The ‘secure the filing cabinet’ project took longer than expected today, so the new dresser isn’t done yet. But there’s enough done for a decent sneak peek. My mother ordered me to only show what’s done and to not reveal the interior ever. Ha ha ha.

The new dresser offers about as much cubic storage space as did the cloth dresser, but in a more compact package. It goes floor to ceiling and fits in the space next to the shower with no overage. The extra three inches or so of clearance space through the dressing room might not sound like much, but it makes such a difference!

We built the dresser out of plywood. When it came time to secure the drawers, my mother’s initial idea of just putting a stopper in front of them didn’t work so well. We squeezed in a ninth drawer and there just wasn’t enough vertical room any more to lift a drawer over the stopper. So we both concluded that a door would be best.

My mother isn’t the kind of person to slap a door together with plywood, some trim, and 50 billion screws. Instead, she used pine 1″x2″s, some thin press board paneling, part of the leftover vinyl from the desk, stain, and wax to make this gorgeous Shaker-style door:

I can’t show the whole thing because we have to finish the top of the dresser for reasons I’ll get into when I do the proper reveal of the dresser that will show off some of the little construction details.

The door is held with a hook:

(I still need to stain and wax the front of the plywood casing. Don’t tell my mother I showed you that picture! 😀 )

Finally, the inside:

And there’s the starting point for the dresser. Originally, I was going to have a very simple structure to hold some plastic baskets. But my mother got inspired to use some empty wine crates as the drawers. They were of a perfect dimension for the space, so the dresser got built around them.

The dresser is secured to the rig with two toggle bolts. Obstructions in the ceiling wouldn’t let it go very far, so they are more insurance than anything.

Even though I haven’t gained any storage space, the new dresser’s dimensions and aesthetics make a huge difference. I also like having nine small drawers rather than six big drawers.

I’ve also finally figured out how to make the wardrobe work for me, so as soon as we complete that project, the dressing room will be done.

I don’t get any credit whatsoever for the dresser or any other jobs, btw. All I do is fetch tools, hold the wood for sawing, and help with the staining and waxing. My job involves a lot of stairs. 😀

This weekend, my mother and I are finishing up the wonderful new dresser for the dressing room. Today, I learned how to make a Shaker-style door, was initiated to brou de noix (a natural stain made from walnut shells), and I am left in charge of waxing. Tomorrow, we will hang the door and do the little finishing touches so I can do a reveal!

This project is also one of several to use SamaN brand fillers and stains. They are a Quebec-based company, but there is a US site, so the products may be available elsewhere in Canada.

The wood filler is latex-based so it will not shrink or crack, it is sandable, and it is stainable. So it’s great for fixing little problems in woodwork.

The SamaN stains are my favourite of their products.

The stains are water based and do not leave overlap marks. I have a bottle of their ‘oak’ colour and it is almost a perfect match for my woodwork. Every time I notice a chip, discoloration, or other mark, I dip a Q-tip in the stain, apply it, and then wipe it off with a tissue. It even works on the pressboard casings that have worn edges. What an easy way to do maintenance and a great product to keep your RV woodwork looking nice over time!