’t HAVE to use it in a bedroom as a dresser. It could go in a laundry room, a dining room, an office . . . anywhere you need more storage. I mean, couldn’t we all use more storage just about everywhere? Drawers don’t have to remain drawers. Remove a drawer and replace it with a piece of wood, and voila! You have a shelf!

Also, you don’t have to live with it being its current size. You can often reduce it to more manageable dimensions with the careful use of a circular saw. Yes, it can be daunting, downright scary even, to cut into your heirloom piece, however it actually isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be the first time. It may mean putting on a new bottom, or a new top, or you may be able to dismantle it in a way that allows you to re-use what it came with. Regardless, even if you change it somewhat drastically, it’s still Grandma’s dresser. You’ll still think of her when you see it in your home for years to come.

One final note: Before you go about making changes, major or minor, I strongly suggest that you look for a maker’s mark or label. If you find one, PLEASE do some research on whether or not Grandma’s dresser is actually a valuable antique. It would be awful to find out later that it would have been worth $20,000 if only you hadn’t painted it blue. 🙂