No Bedroom Dresser for Me!

During my bedroom makeover, I decided to do away with my dresser. It takes up valuable floor space in a small bedroom and doesn't really hold that much anyway. Also this bedroom never had a closet. So, I designed what I call a Clothing Storage Unit or CSU. Couple the CSU with some under-bed storage drawers under my platform bed and I have more room than a dresser could hold and the access is easier and faster. Most used items go in the CSU and items not used frequently, go in the two 5 ft. under bed storage drawers

1 sheet of 3/4" plywood

1 table leg

1 hanging rod, wall mount and eye bolt and nut to hang it

2 heavy duty clothes rods and mounting brackets

1ft sq. cubbies. Mine were 3 ft high sections bolted together

Pocket screw setup or other mounting brackets

Socket Cap Barrel Bolts and Nuts

With the freshly painted bedroom wall, I used some blue painters tape to layout where things were going to go. There is the vertical partition, and the upper and lower bars.

I cut the 3/4" plywood to 2 ft x 8 ft and then cut the 2 ft. piece to ceiling height. I drilled the pocket holes into the partition and secured the partition to the wall as shown, in my pre-marked position.

I cut the table to size for 12 cubbies (4 x 3 high cubbies) and rounded the end to match the end cubby which is rounded. I purchased a satin stainless table leg and bolted it to the table. Then using pocket screws again, I screwed it to the plywood partition making sure it was level. The only trick thing is the table is not against the back wall. Behind it will slide the bedroom door as an external pocket door.

Next step was to assemble the Cubbies and position them on the Cubby table. Note how the end curved cubby matches the curve of the table. With all 12 Cubbies in place, the table should be full as shown.

I added a Pant rail under the Cubby Table by cutting a rail to length and using one wall socket cup and an eye bolt for the other end. You will need to drill into the Cubby Table to install the eye bolt. Slide the Pant rail thru the eye bolt and into the wall end cup. Then you pop the end cap on to retain the rail in place. Adjust the eye bolt to keep the rail parallel to the bottom of the Cubby Table.

I purchased 6 ft heavy duty clothes rods and cut them down to 5 ft. They have to be heavy duty to span 5 ft. w/o a center support. I downloaded some plans from the Internet for spacing specs but some Forums stated the spacing should be 42" from the floor for the lower rod and 84" from the floor for the higher rod. This, I found to be correct spacing. I installed the mounting cups and snapped the rods into position.

From Amazon I purchased a Socket Cap Barrel Bolt and Nut set. To use these all you have to do is drill the appropriate sized hole thru two cubbies and slip in a Barrel Nut that reaches at least half way or more thru the two walls. Then you install the Socket Cap Bolt and tighten it with the provided Allen wrench. With all the Cubbies connected together, I bolted the last Cubby to the partition wall.

I unbolted the cubbies from the partition wall and installed an expanded steel mesh on the back of the Cubbies. What this will do is keep daily sundries from being pushed thru the open back of a Cubby into the area of the sliding bedroom door. Note that if the door was not there, the wall would provide the backing.

As you an see, the Cubby side of the CSU is for daily items, T-shirts, Sweatshirts, etc

On the Hanging side of the CSU, I placed all the long sleeve shirts on the top rod and all the short sleeve shirts on the bottom rod.