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lauren0319

Dressers- aesthetics vs. storage ?? PICS

14 years ago

I am happy to report that progress has been made on our master bedroom. I ordered our bed yesterday (Vintage Patina by Bernhardt) in a molasses finish which is dark dark wood with an almost black stain.

{{!gwi}}

I do not like the chests and dressers that come with the set so I am on the hunt for something different. It needs to have a bit of black to it and also be a little distressed (to match the bed.)

I really really like the *look* of the dresser and chest in the Barclay Square collection by Lexington.

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

But, the drawback is the drawers are puny. We do not have a lot of storage so the more drawer space the better.

Then I stumbled upon these, also by Lexington. (the Fieldale Lodge collection.) I am not as fond of the look, but they do go w/ the bed. The are nearly the same size as the Barclay Square collection, but all the drawers are much more substantial and would give me a lot more storage.



{{!gwi}}

They are priced nearly the same.... and are NOT cheap. Each piece is about $1,650, so I'm looking at over $3K in just dressers and chests.

WDYT? I don't mind spending the money as I believe good dressers are invaluable and this is something we will have and use forever. I understand Lexington is amazing quality.

I am leaning towards the Barclay Square set... I just really like the look of it. I'm just worried that I will regret the small drawers and lack of storage. I mean, honestly, those 4 top drawers on the dresser are worthless to me.

What would you pick? And/or should I keep looking? Any other recs?

Thanks for your time!! I am linking the Barclay Square set below if you want to look at details... you can also check out the Fieldale Lodge (top collection on the left.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Barclay Square by Lexington

Comments (13)

  • 14 years ago

    Socks and undergarments would store in the smaller drawers. Jewelry/necklace boxes, papers or extra checks.

    Can you go see them in person before ordering? Pretty bed. Are you getting the one with canopy or not? Personally, I like the look of the Barclay it your bed. The Lexington pieces look more traditional.

  • 14 years ago

    My advice is to keep looking. It sounds like neither of the ones you are considering is exactly what you want. And, for that amount of money, you really should have something that makes you happy AND works great functionally.

    I've found that when I get into a rush and just buy something to get it done I almost always regret it. Taking time, especially with a hopefully long term furniture purchase, will almost certainly make you happier in the end.

    Good luck,
    Ann

  • 14 years ago

    Check out the "Mistakes" thread. I absolutely would not spend thousands of dollars on something I did not love or did not give me what I needed. It will always irritate you, LOL!

    I agree that you should keep looking. Also, I don't think the pieces have to match your bed. A mix of finishes is just fine. Compatibility can be achieved through other avenues than color.

  • 14 years ago

    Maybe I do need to keep looking. Any recs on a good quality dresser and chest w/ clean lines and nice storage? Nothing too massive as the bed we purchased is a "beast".... the above (esp. the Barclay) have measurements that would fit our 13x16' room nicely.

    What other finishes would work with the bed? Since I *am* buying it all I do want it to "go" together. I need something w/ a little distressing as I have a 2 year old and a baby on the way and I do not want to have to worry about bumps, scratches, and dings.

  • 14 years ago

    Lots of tones work with black. You want to think of the room as a whole and how everything relates. So take into account the paint color, window treatments, flooring, and art/accessories. My concern is that your room is not large, so having sizable, dark furniture is really going to dominate. I'd let the bed do that and go with lighter tones elsewhere.
    Here is a good idea, and if I recall correctly you were going to use a lighter blue on the walls.
    {{!gwi}}

    A room that uses medium stained wood and painted wood.
    {{!gwi}}

  • 14 years ago

    Do not settle for lack of storage. Especially at that price. Sounds like you should keep looking until you find something you like the look of and meets your needs. It's tough because it seems like all the furniture drawers are so tiny.

    Out of the two dressers I like the Barclay with your bed best but I think either would work.

    Did you get canopy on the bed?

    I'm not good with mixing and matching but I like the pictures Alex posted. I'm off to check out your other threads to see what decisions you made/direction you're going.

  • 14 years ago

    Strongly agree that you should keep looking . . . Think how many Cute Outfits you could have instead of chests of drawers you don't like!

