I love seeing pieces used in different ways. I think it could be really nice. I once had an antique dresser in my living room and everyone commented on it.

Here is a better pic of the current bookcase that I want to replace:

The dresser is wider and will hopefully cover all those cords. (Funny how you never notice it until you see it in a pic.)

I like the idea of the dresser actually. But I am not sure THE dresser you want to use is the right scale for your family room. I guess you will be a better judge of that.

Nami

Thanks greenmtn.

nami, no time to be nice. I need advice :) What scale are you thinking?

Hi,
Love your room. I have used a dresser but it had a lamp and framed pics on top, not a TV. Is your dresser shorter than the bookshelf? It seems like if it is about the height of the couch and just sort of disappears when the TV is not on, it might work better. I'd try it before painting (or post a pic and maybe someone can photoshop it black for you?) to see if the height works and the width.

Does it compare at all in height & width to the one below? It seems to me the one in the link would look great in that room so yours should too.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: TV Stand

I really like the idea of using the dresser and I think it's better than what you have there. As far as scale of any piece, if you look at it in place with that in mind and it looks right (not too small or big) you're probably right on the money.

I also think the dresser would look wonderful in that room and you can paint it to blend better.

I really like seeing dressers in other rooms, I think they look nice and are useful for storage. It's hard to tell, but the one you have pictured looks like it might work well. I would like it to be a little shorter than the bookcase, if possible, and wider (which it looks to be). Do you have the dresser? I would definitley put it in there to see how you feel.

I agree that the bookcase looks out of scale. It is 36" high x 24" wide. The dresser is 33" high x 30" wide.

whenicit, thanks for the link. I do like that one. And, yes I should clean out that dresser and bring it downstairs and try it. lol (Tried to talk myself into it today but it didn't work.)

Thanks for the input oceanna and lynn2006.

Kelly, you up for some furniture lugging? Show us a picture of the dresser in the spot its supposed to go. I agree with polkadots that it needs to be wider and shorter than the bookcase you have.

Nami

Hi polkadots, we must have been posting at the same time. Yep, it is upstairs waiting for me to try it out. I agree with everyone who likes dressers in other rooms. I saw a TV show once that had a black dresser with a piece of marble on top. Really pretty but probably not in my room with a TV on it.

Thanks for coming back, nami. Maybe tomorrow night I will drag it down. I am starting to worry that it will be too tall even though it is 3" shorter than the bookcase.

All this talk about moving furniture is making me tired. Off to bed. Good night and thanks for all the feedback!

I think it would look great. I love seeing chests of drawers around the house too, not just in the br. (haha noticing the man with the power drill on tv -- we never stop, do we!)

Lol squirrelheaven. The first pic has Sarah Richardson. Not sure who that guy in the second pic is but I know that orange in my room won't work.

Thanks for the feedback.

My TV is on a dresser so I think it looks fine! LOL I have a lot of Prim antiques throughout the house and I wanted our furniture pieces in the living room to reflect that, so I bought an old dresser last year for $50 (total steal!) and that is where our TV sits. The drawers are great to stash DVD's, CD's, video games and anything else in!

I love your room, and think the lines of the dresser would work very well with your other pieces. I love the way the knobs are placed on the drawers! If you paint the dresser black, I could use the same placement but change the knobs to brushed nickel--perhaps even a square knob.

The proportions of the dresser seem good for your space as well. If you're really worried about the height, you could drop it a bit by removing the feet of the dresser and replacing them with small casters. Might bring it down a couple more inches. I guess the big question is what is the best height for viewing the television? Is it too high now?

I'm curious--how old is that dresser and what's it made of? If it's really nice wood, you could consider staining something much darker to blend in with the other wood tones in the room rather than painting.

Anyhow, I think using the dresser in that room is a great idea and the drawers will provide nice hidden storage space.

I love our old dresser that is in our living room - I keep linens, phone books and coasters in it :-).

I don't know what it would do to your viewing comfort, but I would put that dresser there in a heartbeat. (In fact, I just put one beside my sofa in my living room!) I love dressers in other rooms. Unmirrored, they're practical for any room!

We had our TV on an old dresser once upon a time and it worked great. We actually removed the top drawer, slid a piece of plywood in the opening -- creating a shelf -- and put the VCR and cable box inside. The dresser was a bit too tall, so as someone else mentioned, we did cut the legs off. I love your dresser and think it would look great w/ the TV!

.How exciting, people like my idea!

sweets, I agree the storage would be great.

teeda, I love the idea of square knobs in place of those ugly brass ones (that I picked out 15 years ago. lol) It is a very old piece made out of real wood. The drawers are a little flimsy so I am going to try beef them up. I tried staining it 15 years ago an you can see the results - not the best. But is was really light. (When blonde wood was in I think.) I LOVE dark wood but there is so much brown it the room. I have my mind set on black. Plus it would be alot less work.

