Meet the dresser of my beach house dreams. You may have seen it on Instagram, but here’s the full story of how it came to live in our front bedroom.
I found this gorgeous inlay dresser on Craigslist—yes, Craigslist. I practically squealed when I saw the listing. The seller had originally listed it for $650 and even shared a photo of the HomeGoods price sticker showing she paid $1,200. The same style currently retails for much more at national retailers, so it felt like a real find. I adored it, but at first it was out of my budget for the beach house.
I reached out and told the seller I loved the dresser but couldn’t afford it—if she didn’t sell it, to please let me know. She replied that she wasn’t ready to drop the price, and I tried to move on. But I kept the idea of that dresser in my head and refused to buy anything else for that spot. A month later she emailed: no buyers at $650, would I take $400? I said yes immediately.
Buying a secondhand piece for $400 felt like a splurge for me, especially since the dresser had some damaged inlay pieces. Even so, it was still much more valuable than a budget dresser from a big box store, and my husband was on board, so we brought it to the beach house where it felt meant to be.
Once it was in place, I tackled the next challenge: repairing the cracked and missing inlay. The damage was more noticeable up close than in my Instagram photos. The corner showed several missing and broken tiles, but with a little research I learned that inlay pieces are often set in plaster, which led me to an easy repair idea.
I used joint compound (spackle) to fill gaps and rebuild the missing areas. Spackle sands smoothly and can be painted after it dries, making it a great option for small inlay repairs. After filling the cracks and shaping the surface, I sanded it and prepared to match paint to the surrounding tiles.
Matching the blue-gray tones was straightforward using paints we already had—mixing a darker blue with our soft sand wall color yielded a nearly perfect match. The yellow tone in one small front tile was trickier because we didn’t have a yellow paint that matched closely, so that spot looks a bit lighter in the photos. I plan to bring yellow paint back with me on our next trip to fine-tune the match and add a second spackle coat where needed to smooth out any shrinkage.
The repair isn’t perfect yet, but the pattern on the dresser helps disguise the patched areas, and you really have to look closely to spot the work in person. Once I add a bit more yellow paint and a smoothing coat of spackle, it will blend even better.
We hung a mirror above the dresser and added curtains (Ikea Lenda panels with ring clips after removing the tabs), which helped finish the look of the front bedroom. The room feels airy and layered: the high-contrast bed frame and dark curtain rods balance the soft textiles—the curtains, bedding, and rug—while small details like the spool legs on the side tables and the lamp’s geometric base add interest.
Despite the furnishings, the real stars of the house are the original heart pine floors we had sanded and clear-sealed and the restored doors stripped back to their natural wood. Their warmth pairs beautifully with the cooler, beach-inspired palette in the room.
Even small things—a solid wood knob and a tiny keyhole—make me oddly emotional. This room is nearly finished, and the dresser that felt meant for this space now feels right at home.
*This post may reference items we used in the house.*