19th Century Maple Chest
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Metal
Antique 19th Century American Blanket Chests
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birdseye Maple
Antique 19th Century English Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birdseye Maple
Antique 19th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Antique Early 19th Century English Chippendale Commodes and Chests of Dr...
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
Antique 19th Century French Charles X Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birdseye Maple
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century English Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century American Federal Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century American Federal Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Birdseye Maple, Pine
Antique Early 19th Century English George III Commodes and Chests of Dra...
Antique 19th Century American Blanket Chests
Maple
Antique 19th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany, Maple
Antique 19th Century Scottish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany, Birdseye Maple
Antique 19th Century Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century American Federal Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique Early 19th Century American Federal Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mahogany
Antique 19th Century Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century Linen Presses
Birdseye Maple
Antique 19th Century American Victorian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Antique 19th Century Victorian Linen Presses
Maple
Antique 19th Century German Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Ebony, Maple
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century German Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Maple, Walnut, Ribbon
Antique 19th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Leather
Antique 19th Century Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 1840s American American Empire Buffets
Birdseye Maple, Mahogany
Antique Mid-19th Century Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Maple
Antique 19th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Maple
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Lava, Bronze
Antique 19th Century Austrian Buffets
Birdseye Maple
Antique 19th Century French Blanket Chests
Antique Mid-19th Century European Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of Dr...
Maple, Walnut, Burl
Antique 19th Century French Victorian Decorative Boxes
Brass
Antique 19th Century American Victorian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mirror, Birdseye Maple
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19th Century Maple Chest For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a 19th Century Maple Chest?
Finding the Right Commodes-chests-of-drawers for You
Shopping for a commode or a chest of drawers?
Commode is the French term for a low chest of drawers, but it is also sometimes used to denote any case piece with a particularly intricate design. The commode dates to circa 1700 France, where it was used as an alternative to a taller cabinet piece so as to not obscure paneled, mirrored or tapestried walls. Coffers, or chests, which were large wooden boxes with hinged lids and sometimes stood on ball feet, preceded chests of drawers, a fashionable cabinet furnishing that garnered acclaim for its obvious storage potential and versatility. The term commode was also used to refer to a piece of bedroom furniture — a washstand or nightstand that contained a chamber pot.
As time passed, French and British furniture makers led the way in the production of chests of drawers, and features like the integration of bronze and ornamental pulls became commonplace. Antique French commodes in the Louis XV style were sometimes crafted in mahogany or walnut, while an Italian marble top added a sophisticated decorative flourish. This specific type of case piece grew in popularity in the years that followed.
So, what makes a chest of drawers different from a common dresser? Dressers are short, and chests of drawers are overall taller pieces of furniture that typically do not have room on the top for a mirror as most dressers do. Tallboys and highboys are variations of the dresser form. Some chests of drawers have one column of four to six long drawers or three long drawers in their bottom section that are topped by a cluster of small side-by-side drawers on the top. To further complicate things, we sometimes refer to particularly short chests of drawers as nightstands.
Even though chests of drawers are commonly thought of as bedroom furniture to store clothing, these are adaptable pieces. A chest of drawers can house important documents — think of your walnut Art Deco commode as an upgrade to your filing cabinet. Nestle your chest near your home’s front door to store coats and other outerwear, while the top can be a place to drop your handbag. Add some flair to your kitchen, where this lovable case piece can hold pots, pans and even cookbooks.
When shopping for the right chest of drawers for your home, there are a few key things to consider: What will you be storing in it? How big a chest will you need?
Speaking of size, don’t dream too big. If your space is on the smaller side, a more streamlined vintage mid-century modern chest of drawers, perhaps one designed by Paul McCobb or T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, may best suit your needs.
At 1stDibs, we make it easy to add style and storage to your home. Browse our collection of antique and vintage commodes and chests of drawers today.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022British artist John Singer Sargent was one of the most important portrait painters of the 19th century. Other notable portraitists from the period include James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault, Gustave Courbet, Édouard Manet, Mary Cassat, Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of portrait paintings.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The French painters of the 19th century worked in two styles. Neoclassicism dominated the first half of the century, and Impressionism was the most common style during the second half. On 1stDibs, you can find a variety of French paintings.
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