Welcome to the 866th Metamorphosis Monday! I hope you are enjoying some rest this Labor Day weekend. We had a fun game day here and chowed down on City Barbecue at halftime. Georgia won 45 – 7, so that was a great game to kick off our very first game day in the movie/game room. For this week’s Met Monday, I’m sharing a new addition to my bedroom: a large dresser I put together a few weeks.
I purchased this dresser as a temporary piece since I’m not sure when I’ll move here full-time. Before I added it, I was storing pajamas, lingerie, socks, and such in the drawers of my bedside tables. I grew tired of walking around and around the bed to reach the clothes I needed, so I decided to look for an inexpensive dresser for the alcove in this bedroom. Assembly was pretty easy. There were a few times that I could have used a second person to hold something, but I’m used to putting things together by myself, so I always find a way.
Sometimes, with furniture that has drawers like this one, it’s necessary to attach the rails/sliders that the drawers will glide across. This dresser came with the rails already connected to the interior parts, as well as the slider rails on the drawers. So there was no need for me to attach any of those parts. Everything went great until the very end, when I discovered the two long, shallow drawers at the top do not fit well on their slider rails. At one point, I removed the drawers and swapped their positions. That helped a small amount, but didn’t fix the issue entirely.
If you look closely, you’ll notice the top drawer on the left side of the dresser drags a little in the bottom right corner of the drawer. The top drawer on the right side of the dresser is a bit too high on the bottom left corner. I think a couple of the rails/sliders were put on slightly in the wrong position. I may try to adjust the slider mechanism that’s attached to each drawer, but I don’t want to make it worse since it does at least function for now. All the other drawers worked out fine. Dresser is available here: 9-Drawer Dresser.
Over the years, I’ve put together quite a few pieces of furniture, and there are two tips I would like to share that I’ve learned. Tip 1: Buy a bottle of wood glue, and as you assemble a piece, use a drop of wood glue on any wood pegs/dowels that are required during the assembly. This piece came with wood glue, but I prefer using my favorite wood glue, which is this one: Wood Glue for Building and Repairs. Tip 2: Go easy with the drill. When I assemble a piece, I normally use my DeWalt drill to install a screw partway, then I hand-tighten the screw the rest of the way once I have all the screws in. I think the negative comments that you often see on furniture that has to be assembled are due to damage that occurs when people go gung ho with a drill and the screw isn’t well centered and splinters the wood, or they way over-tighten the screw. So, go slow with the drill and save those last few turns of the screw for tightening by hand.
Overall, I’m very pleased with this piece and it’s meeting my needs in this space for now. Shutter Update: You may remember that I asked my shutter guy to design the shutters for this window so that the two panels in the left window fold back to the left and the two panels in the right window fold back to the right. They goofed and designed them to open center, so they are being rebuilt. Once installed, they should look the same as they do now; they will just open/function differently. Those should be ready in about 2-3 more weeks.
I need a lamp for this dresser, don’t I? You know this lamp crazy woman is always looking for new places to squeeze a lamp into a room.
I haven’t done a puzzle in ages! Late last night, I started this one and stayed up until 2:30 working on it. I didn’t want to stop! Puzzles are so addictive!
If you’re looking for a fun puzzle as the temps begin to drop, this one is delightful! There are so many fun elements to find—love puzzles like that! This one has a lot of cute animals; there are 4 cats, 1 dog, 6 birds, and 6 butterflies. I love puzzles that incorporate lots of critters! You’ll find this beautiful puzzle available here: Garden Puzzle.
Looking forward to all the wonderful Before and Afters linked for this week’s Met Monday! Like to know when a new blog post is up? Subscribe for email updates (it’s free) and your email will never be shared. Subscribe for free email post updates here: Subscribe.
Metamorphosis Monday: Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. Please link up your Before and After projects like DIY projects, room makeovers, craft projects even recipes. Please do not link up Table Settings; save those for our Tablescape Thursday party on Thursday. If you are participating in Met Monday, link your post to the party using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on the name of your post, then copy and paste the address (that shows in the address bar at the top of your blog) into the “url” box for InLinkz when prompted.
Boy, you couldn’t have found a more perfect fit for that cubby space, Susan. It looks good, but I understand your annoyance with the fit of the sliding rails. Your tips are well taken with the glue and drill. I was just gluing the legs on a small vintage stool yesterday (we use them as risers in the antique mall). I used E6000 and it didn’t phase it, but had Gorilla wood glue on hand and that did the trick. I’ll keep your brand on my shopping list. Thanks. Happy September.
Oh, I bet the Gorilla wood glue is good, too! Thanks, Rita!
XXX
Unable to add link – party not open for 4 more hours it states.
Sorry, Charlotte. I accidentally set the time for PM instead of AM. You should be able to link up now.
Nice looking dresser and looks so perfect in the space. I didn’t notice the drawer until you pointed it out! Good tips on building furniture. I think as a rule whether working with wood or metal you never completely screw everything together tight until all the screws are placed. I’m always afraid I’m going to mess something up, but I have put a lot of garden trellis and garden seats together. On the shutters when they replace, will you have to patch where the hinges were installed? Don’t you find it disappointing when a project fails and you have to wait for it to be completed properly? I just had that happen. Do you feel tired in the morning when you go to bed so late? I did the same last night and I’m t.i.r.e.d!
Cute dresser, Susan! Sorry about the small imperfections. Maybe you can fix them. It looks perfect in that spot. I love that it’s just the right width and height, and has lots of drawers.
