Thomasville Vintage Chest of Drawers

Thomasville Furniture was once a manufacturing giant known for its chic designs and popular licensed collections. Today, every vintage solid wood Thomasville cabinet, dining chair and dining table is a charming piece of American furniture history.

Thomasville was founded in 1904 in the town of Thomasville, North Carolina. The neighboring city of High Point, home to Tomlinson and others, would one day be known as the capital of American-made furniture, while iconic mid-century modern brands Century, Broyhill and Drexel also opened their doors in the so-called “Tar Heel State.”

Thomasville’s initial offerings were limited to one item — the Thomasville chair — and it was known in its early days as the Thomasville Chair Company. People loved Thomasville chairs so much that demand surged for more types of seating and other furnishings. In 1922, there was even a 13-foot replica of the original chair design installed in the town square. Dubbed "The Big Chair," it was rebuilt in 1951 to a height of 30 feet and still serves as the town's most notable landmark.

Thomasville quickly grew and expanded, and was featured in hundreds of retail stores across America. The manufacturer also established Thomasville Home Furnishing stores to carry the company’s products exclusively. In 1995, Thomasville was purchased by Interco Inc.

In 2002, Thomasville unveiled the Humphrey Bogart collection, the first of two highly successful licensed collections. Inspired by the Art Deco movement as well as the Hollywood Regency style, the theatrical line of alluring mahogany chests, mirror-topped nesting tables and other furnishings positioned glamour and sophistication front and center. Upon seeing the collection, Bogart's widow, actress Lauren Bacall, remarked, "They haven't missed a trick."

This was followed in 2004 by the Ernest Hemingway collection, released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the writer's Nobel Prize. The collection, which included sleigh beds, chests, dining tables and more, drew on Chippendale furniture and the French Rococo style. It represented the largest launch in Thomasville's history, boosting the company's sales and brand image.

In 2008, Thomasville introduced a new signature collection in collaboration with designer Darryl Carter. The partnership yielded a line of versatile traditionalist center tables, seating and other pieces with a contemporary twist and saw Carter offering a fresh take on the classic work for which Thomasville is known.

In 2014, Thomasville, then owned by Heritage Home Group, announced the end of operations in its native city.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Thomasville case pieces, tables, seating and more.

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.