Very nice, cattknap!

bungalow house and sueb20, great minds think alike!

Thanks all. I will post my progress.

If it looks good :-o

I agree with nami, I'm not sure of scale on that one.........but maybe?

Here's mine.

I have replaced the ceramic white knobs with heavy antique rustic ORB. But what can you expect for $40 from a yard sale?

Red

I think with the scale of your furniture, the chest isn't going to be much more effective than the bookcase. Why not a longer bookcase, to look more substantial? The chest is great, but I don't think it'll be much of an addition to the room.

Red, $40?! You are so lucky. And I love those little lamps. Too cool.

ideefixe, interesting idea. Are you thinking that it would extend below the picture? Or not that wide? Do you think redbazel should give me her dresser?

Thanks for the ideas and pics, everyone.

OK. Here it is. Not sure if I am liking it. (Trying to because it was so darn heavy to carry down the stairs.) I think it would look better if was black.

I am still thinking about whenicit's suggestion and ideefixe's idea of a longer piece.

What do you think?

A little lower and a little longer. Painted black might be nice too, or at least, a much darker wood tone, I think.

Red

I love the color of the dresser but black would work better in your family room and I think changing the knobs to silver. Then really think it wou work.

I totally agree with you, red. If it was lower and longer it could also serve as an end table for the couch and chair.

Thanks for your input too, lynn. If I can't find the right piece I am going to try it.

I like it better then the bookcase for the TV. I think painting it and changing the knobs would really help.

I love the green on your walls. Could you share the color and manufacter? Thanks.

Hi happyladi,

The paint is made by Devine and the color is called Moss. I like it, too. It is a gray-ish green.

Thanks for your input.

Here is a link that might be useful: Devine Paint

Well, I think the dresser's proportions are perfect for the television, but seeing it so close to the slipper chair doesn't look quite right. Would it be possible to pull the slipper chairs forwards a bit and then angle the dresser more in the corner near the window?

I also agree that until the dresser is painted, it's really hard to tell what the overall effect will be. I think a black dresser base combined with the black that's in the television set will make it look a lot more cohesive.

I wonder if anyone would be willing to photoshop the dresser in black so that we could all get a better perspective??

You could make it a wee bit shorter by knocking the legs off. I suppose you could saw it off such that you eliminated the bottom drawer altogether, then put the bottom back on?

Could you find a one-piece bar-type pull to replace the small gold knobs? The piece has a nice streamlined look, and I am imagining a smooth, bakelite-type brown or golden handle, or in a matching wood. I think it would look less double-breasted then.

I think I would try a different piece. Sorry, I expected it to be just a bit shorter than the couch. I wouldn't hack that one; I would look for another one instead, more along the lines of the dresser in cattknap's photo.

teeda, thanks for the input. Being in the room, I know that moving the furniture around won't work.

occeanna, knocking the legs wouldn't help much and taking off the bottom drawer is way too ambitous for me. lol Plus, the way it is made it would probably be too short!

jakabedy, I was thinking long pulls, too. I saw some that were in silver that looked like bamboo. Lots of fun choices out there.

bungalow house, thanks for the honesty. I agree with you. The more I look at it, the more I know that something else would look better. I like this dresser and can use it in another room. Maybe a bedroom?

Just my two cents... I would mount the TV on the wall with one of those swivel mounts (so you can watch from just about any angle) and use the chest somewhere else, either in that room or another, to display decorative items.

I'm using a buffet I just antiqued in my living room to house my TV. The DVD player is hidden inside the cabinet. I too love using pieces in other rooms other than what they may have been intended for.

Mindy

I wonder how it would look with black drawers and the rest left stained? Still too short I guess. LOL. It's a nice piece and glad to know it will find it's home elsewhere eventually.

rosewind, I have thought of mounting it on the wall but then I have to worry about the cords.

ggscherml, nice piece there!

whenicit, I'm not thinking it would look good that way. (The old finish isn't that great.)

I went shopping today with a list of things to buy. Nothing!! Doesn't it always go that way? You have decided to spend some money and then can't find anything.

Oh, well. Thanks everyone.

OK, I am apparently bored today. It is a billion degrees below wind chill here and igloochic and the other kitchen forum gals are going out for dinner tonight out East. I feel left out :(

My first thought was to ask for photoshop help to have someone put my head in a tropical scene with gorgeous men but I decided I should work on my FR instead.

So here is a pic of my bookcase on it's side. I now am thinking that I want to go with a longer piece. I think if it is narrow enough it might look nice. What do you think? I definitely like it lower than the dresser.

Hi Kelly: What about using a writing desk similar to below?

 30Hx34Wx19D"

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi Marcia, thanks for the idea but I definitely need something with a back on it because of all the cables that I need to hide. (It is a mess back there.)

Hi Kelly:

How about something like this?

Here is a link that might be useful: