Antique Carved Oak Chest Of Drawers
Antique Mid-18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal, Brass
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Dra...
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique Late 18th Century Dutch Baroque Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century French Other Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
20th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique Early 18th Century French French Provincial Commodes and Chests ...
Oak
Antique 19th Century Dutch Renaissance Revival Commodes and Chests of Dr...
Metal
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
Antique 18th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Antique 1810s French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century French Country Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1910s French Art Nouveau Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
Antique 1680s English Charles II Blanket Chests
Oak
Antique Early 19th Century Danish Dressers
Wood, Oak, Paint
Antique 1890s French Gustavian Dressers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Models and Miniatures
Oak
20th Century American Victorian Dressers
Mirror, Oak
Early 20th Century French Directoire Wardrobes and Armoires
Marble
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Dressers
Antique Late 18th Century Danish Dressers
Late 20th Century Italian Rococo Cabinets
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Gothic Revival Bookcases
Oak
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
Antique Late 18th Century Dutch Baroque Cabinets
Brass
Antique Early 1800s Dutch Baroque Buffets
Brass
Early 20th Century French Provincial Cabinets
Oak
Early 20th Century American Late Victorian Dressers
Mirror, Oak
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Cabinets
Marble, Metal, Brass
Antique 1780s Dutch Cabinets
Antique 1780s Dutch Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Antique Mid-17th Century Dutch Baroque Cabinets
Oak, Ebony, Mahogany
Antique 1870s American Chippendale Dressers
Brass
Antique 19th Century Dutch Neoclassical Cabinets
Oak
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Secretaires
Brass
Antique Early 1800s Dutch Cabinets
Brass
Antique 1780s Dutch Rococo Cabinets
Walnut
Antique Early 18th Century English Georgian Desks
Walnut
Antique Late 19th Century British Gothic Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Dutch Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 19th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French French Provincial Commodes and Chests o...
Wrought Iron
Antique 1840s English George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique 1880s European Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
20th Century English Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique 1870s French Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Early 20th Century French Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique 19th Century Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique 19th Century Dutch Régence Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Great Britain (UK) Victorian Commodes and Chests of D...
Oak
Antique 1890s British Late Victorian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Oak
Antique Mid-18th Century Danish Baroque Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
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Antique Carved Oak Chest Of Drawers For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Carved Oak Chest Of Drawers?
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.
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