When I was planning a recent kitchen renovation, I hit a major snag. I wanted to use the existing cabinets to save money, but I knew I needed to add more drawer space. Trying to match the home’s original cabinets turned into a total nightmare. Beyond the storage, the room felt a bit cold—even with the cool checkerboard flooring. It was missing something. If you know me, you know I like a touch of vintage warmth in every single space to make it feel like home.
That’s when I turned to my favorite place for a design challenge: Facebook Marketplace.
It took a few weeks, but I found a gorgeous piece that made my heart skip a beat! It had two problems. One, the piece was an awkward height for a kitchen cabinet, and the delicate wood top stood zero chance against daily living (especially food prep). I knew I had to get creative if I wanted to use it.
Here is how a little bit of DIY magic turned a Facebook find into the most functional (and favorite) corner of the new kitchen.
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I do Love a Good FBMP Find!
There are few things I love more than a good Facebook Marketplace hunt, and searching for the perfect cabinet for this kitchen was no exception. After a few weeks of daily scouring, I found it! This dresser was in pristine condition and was an absolute steal at $100.
When I was hunting for the perfect piece, I had a specific checklist. It absolutely had to have three or four deep drawers for all the extra storage I needed, and they had to slide open easily—no one wants to fight a sticky drawer on a daily basis! But what totally sealed the deal for me were those beautiful handles. They have so much character and were exactly what I had in mind.
How I Modified It to Make It a Functional Workhorse
As beautiful as it is (just look at those pretty pulls and keyholes), the dresser height (30.5 inches) isn’t ready for kitchen duty straight off Facebook. First up: we needed to add some height. No backbreakers here!
Adding Height:
Standard kitchen tasks are more comfortable at around 36 inches, so I found these fluted legs on Amazon (they measure about 5.5 inches and, luckily, they fit into the existing holes left from removing the original wheel hardware (I saved them for a later project) making installation a breeze!
The legs got the piece to a comfortable counter height. To help the new legs blend in better, I experimented with a custom mix of Minwax Cherry Stain and Minwax English Chestnut Stain to closely match the original finish.
Adding the Countertop:
Next up was figuring out the countertop. Marble would have been a lovely addition, but I could not find any remnants that fit and were also in my budget. Butcher block is my usual go-to, but since the rest of the kitchen counters are butcher block, I really wanted something that offered contrast. Plus it needed to be durable. The apartment will be a mid-term rental, so it needs to withstand some abuse. The current wood top stands zero chance in such a high-traffic zone, so I decided to top it with a large-format porcelain tile. It is incredibly durable and ready to withstand spills, knives, and whatever else people throw at it.
I found this one at Floor and Decor—it’s absolutely gorgeous, with subtle veining that perfectly echoes the blues and browns in the rest of our space. It ended up being less than $50.00. Once we got it home, Dave (my hubby and partner in all things reno-related) cut the tile to fit. I then sanded the edges to make sure there were no sharp edges.
Next, we glued the tile piece to the dresser itself using liquid nails. I wasn’t concerned about damaging the top, as it is to be a permanent piece of kitchen cabinetry.
We left that to dry for a couple of days. I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out!!
Thinking Outside the Box
Adding furniture to your kitchen is a beautiful, unexpected way to infuse warmth and character into your home. If you’re looking to try this in your own space, don’t feel limited to a dresser! You could easily bring in a vintage wooden table to use as a freestanding island, or even swap out a stainless-steel trash can for a beautiful woven wood hamper. Don’t be afraid to try something unexpected.
I use wood pieces in most of the kitchens I have designed. It truly helps balance out all of the stainless steel and all-white cabinets. I used a similar idea in our Lake House; we were short on space, so I found a tall cabinet that had been used as a store display piece to serve as our pantry, which completely transformed how the room functions. If you want to see how that turned out, you can check out my post on Adding Wood to Warm Up White Kitchen Cabinets: A Pantry Idea
At the end of the day, a kitchen should feel just as cozy and lived-in as the rest of your house. By looking past a piece’s original purpose and getting a little creative with modifications, you can get custom, character-rich storage without the custom-cabinetry price tag. I am so thrilled with how this little corner turned out!
Let me know what you think? Would you try this?
Shop the rest of the kitchen here:
https://shopmy.us/collections/public/6213834?noHeader=true
Until next time,
-Libbie
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