One of my goals for the past few years has been to upgrade our bedroom dresser, and then to come up with an organization system for the drawers, once and for all. And I’m proud to say — not only did we finally secure a new, wide dresser that I love, but I was so intentional about what I put inside the new one and how I put it all in there. I’m not proud to say — I actually finished this project at the end of last summer and forgot to ever share it. So… today is that day 😉 We’re gonna take a peek into each of my drawers to check out the dresser organization I came up with, my top dresser organizer, and my favorite drawer accessory for keeping things tidy.
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Primary Bedrooom Area: White Bead Chandelier | Upholstered Bed (similar) | Linen Duvet Cover & Shams | Linen Quilt | Chunky Knit Blanket | Striped Throw Pillows | Checked Throw Pillow | Upholstered Storage Bench | Nightstand | Glass Lamp | Area Rug
Reading/Listening Nook Area: Floor Lamp | Area Rug | Boucle Storage Ottoman | Record Player Storage Cabinet | Record Player | Speakers | Acrylic Vinyl Shelf | Bird Art I | Bird Art II | Martini Table
Primary Bedroom Before & After
This photo is from about 10 years ago. Across from my bed, on the opposite wall was my Restoration Hardware metal dresser. It had a dinged corner, so I got a fabulous deal on it at the outlet many years ago, but the drawer configuration and sizes just didn’t work with what we needed to store inside.
This past fall, here is a shot of the wide dresser with soft-close, leather wrapped drawers that I love.
Dresser (Currently on sale!)
You can find the full post I wrote on wide dressers when I was debating which style I wanted to go with — and the exact features I was looking for — HERE.
Dresser (Currently on sale!)
Now, we’re gonna get a little vulnerable in this no-judgement zone, ad go drawer by drawer to take a peek inside. I’m also going to share a few drawers in our bedside tables that we cleared out and expanded into. 😉
Organized T-Shirt Drawers
Something you’ll notice in most drawers is that I’m a big believer and LONG time practicer of file folding. My file folding extends beyond t-shirts, though. You’ve seen it with my kitchen towel drawer, I use it for bottoms, and I also use it when packing our luggage for travel.
Dave’s T-Shirt Drawers
Bamboo Drawer Dividers (4 pack)
A key to keeping things in their own respective boundaries is using THESE expandable drawer dividers. They come in several sizes (several new sizes, too!), and multiple colors. I swear by these.
Bamboo Drawer Dividers (4 pack)
They help divide rows of clothes, and so even if one row gets a little messed up, the entire drawer doesn’t, and it’s a lot easier to remedy.
A big and tough rule when we were filling the new dresser was to only allow items that would fit inside comfortably, without forcing. I had to make some tough calls to minimize our stashes but I haven’t missed them at all. And, I love not having to pry open and shove drawers closed.
KN T-Shirt Drawer
I try to keep all my shirts the same width when folding. You can also change your fold width if you want to create more/fewer rows within your drawer. Test one t-shirt until you find the perfect fold, then use it as your template for the others.
Organized Bottoms Drawers
We thinned out a lot of clothes, but I still have a ton of loungewear — which is fine since I work from home and am here so often.
KN Sweatpants Drawer
Bamboo Drawer Dividers (4 pack)
For drawers with more narrow items, you may be surprised by just how much can fit inside. You can also get creative with your folds when you’re categorizing.
KN Leggings & Sports Bra Drawer
Bamboo Drawer Dividers (4 pack)
Another organization and storage technique I use — both in drawers and in packing — is rolling. If you get stumped in your folding, it’s definitely worth a try.
KN Shorts, Joggers, & PJ Pants Drawer
Bamboo Drawer Dividers (4 pack)
Dave Shorts & Joggers Drawer
Organized Underwear Drawers
As for a new-to-me and new favorite dresser drawer organizer — I loved incorporating THESE fabric box cell-style organizers for small items across several drawers. There are several different options for sets HERE. If they don’t fill the entire drawer, I also love anchoring them in place and creating additional rows/compartments with the bamboo drawer dividers.
KN Drawer
Bamboo Drawer Dividers (4 pack) | Cell Organizers
Over in Dave’s bedside table, I created space for his under things. I used THESE OXO drawer dividers because I had them on hand and as I’ve said before, they’re also fabulous quality and easy to use.
Another drawer organizer that I think is brand new is THIS expandable organizer — perfect for undies and small items. It has five compartments, expands from 14.5″ to 25″, and is 14.5″ deep. It also comes in three colors.
Expandable Dresser Drawer Organizer
Dave Drawer
Organized Sock Drawers
If you have spare cell organizers, they actually zip on the bottom and can collapse and fold flat! So easy to store. The ones I used in Dave’s drawer are just slightly different than the others I used.
Dave Drawer
In Eliza’s swimsuit and leotard drawer, it was a mess, only separated by a divider and then everything tossed in on their respective sides. I used THIS set of cell bin organizers (the set has options for multiple cell sizes so you can see the swimsuits are in cells that are slightly larger than the leos). And… wow — what an improvement. And a breeze to maintain the organization system.
Dresser Drawer Organizer Tips… In Summation
- Evaluate your overall needs and then come up with themes for each drawer.
- Consider how you use each drawer and identify any current struggles and what could solve them. Can’t see your things? Fold them differently. Drawers tough to open or close? Purge. Can’t keep your items straight and organized? Why? Try a new dresser drawer organizer.
- Measure your drawers and order your organizers/dividers accordingly. I love ordering from Amazon because returns are a breeze if things don’t fit how I’d hoped/I can return spare organizers once my drawers are fixed.
- Clear the entire dresser and all drawers and start from scratch.
- Make an initial purge of items that aren’t worn, don’t fit, aren’t in good shape, or would be better housed in the closet/elsewhere.
- Determine how many items can fit width-wise and come up with a fold that helps you to achieve those cohesive rows.
- Put things back as you found them, as you use and wash them. Keeping up with laundry so you don’t get overwhelmed will help. Check out my laundry habits tips HERE.
Now that my dresser is low and wide, I have things displayed I love, enjoy, and use, and I am also able to use the surface for folding! I didn’t realize how much I had missed that.
Candle Warmer | Candle | Picture Frame
I still have a long overdue (and scary) date with my closet pending. How’s your clothing, dresser drawer, and closet situation? I’ll say this — the dresser drawers are a great place to start to gain momentum and gather motivation. Best of luck as you work to conquer your bedroom organization and getting solutions in place that work for you!
Other Posts to Check Out
- 50 Best (Not Boring!) Dressers — From Wide to Tall & Everything In-between
- Organized Nightstand Before & After (& the Bedside Essentials You’ll Find Inside)
- Five 50-Minute Drawer Organization Ideas
- My Bathroom Vanity is Organized! A Look Into Each and Every Drawer & Cabinet
- Purged, Decluttered, & Organized — Our Kitchen Drawer Glow-Up
I always love your organization posts. You give great ideas and this was beyond helpful. Thanks Kelley!
Lily, You are simply the sweetest! Thank you for your kind note. It always makes me so happy to organize a space and to keep it organized.