ᐅ Is it possible to modify Malm furniture to create more storage space?

To be honest, I’m a bit hesitant about extensively modifying Malm furniture. Although the panels appear sturdy, they are actually prone to damage if you keep drilling new holes. However, I really like the basic idea of increasing storage space using existing furniture, especially when living in a small area. Another option might be to better organize the available storage with boxes or dividers instead of altering the panels. I’m curious: How heavy are the items you want to store? Are they relatively light clothing or heavier things?

kulau schrieb:
Do you have specific dimensions you want to exceed, or are you considering a particular modification?

Thank you for the detailed input! I actually want to maximize storage capacity within the existing frame, so the height and depth will remain unchanged, but I want to optimize the internal layout. Specifically, I was thinking of adding 2-3 extra shelves inside a 3-drawer chest of drawers. The sides need to be sturdy enough to support the weight of some books plus accessories. Completely rebuilding the drawers might be more complex, but it’s an interesting idea. I also want to avoid the chest becoming too wide or tall, as that wouldn’t fit well in that spot.

JAFUHAU schrieb:
How heavy are the items?

The books are still an important consideration—they’re planned to weigh under 5 kilograms (11 pounds) per shelf, and the other items are lighter. The material should be sturdy but it doesn’t need to be elaborate wood veneer that requires months of work or anything like that.

To make the best use of the available space in a Malm dresser with 3 drawers, adding extra shelves is generally a good idea. Considering each shelf weighs nearly 5 kg (11 lbs) plus the contents, it’s essential to ensure a stable supporting structure. I recommend securely screwing thin plywood strips to the inside walls of the dresser so the shelves can rest on them. This prevents the particleboard side panels from bending or cracking.

For mounting: use metal brackets fixed with short wood screws (such as Spax screws). Pre-drilling the holes is mandatory to avoid splitting the particleboard. The shelves themselves can be cut from 12–15 mm (0.5–0.6 inches) thick plywood panels, which can be nicely painted or laminated to maintain the look of the Malm dresser.

Another option is to build drawer inserts or internal boxes from plywood that simply sit inside the drawer compartments without being permanently fixed. This is reversible and preserves the furniture.

Have you already checked how much space is available between the individual drawers? This limits the possible options for use.

onjuki schrieb:
The books are planned to weigh under 5 kg per shelf

With this load, reinforcement is definitely recommended. The side panels alone won’t support it over time, even if the individual shelves might hold the weight for short periods. Adding extra battens on the sides and sturdy metal brackets will create a solid structure. I would suggest no more than 10 cm (4 inches) distance from the support edge to the reinforcements on each shelf to ensure sufficient load capacity.

The design won’t be significantly affected if you install the battens inside and as discreetly as possible. Additionally, this allows you to organize the storage space more effectively.

TEBILO schrieb:
Another option would be to build drawer inserts or inner boxes from plywood that can simply be placed inside

That would also be my recommendation, especially if you don’t want to permanently modify the dresser and might want to restore it to its original condition later. You can customize such inserts to fit your needs, even with compartments for various small items. By the way, I expanded my dresser this way and just removed the inserts when I no longer needed them.

Furthermore, modular inserts like these allow you to adapt flexibly to different items, making their use very practical.