Reuse Accent Furniture For Charming Kitchen Storage Cabinets On A Budget

Ample and stylish kitchen cabinetry can go a long way toward making kitchens more functional and beautiful to use. While cabinet styles can vary greatly according to the aesthetic of any kitchen, they can often be expensive to remodel, especially when custom designed. This leaves many kitchens stuck with decades-old cabinets whose layouts and formatting are not always in line with today's needs. If you're looking for a budget friendly way to bring more storage and usability to your kitchen, there may be an unexpected solution. Ordinary dressers and bureaus typically found elsewhere in your home can easily be repurposed for kitchen storage and workspace with only a few modifications. They can not only boost your storage game, but can also serve as great pieces of furniture in lieu of traditional cabinets. 

Dresser upcycle ideas are plentiful, including using them for clever laundry basket organization or to repurpose the drawers. Placing a dresser in your kitchen is another ingenious reuse of any favorite pieces you may have kicking around your own home that you don't need, but it can also be a perfect way to bring home thrifted and flea market gems you may find. The durability and style variations of antique or vintage dressers, in particular, make for stylish upcycles in the kitchen, especially for spaces with a rustic or vintage feel.

Dressers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with varying drawer dimensions that are perfect for storing everything from table linens to pantry staples. Tired of rummaging blind in deep cabinets?  Drawers allow you to see everything in one sweep of the eye. Deeper drawers are perfect for storing pots and pans, large bowls, and serving platters. They can also be a great spot to stash mid-size appliances like blenders, toasters, and food processors so you can keep all the parts and accessories together. 

Even if you decide to remove the drawers to create other storage means like shelves and bins, the solid wood construction of many dressers and the intricately carved details can be a great way to get a luxe custom look at a low price tag by using the existing wood casing. The top surface can also be great for adding additional work and cooking space — just put a polyurethane coat or marble slab on top. 

Use an old low dresser for a cute at-home coffee bar with a lot of storage underneath for mugs and brewing accessories, or reuse it as a stylish home bar that can store bottles and glassware away and out of sight. Repurpose a long dresser as a buffet or kitchen island by refinishing the casing and top, then removing some of the lower drawers to create open space underneath. You can even add an overhang with L-brackets to accommodate some stools or add casters to the bottom.

Enlist a tall bureau as a pantry or pie safe by removing the drawers, adding shelves on the existing supports, and creating doors on the front made with a simple wood frame covered by chicken wire, wire mesh, or caning. You can also replace drawers with sliding wire basket bins perfect for storing root vegetables. Even a small dresser unit with narrow drawers, like a lingerie chest, can be used for storing items like silverware, utensils, and table linens. Flat drawers are also excellent for stashing things like plastic bags, foil, and parchment paper inside.