  • 14 years ago

    Have you visited many furniture stores or are you mainly looking at websites? For the amount of money you are willing to spend as well as that you envision this furniture as your forever furniture, you need to be checking out these pieces in person as well as comparing samples of the finishes. It sounds to me like you still want something to be very matchy-matchy vs. a collected look and if that is important to you, my concern with choosing pieces with the expectation that they look like they are part of a collection, but in fact, are not; you may end up with that "almost matches, but not quite" effect and be disappointed. If you strive for something that compliments, at the same time different such as the painted nightstands shown in the picture above you will be less likely to end up with the almost-matches result.

    As for the Barclay dressers, I am wondering if they are all individual drawers or they are just drawer fronts made to look that way. The top 4 drawers look like 4-drawers, but I've seen instances where there are only 2-drawers there and just made to look like 4 for aesthetic purposes. You loose a lot of storage due to the framing of each drawer so while the piece will have similar visual bulk, you loose out on storage and for that I would not be willing to compromise.

  • 14 years ago

    Valinsv- I have been mainly looking in person, but doing my "homework" online. I have seen both the Lexington chests and dressers in the store. The Barclay does have the small drawers, unfortunately. The Fieldale has "faux" small drawers that are actually all larger drawers... just what I am looking for EXCEPT I am not as fond of the Fieldale.
    I understand exactly what you are talking about- matching vs. a collection vs. *almost* matching but not quite.
    I just need a little bit of help- I like the look of a "collection" of pieces... I'm just not sure how to get there. Buying what "matches" just seems a whole lot simpler...

  • 14 years ago

    Good, I am glad you are able to actually see them IRL. Is this the same store where you bought the Bernhardt bed? It would be good if you could get a sample of the bed finish to put next to the dressers. If the same store you can take a drawer and put next to the bed. Bring in your camera and take pictures, esp. with one piece next to the other as that would help us to give better advice than we can by comparing pictures downloaded from websites.

    I'm also wondering what your thoughts were on the nightstands? Would you get the same collection as the dressers? That is what would concern me the most since they will go right next to the bed. The dressers will have some separation so slight differences will not show.

    I still would lean towards painting and putting the bed in place though to get a feeling for the visual weight of the bed in your room. Then based on that you may change your vision of what you want for the rest of the pieces. I well know the temptation to put everything in place now, esp. as you must be on a timeline with your pregnancy; sometimes the very hardest, but wisest decision, is to wait and phase in the changes as sometimes the actual doesn't look like the inspiration and you need to tweak your vision along the way.

  • 14 years ago

    Yes- same store. I LOVE the look of the Barclay Square. I did take the drawer out (rather, the saleslady did) and it looks great next to the dresser and chest. If I didn't have the issue w/ the size of the drawers, I would order.

    No clue on nightstands. The bed gets delivered March 31. I am anxious to "see" how massive it is in my room. Then I hope to go forward w/ a dresser and chest. I think I'll save night stands for last.

  • 14 years ago

    And what about the Fieldale Lodge? Did they also look good next to the bed? In the pics, the style of the two do not look that different. Both are traditional pieces. With those you said that the top drawers are faux and it's just two deep drawers? I do find they work better for clothes. Smaller drawers would work well for things like jewelry, scarves and other misc. accessories; but don't look spacious enough even for undergarments, socks, etc. Who wants to be looking in multiple drawers for pair of matching undergarments! The size of your closet would also influence my preference. If it's a large master capable of holding all your dresses, pants and tops as well as your DH's shirts, pants, suits, etc. then the Barkley Square could work well with upper drawers for the jewlery, etc. and lowers for nightclothes, undergarments, socks, shorts, etc. What about your DH? The small drawers would function as a sort of tabletop valet for things like his wallet, cell phone, car keys, etc.

  • 14 years ago

    The size of the Fieldale Lodge is perfect- awesome, deep drawers- which is what we need! And the dressers and chest look very good with the bed. BUT I am not as fond of the actual "look" of the dresser and chest- for some reason it seems more formal/traditional.
    My plan is to wait until the bed is delivered and see just how "massive" it looks in our room. If it is so huge, we may need a dresser and chest that has a much lighter stain/look.
    Appreciate your thoughts!!!

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