The dresser has long been overlooked as a major part of the bedroom ensemble, while beds and headboards and beddings get the spotlight. But as a matter of fact, the dresser, or bureau, can create a design impact on the room as much as any other.

According to the website of Calgary-based Bracko Brothers furniture company (http://www.brackobrothers.com), a chest of drawers is also known (especially in North American English) as dresser or bureau. It is a piece of furniture that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above each other, and traditionally used for storing clothing, especially underwear, socks, and other items not normally hung in a closet.

Julia Ross da Silva, manager at BoConcept — one of Calgary’s newest furniture store — says deciding on a dresser for your bedroom can be tricky without knowing what you are looking for first.

“Before buying a dresser you always have to ask yourself what am I looking for in a dresser? This will help you answer the questions that are most important, what/how much am I storing in the dresser, what is important, is it design or is it functionality. How much space do I have to house the dresser.”

One thing to keep in mind is its design. “A dresser first off has to look appealing, design is everything, and that comes down to the outside look and the interior mechanics and quality of the structure,” Ross da Silva says.

“Some of the hidden things are really important too. For example the ability to adjust the drawers, when the dresser is full of clothes, the weight in the drawers vary a lot, so if you cannot adjust the drawers, some will hang a bit lower than others, and ruin the tidy look of the dresser.

Carey Bracko, owner and general manager of Bracko Brothers, says there are four distinct types of dressers, each characterized mainly by the type of glides they use. The most common is the wood glide, which has a wood groove down the centre of the drawers; the roller slides, which has runner type metal strips on the sides; the accu-ride, a more high-end type with ball bearings; and the soft close, which use dampers to prevent drawers from slamming shut.

“One of the things to look for is to see how far the drawers slide out, is it full extension or just half way through? Each glide system will give you different lengths,” Bracko says.

The most vital aspect though, he says, is the structure. “As in any piece of furniture, you have to check its structural framework first because that is like the foundation of a home. See if you can twist it or if it binds, anything that twists can lead to structural flaws over time and drawers won’t open so smoothly then.”

He says to be wary of cosmetic designs, which can just hide structural faults. “Having a dresser with little jewelry box drawers with felt lining may be nice to look at, but check to see if it was just put there to hide design flaws or flimsy materials.”

Bracko has devised a simple way of determining value, something he calls the “value equation.” He bases each furniture on its structure, comfort and design and then determines from that which has the best value for a particular price.

“We have dressers in a wide range of prices, from inexpensive wood glides with veneer surfaces to really high-end cherry wood, hand-made dressers, but what you have to figure out is what value you can get for your money ­— is the structure good? does the design fit my needs? is it comfortable? — then you can make an informed decision.”

Nils K. Vik is the casegoods product developer at EQ3 furniture store that specializes in contemporary design, and he says that dressers have to figure out where the dresser will go in the home.

“The most important thing to consider when purchasing a dresser, or any piece of furniture, is its desired function and placement within your home. Knowing how much you need to store and how much room you can afford to spare helps narrow down the possibilities,” he says.

EQ3’s latest CORE line of bedroom storage allows customers to mix and match three different product styles in one of two rift cut red oak finishes, Earth and Onyx. This customization between styles allows for greater variety to help achieve a cohesive bedroom design. CORE dressers come in a range of sizes to accommodate various spaces and feature metal ball bearing drawer glides for smooth opening and closing.

BoConcept, meanwhile, offers a wide variety of options with all its furniture. Their dresser lines come with different looks, sizes, and an array of exterior hardware finishes. “Our streamline designs allow for coordination with existing pieces or a new look to be created within any interior. Our superior interior hardware features a soft close drawer as well as the ability to withstand an exceptional amount of weight,” Ross da Silva says.