17 Types of Dressers for The Bedroom
What is a dresser?
The technical dresser definition is a short, wide piece of furniture with multiple drawers in two or more columns with 6 or more drawers. A chest of drawers is a tall, narrow piece of furniture with multiple drawers.
Dresser Types and Ideas
The first major decision to make when looking for a new dresser for your home is: what design do you want?
This will greatly narrow your choices down and provide a clean starting point in your quest. The overall design of a dresser is its most defining feature, giving way to the considerations of build, style, and any other features.
Discover many dresser ideas in this extensive list of 18 different types of dressers and chest of drawers for your bedroom. Amazingly there are many types, designs and styles. Beautiful collection of cheap and expensive dressers.
Dressers may seem like one of the more utilitarian pieces of furniture. Something of high value and everyday use, yet nonetheless overlooked when it comes to designing an appealing look for your home. The truth is that a new dresser can be just as much of a standout centrepiece as any, much more obvious piece of furniture.
We are here to break down the options and sort out the wide array of dresser options for anyone looking to purchase a new model for their home.
We start with design, the most important aspect of any dresser. This informs the shape, function, and overall look, and will be the first consideration to make. Look at the handful of different build materials for your new dresser. Nevertheless here is a list of dressers you can buy.
1. Standard Horizontal Dresser
The standard dresser design came from one of the oldest pieces of furniture invented: the chest. These are horizontally oriented, squat in profile, and contain usually two columns of drawers.
2. Standard Vertical Chest
The vertical chest, also known as a tallboy, is much taller than the standard dresser design, with a double stack of drawers comprising a column shaped piece of furniture. Sometimes the upper half is replaced by a cupboard, which makes it into an armoire.
3. Modern Dresser
Modern style is devoted to a particular strain of design originating in the 20th century, with clean, futuristic lines in novel configurations. Our example here is on the extreme end of futuristic, but still fits the general idea of a forward looking visual language in a neatly packaged design.
4. Lingerie Chest
The lingerie chest, also known as a semainier, traditionally holds seven drawers, meant for each day of the week. The design is tall, long, with deep and narrow drawers.
5. Contemporary Dresser
Contemporary design is a look that is “of the now,” containing obviously up to date styling and touches that could come from no previous era. There are no predefined stylistic tics for contemporary furniture; a wealth of varying details can nail this look.
6. Combo Dresser
The combo dresser design is in fact a combination of two major elements. Most models combine a standard squat dresser with a tall cabinet. This allows for more storage options in a single piece of furniture.
7. Traditional Dresser Styles
Traditional style features a timeless, detailed look, with carved wood structures, a bit of embellishment, and straight lines and general shape.
8. Wicker/Rattan
Wicker, also known as rattan, is a type of woven material that can be crafted from natural fibres or plastic. Strong, resistant to moisture and stains, and surprisingly lightweight, this material makes appearances on many cottage style designs, and is often incorporated within wood structures as the drawer is built.
9. Gentlemen’s Chest
The gentlemen’s chest is a configuration wherein the drawer column is paired with a large vertically oriented cabinet door. This holds a large cavity where hung suits, pants, and other clothing may be stored.
10. Distressed Dresser
Another popular style, especially for the DIY crowd, is the distressed dresser which intentionally is done to look aged and worn giving it an antique look. Yes, you can actually buy distressed looking dressers and chest of drawers. Below is an example of a new dresser done in the distressed style.
11. Wood Dresser
With wood, you get a full galaxy of options and configurations, as the venerable material has gone through every design permutation in the dresser’s long history. From minimalist to rustic to elaborate contemporary styles, wood can be found in an array of dresser designs.
12. Leather Dresser
While the framework of the dresser itself is built from wood, some pieces boast a fully leather surface, for a rich, textural look. This example features button tufted drawers in white leather upholstery.
13. Rustic Dresser
With a look centred around timeworn, natural, weather-beaten textures and tones, rustic style is the epitome of old fashioned, homespun furniture. Dressers of this type will use distressed wood, soft metal hardware, and a utilitarian framing.
14. Dresser Materials
Dressers are one of the few categories of furniture that are routinely made of one material, wood. Beyond merely tradition, wood construction in dressers is simply the most versatile and reliable building material. While the majority of dressers will be wood, there are notable exceptions.
15. Metal Dresser
While much less common than wood, metal dressers can be found in a variety of designs. From fully metal models, like our example here, to hybrid dressers employing metal along with wood, the material can be used for innovative purposes, and provide a lighter weight frame.
16. Cottage Dresser
Cottage style is meant to evoke a relaxed, warm, and soft country living feeling, with carved wood, light tones, and a lived in appearance.
17. Bachelor’s Chest
A specifically more minimalist framing of the dresser form, the bachelor’s chest features a single column of drawers in a more squat, sometimes narrow frame. Originally, these had a slanted surface for writing, but most have horizontal surfaces nowadays.
