Adding Legs to a Malm Dresser

When I started thinking about Tilley-Gray's nursery, I knew that I really wanted to invest money into a crib and a rocker/glider. I'm so happy with the ones that I ended up purchasing, but they were both pricey and I couldn't spend a lot of money on other items in the room.

 I liked the lines of Ikea's Malm dresser, but it was too short to function as a changing table as well and looked a little squatty for my taste, so we added legs, along with overlays, to dress it up a bit. 

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how we did it. Gray is really handy and extremely meticulous when it comes to projects, so I've asked him to share!

Supplies

1 Malm Dresser

5 legs from Lowe's

1 small tube of "liquid nails"

Several wood screws

1 piece of lumber (pine, white wood, oak) depending on whether you are painting or staining the wood. 

Directions

First, cut the piece of lumber to size to fit on the front of dresser to fill the gap between the two sides below the bottom drawers.  This will also increase the structural integrity of the dresser.  Once it is cut to size, attach it with a good bit of liquid nails and a few screws (screw from the back and get a screw that is not too long so it will not come through the front board). 

Next, attach the leg supports, one on each corner and one in the middle.  

Then all you have to do is screw in the legs.  The 5th leg should go in the middle of the dresser - middle front to back and side to side.  This keeps the dresser from "slumping" in the middle under the weight.

Then paint or stain, etc.  

One tip that I think is CRUCIAL: 

 The dresser is front heavy when the drawers are pulled out - It can tip over with the new height.  I attached the dresser to the wall by using L-brackets and screwing them into the dresser and then into a stud in the wall.  I think I used 3 because I was way too paranoid that it would fall on Tilley-Gray.

If you have any other questions about this or interior design, feel free to contact me at 

hello@poplinandqueen.com