Nope, this isn’t a weight-loss post. The “scale” I’m talking about is a too-small, well-used bookshelf we shoved into the guest room a few months ago (just days before my mom arrived). It was tiny and had been doing duty until we made some recent changes.
We also forgot to mention a small switch that happened after we brought a very old dresser—an unexpected gift from John’s dad—into the bedroom. Long story short: our old MALM dresser from Ikea (brought with us when we moved from NYC to Richmond five years ago) was moved into the guest room. For a while it looked a little plain on top:
The scale is better with the MALM in place. Someday we’d love to find a thrift-store dresser or cabinet—ideally a sturdier, wider solid-wood piece—since our MALM has a wonky drawer and a few scratches if you look closely. For now it works perfectly because it was free and already ours.
It sat there a bit lonely until late last week when I went digging through our chaotic storage room (the future playroom/second kids’ bedroom) to find a big mirror I’d scored for $5 at a garage sale. That mirror used to hang above the dresser in our old guest room, then in our old sunroom, and it had been wrapped in bubble wrap and leaning in the corner since we moved. It’s slightly wider than the MALM—about a one-inch overhang on each side—but that’s how it was in previous spaces, so it feels familiar and fine for now. Eventually we’ll upgrade the dresser to something a bit wider and more solid, but until then the tiny overhang is no big deal.
Regarding safety: Clara never uses this room unsupervised (we keep the door closed), and I’ve tested the dresser by slamming the door and tugging on it a few times to make sure it doesn’t tip. It stayed put, but if the room becomes a more frequent play space we’ll anchor the dresser to the wall for extra peace of mind.
Of course I added a few guest-friendly touches on top of the dresser. You know me—there had to be something inviting: a stack of magazines, a book called The United Cakes of America (because who doesn’t enjoy drooling over incredible cake photography and history), and our piggy bank where change inevitably collects. For some reason the piggy bank always ends up in the guest room—just like in our last house—so if you stay with us you’ll know we really trust you.
I love that the dresser provides practical storage for guests’ clothing and also a place for us to tuck spare toiletries and towels in the top drawer—small conveniences that make staying over easier.
Best of all, this whole guest-room shuffle cost us nothing—thanks to inheriting the dresser from John’s parents. There’s a special satisfaction in improving a space without spending a single cent.
Have you rearranged furniture lately, struggled with scale, or scored an amazing curbside find? I love hearing those stories—especially the ones about free treasures that fit perfectly into a home. They keep the dream of the next great find alive.