Nightstand turned into a Mini Dining Room Sideboard

Anyone else living in an old home knows it's a constant battle to find storage for all of the things we need for modern living that our Victorian friends seemed to manage without. Especially now with little kids, the storage space we built during our renovation just never seems enough.  So when said goodbye to our high chair, that spot seemed like the perfect spot for a small sideboard to hold all those little odds and ends that you need for diner parties.

The only problem was that spot on the wall was quite narrow so something ready made just did not exist. So instead of a traditional sideboard, I had to get creative with what would fit in that spot.



Off I went to Lowe's, my go to source for all things DIY.  Not surprisingly, they are also a great source of storage and organizational products (I could spend all day just in that aisle alone). They have everything from bins to pegboards to hooks to closet systems so I knew they would have a solution.


Turns out a small chest or in this case, this beautiful Chevron nightstand was the perfect fit. (I was really hoping this beautiful curved pine chest would fit but alas my wall was too narrow.) Aside from being the exact width I needed and visually lovely, it also has two built-in USB ports on the back which was a total surprise.  I can create a nice charging station right here down the road.

My first step in turning this nightstand into a dining room storage piece was lining each drawer with shelf paper.  I used Duck shelf liner in their 'Grey Gate' pattern - one roll was more than enough. Aside from just looking a little cuter, the plastic lining helps things stay in place when opening and closing the drawers.  Once that was in place I turned to my new obsession; bamboo drawer organizers. Specifically I used these three sizes: 15x6 , 9x3 and 9x6. They turned this open drawer into a custom space for every little small item I use for dinner parties including fancy cutlery, cheese markers, votives, napkin rings, appetizer knives and a corkscrew.  The stackable nature of these trays makes the most of every inch.  It also makes finding these items and putting them away a breeze.  The only problem with them is once you get a few, you will want to fill every drawer in your house with them. It's completely addictive.



The second drawer I used for my linens and placemats as well as some of my favorite wood slice trays. Amazing what can fit into a tiny space when well organized. I thought I might need some of these drawer dividers (which I'm also obsessed with) but everything fit perfectly without me lifting a finger so score!



And finally I saved the third drawer for appetizer plates and serving dishes.  Things I didn't use everyday but wanted to have easy reach to.  I could have stuffed this drawer with a lot more but by purging a bit, I was able to store my favorites safely and with plenty of space.  The shelf paper really helps here keeping each little dish in their place without any extra effort.




Even though this chest is relatively small, it has made setting up for guests so much easier and has freed up some precious room in my cabinets that help me stay organized day to day.





Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Lowes but all opinions expressed are my own.  Thanks to wonderful sponsors like these for supporting my projects.