Five second lives for an old dresser

Dressers are some of the sturdiest pieces that come through any secondhand shop. They were built to be opened and shut thousands of times, and most of them have plenty of years left. When one stops working in the bedroom, it doesn't have to leave the house.

1. The entryway catch-all

Keys, dog leashes, gloves, the mail. A low dresser by the door gives every one of them a drawer, and the top becomes a landing spot for whatever you are carrying.

2. A media console

Take the top drawer out, drill a small hole in the back for cords, and the electronics disappear. The lower drawers hold everything else.

3. A kitchen island

Add casters and a butcher block top and a tall dresser becomes extra counter space with storage underneath.

4. A changing table that grows up

Pad the top for the baby years. Take the pad off later, and it is a dresser again.

5. Craft and sewing storage

Shallow drawers are perfect for thread, fabric, paper and paint, all sorted and out of sight.

The most sustainable piece of furniture is the one that already exists.

Before you start

• Check the drawers slide. A little paste wax on the runners fixes most sticking.

• Look for solid wood on the sides and back, not just the front.

• Measure the space twice and the dresser once more.

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