The Cozy Antique Furniture That's Emerging As A Hallway Trend

Every inch of your home offers the opportunity for better utility or to define your personal style. This is especially true if you live in a smaller home. It's a balancing act. You must seek out creative solutions to express yourself while also seamlessly incorporating much-needed storage. Whether you have a snug home or not, you might be missing out on opportunities to optimize space in overlooked areas like your hallway. 

If you're searching for a way to breathe life into an empty hallway, consider placing a simple pine dresser there. "You can sometimes find them with white porcelain knobs that make them super unique. Others have some applied moldings or carvings," Libby Baker Speight, founder of Baker Design Co., shared with Martha Stewart.

While these pieces aren't typically sought-after antique home items, they are practical and oh so nostalgic. Typically featuring ample drawer space and charming rounded knobs, they aren't necessarily the most eye-catching pieces at the thrift shop, but you still shouldn't rule out their potential. Pine dressers are vintage wood furniture you can thrift for a great price and fully customize. Since they're real wood, you can easily sand and restain them. You can also install embellishments to add dimension or change out the hardware. Whether you keep them in their original form or customize them, pine dressers are the perfect tool to add rustic charm and extra storage space in your hallway. Let's break down how to find and style these treasures.

In order to successfully buy quality antique furniture, like a pine dresser, it's important to know how to identify real wood. Pine is a very common wood type used in North America. It typically features a yellowish tone ranging from muted amber to sandy brown. Pine is known for its distinct dark knots and growth rings, lending to its rustic aesthetic. There are tons of lower-quality pieces made using pine veneer, so keep a close eye on what you're thrifting. Real wood will be solid all the way through, no supplemental particle board. It will also be heavier and feature natural grain variation throughout the piece.

Once you have a pine dresser, you can place it in your hallway. Be sure it's not obstructing your walkway too much. You can use this piece to store throw blankets, winter gear like mittens, dog supplies, or whatever else might be cluttering your space. These dressers offer so much storage, helping to keep your home a bit more organized. Use the top of the dresser to display decor such as candles, a flower vase, picture frames — whatever speaks to you. You can increase the impact of this new decor item even more by crowning it with a unique piece of art on the wall above it.