The Case for Dressers as TV Stands

In the past few years we have all been replacing (or wanting to replace) our giant CRT TVs for flat screens versions. With flat screens there are a lot of newfangled TV stands but they are expensive and in my opinion pretty ugly.

When I moved in to this house I didn't have a TV or a TV stand so I had to buy both. For some reason I had it in my head that a dresser would be the perfect TV stand. I am sure this was inspired by something or someone but I don't remember what or who now. All I know is that I searched craigslist for weeks until I found the perfect dresser for my new TV.*

I love it! (Although I think I have a crook in my arm because all my pictures turn out crooked...huh?) I spent more on my dresser than necessary because it was refinished by an artist, but using a dresser as a TV stand can be a really cheap option. Craigslist is always flush with dresser options and if you are willing to put in a little elbow grease you could really have something special on your hands. Here is the #1 reason I love dressers as TV stands:

DRAWERS. Most TV stands have open shelves which just isn't practical. I know because I used to have one and it just always looked like a hot mess. DVDs were stacked everywhere, the cords were visible from the front, and they were always dusty (more on how much I hate dust here). That is why I love having drawers so much. All my DVDs fit in there perfectly and it is all dust free! In the top two drawers I have miscellaneous items like the TV manuals, remotes, and boardgames. I realize that some of you have all kinds of electrical equipment like gaming consols and multiple TV boxes (cable, DVR, blue-ray, etc) but this solution is great for those of us with a more basic set up. Here are some inspiring images of dressers as TV stands to further prove my point.

Eclectic Living Room design by Philadelphia Design-build Design Manifest

These two images show two small matching dressers pushed together for a seamless looking TV stand. The best thing about this look is that if you ever move or don't need a TV stand anymore you still have two cool matching dressers to use anywhere else in the house (nightstands, end tables, etc). Also, if I'm not crazy, those two black dressers are IKEA Rast hacks which turned out much cooler than mine! (image sources: black dressers, chevron dressers)

These images show how people have taken pretty basic dressers and removed a few strategic drawers to house the necessary TV boxes. Brilliant! I'm sure they also drilled holes in the back for the chords... such creative thinking. (image sources: 1,2, and 3)

This dresser transformation, though not obvious from this picture, transformed a really ugly $35 dresser from a Habitat ReStore to something fun and practical with a bright coat of teal paint and new knobs.

So are you guys on board with dressers as TV stands or are you sticking with an official TV stand?

*I chose a VIZIO Smart TV because I didn't want to pay for cable but I do use Netflix Instant so with this 'smart TV' I can watch Netflix on my TV (there are also other apps like Amazon Video, Hulu Plus, and Pandora).