Not to taunt you or anything (heehee) but we’ve been having heavenly weather down south. Heavenly!! It’s been so beautiful. I hope it’s just as nice where you are. 😀 Have a great week.
It’s been beautiful here, too…feels like early spring. We need rain, though…the grass is suffering. But it’s been gorgeous! Glad you guys are seeing beautiful weather, too!
That dresser looks great the that space – you always have such a good eye. And, no joke, the first thing I thought when I saw it was, “if it were me, I’d add a lamp, or maybe a pair of small lamps, to the top :)!” Im a fellow lamp aficionada.
To add to your good tips about putting furniture together and specifically about installing screws, one thing I always do is put all the screws in with a little hand pressure first, then I tighten little by little going across the piece. So if I have screws on right and left – I’ll put all in just enough to hold. Then I’ll tighten (by hand or drill) one on the left, then one on the right, the same amount, and back and forth til they’re all done. I’ve found sometimes if I tighten one side down completely and then start adding and tightening screws on the other, they won’t line up! Hope that makes sense.
That is so true! Great tip! I know, I’m trying to resist buying more lamps since I have so many already in GA, but that dresser really needs one. lol
I would suggest you get help getting the rails placed correctly for the drawers. Could your son or daughter-in-law help you to get the drawers done correctly. Sometimes these small corrections need a lot of time and a second pair of hands to get “just right”. Very nice cabinet and looks well in your bedroom. The added drawers must be great.
Thanks, Linda! It works okay, just looks a bit wonky. I’ll probably do that sometime, have to get in the mood to fiddle with it. lol
Love the dresser, looks perfect in the space.
Thanks, Connie!
The dresser looks great and it is a perfect fit….
Thanks so much for hosting this charming party!!! I truly do appreciate it as I do know the time involved with it….I hope you and your family are well and enjoying your week!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Thanks, Deb!
Such a great piece. But that drawer business is disconcerting, to say the least. I would contact the manufacturer’s customer service department and see what they offer you in the way of a solution. At bare minimum you need schematics and measurements for where those metal pieces were SUPPOSED to be mounted. Replacement drawers would be an ideal response from them. Please keep us posted on the outcome! Fingers crossed.
I doubt there’s much they can do, but I should probably contact them to let them know. I’m not sure if the issue is the rails on the large side pieces or if it’s the placement of the rails/sliders on the drawers. If it was the drawers, that would be great and easy to replace.
I really like that dresser! And kudos to you for putting it together! It really fits well in that space. You’ve made your Ohio home so comfortable.
Thanks, Judy! Just adding a few pieces here and there so things are more comfortable when I’m in Ohio.
Susan, if you had not pointed it out, I would have thought it was a custom piece because it fits and looks perfectly designed for the space. I like the dark top. With the shutters closed, they look great. You’re right to have them corrected for piece of mind. A plant, book and new lamp and done. I love all the built ins and cubby holes and fairy doors in that house. Pantry envy. Are you going to fire up one of the fireplaces with cooler weather there ?
Look at a new home today in this area and the first floor looks like a bowling alley. Not a fan of the open concept.
I looked at a lot of dressers online before I chose that one. I wanted it to fill up the same without being too big.
Thanks! I really like that about this house, too. It’s those fun built-ins, cubby holes and fairy doors that really give a house its personality.
If you keep the dresser, you might want to try some knobs more the color of your nightstands.
That’s a great idea! Thanks, Pearl!
The dresser is pretty, little things that aren’t exactly right annoy me too! It looks great in that space! Moving to Ohio in winter, gasp is so cold! I’m sure you will make the right decision!
Don’t worry, I still have the GA house so when it gets too cold here, I can head back to GA. Not sure I want to permanently live in a place that gets super cold in the winter.
That dresser is so perfect there it looks as though it is a built-in kind. It’s really great there. Sorry about the sliders being a bit off. I hate it when that happens – and it happens much too frequently. Hope you can remedy that soon. But it really does look fabulous. As do the shutters. That home is really looking amazing, Susan.
Thanks, Michele! Thankfully, the drawers work fine, just looks a bit off which I don’t like. Awww, thanks! Appreciate that so much!
Love the dresser – even though those top two drawers are problematic. Thanks for the assembly tips, and so glad your team won for the first game in the movie room. You all have so much fun! Thanks for hosting too, and Happy September!
I’m so glad that happened, too. Thanks, Barbara! Happy September to you! It’s def feeling more fallish here with each passing day.
In looking at the picture I would assume the rails the drawers slide on are what need to be adjusted, not the sliding rail part on the drawer themselves.
I’d be more inclined to ask for a dresser replacement because on cheaper furniture you aren’t always dealing with quality wood that can take a lot of “adjusting”. Just my experience. Sometimes these kinds of imperfections can be lived with and after a while you stop seeing them! Good luck.
Yeah, I’m not sure. They look pretty straight on the drawers, when I pull them out and look at them. I will probably just continue using it as it is since it was meant to be temporary and it does work okay, even with them being slightly off.
Thanks, Toni!
The dresser looks simply perfect in that space! And yes, now the fun of adorning it with a new lamp. Can’t wait to see what you find.
Thanks, Suzanne!
Measure the placement of the rails on the right side (the drawer that is perfect) and compare that with the left side drawer. It’s either the rails or the rollers that are slightly askew and need adjustment. It’s common with disassembled furniture. If you order another one, it might have other issues. Looks nice in the space.
Thanks for those suggestions, Cathy…good idea to measure and see how they differ.