Free Plans to Build a Dresser Inspired by Pier One
Here is another piece in the Ashworth collection… I’ve already posted plans for the Ashworth Nightstand. The free plans to build a Pier One inspired Ashworth 5 drawer dresser feature two upper side-by-side drawers with three larger drawers below and furniture feet on the bottom. This is a fabulous build that looks like a million bucks!
Materials:
- 1-1/4″ pocket hole screws
- 1/2″ brad nails
- 1-1/4″ brad nails
- Edge banding for the exposed edges of the plywood, optional
- Four furniture legs or bun feet at least 4″ tall plus hardware
- Five sets of 14″ drawer slides
- Five drawer pulls
Lumber:
- 1 – 1×6 at 8′
- 1 – 1×6 at 4′
- 3 – 1×10 at 8′
- One 4′ x 4′ sheet of 3/4″ plywood
- Two sheets of 3/4″ plywood
- One half sheet of 1/2″ plywood
- One quarter sheet of 1/4″ plywood
Cut List:
- 2- 3/4″ plywood at 18″ x 36″ – Bottom & Top
- 2 – 3/4″ plywood at 17-1/2″ x 44″ – Sides
- 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 33-1/2″ x 44″ – Back
- 4 – 3/4″ plywood at 16-3/4″ x 33-1/2″ – Shelves
- 1 – 3/4″ plywood at 7-1/4″ x 16-3/4″ – Divider
- 2 – 3/4″ plywood at 12-1/2″ x 13-7/8″ – Small Drawer Bottom
- 4 – 1×6 at 12-1/2″ – Small Drawer Sides
- 4 – 1×6 at 15-3/8″ – Small Drawer Front & Back
- 3 – 3/4″ plywood at 12-1/2″ x 31″ – Large Drawer Bottom
- 6 – 1×10 at 12-1/2″ – Large Drawer Sides
- 6 – 1×10 at 32-1/2″ – Large Drawer Front & Back
- 2 – 1/2″ plywood at 7″ x 13-1/8″ – Small Drawer Front Base
- 3 – 1/2″ plywood at 11″ x 33-1/4″ – Large Drawer Front Base
- 4 – 1/4″ plywood at 1-1/2″ x 7″ – Small Drawer Trim
- 4 – 1/4″ plywood at 1-1/2″ x 13-1/8″ – Small Drawer Trim
- 2 – 1/4″ plywood at 1-1/2″ x 4″ – Small Drawer Trim
- 6 – 1/4″ plywood at 1-1/2″ x 11″ – Large Drawer Trim
- 6 – 1/4″ plywood at 1-1/2″ x 30-1/4″ – Large Drawer Trim
Step One
Edge banding should be applied to all exposed edges of plywood before assembly. Follow this easy tutorial on applying edge banding.
Cut the pieces for the bottom. Attach the hardware for the legs to the bottom positioning the legs so they are at least 1″ from each edge.
Step Two
Cut the pieces for the sides and drill pocket holes at the bottom edge. Position the sides so they are set back 1/2″ from the front edge, and 1/2″ from the sides. Secure using glue and pocket hole screws.
Step Three
Cut the piece for the back and drill pocket holes in the side edges as well as the bottom edge. Attach to the sides and bottom using glue and pocket hole screws.
Step Four
Cut the pieces for the shelves. Drill pocket holes in the sides and back edge of three shelves. Position the fourth shelf on the bottom as shown in the drawing. Secure with glue and brad nails.
Attach the other shelves as shown using glue and pocket hole screws.
Step Five
Cut the piece for the divider and drill pocket holes as shown. Position the divider on the top shelf and secure with glue and pocket hole screws.
Step Six
Cut the piece for the top. The front and sides will overhang by 1/2″. Secure with glue and brad nails through the top into the sides and back.
Step Seven
Cut the pieces for the drawer boxes. Drill pocket holes in all four edges of the bottom pieces as well as each end of the side pieces. Attach the sides to the bottom using glue and pocket hole screws, then attach the front and back in the same manner.
Install the drawer slides according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Follow this tutorial on installing drawer slides.
Step Eight
Cut the pieces for the drawer front bases as well as the trim pieces. Position the trim pieces and secure using glue and 1/2″ brad nails. Clamp until dry. There will be a 1/8″ gap around all sides of the drawer fronts. This easy tutorial on installing drawer fronts will be helpful! Install the drawer pulls.
Finish as desired.
The plan only looks complicated but it is a really easy build and would look fabulous in any sort of finish! Have any questions about the free plans to build a Pier One inspired Ashworth 5-drawer dresser? Leave a comment below or contact me at cher {at} designsbystudioc {dot} com!
Originally posted 2012-11-07 08:00:00.
12 Comments
I would like to build this dresser but with 4 bottom drawers and the two drawers on top…would I just need to add 12 1/2 inches to the sides and back?
I think that would probably be fine! If you have any questions, just holler!
The measurement for the back is wrong. It should be 34 1/2 X 44, not 33 1/2. The same is true for the shelves. I found this out after I ruined a $50 sheet of plywood.
Hi, Jim! I believe the measurements are correct. Upon reading the plans, I made an error in the description in Step Two – the sides are supposed to be positioned 1/2″ in from the side edges of the bottom, as well as 1/2″ back from the front edge of the bottom. The drawing is correct. So sorry for the error – I have corrected the plans. Thank you for letting me know.
What is the true measurements for the shelves?
The shelves measure 16-3/4″ x 33-1/2″. Hope this helps! Thank you for stopping by!
Why are the drawers only 12 1/2 inches deep, when they could be up to 15 inches deep ?
Hi, Jan. The drawers are actually 14″ deep. The sides are cut at 12-1/2″ and combined with the thickness of the front and back of the drawer box, that adds 1-1/2″ making the total depth 14″ as indicated in the plan.
Hi Yes that’s true. But there is still room for another inch or so in the depth..
Thanks for the prompt reply.
The cut list is helpful but as I started I realized that the project requires more than 2 4×8′ plywood boards. Could you explain how to lay out the cutlist per board?
Hi, TZimm! Ok, in this case, I would cut the back piece first by cutting a piece measuring 48″ wide x 44″ tall, then cut the piece to the width (33-1/2″). There will be a piece left over that will measure roughly 14-1/2″ wide. From this piece, at least one of the large drawer bottoms can be cut from it. With the remaining 48″ wide x roughly 52″ piece, you can cut the sides and a few more drawer bottoms. From the second sheet, a piece can be cut at 18″ wide x the full length (96″) and the top, bottom and another drawer bottom, if needed, can be cut. From the remaining piece, you should be able to cut the shelves. As I am explaining this, I see there may be a need for at least another half sheet of the 3/4″ plywood (I tend to forget that most people don’t have as much scrap laying around as I do!) and I will correct the list accordingly. I also wrote a post on how I cut plywood for my projects and it can be viewed here: http://designsbystudioc.com/how-to-cut-plywood/ Hope this helps and apologies for the error! 🙂
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