Wide Dresser
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Steel
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Early 2000s American Louis XV Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble
20th Century American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Teak
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Teak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Rosewood
Antique Early 1800s English Sideboards
Pine
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Cupboards
Mahogany, Oak
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Antique Early 1900s British Industrial and Work Tables
Pine
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Brass
Vintage 1970s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Marble
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Glass, Birch
Antique Late 19th Century Gothic Sideboards
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Walnut
Vintage 1970s Norwegian Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
Teak
Antique 19th Century Gothic Sideboards
Oak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Aluminum
Vintage 1950s American Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1970s Bohemian Wall Mirrors
Mirror, Wood, Paint
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Walnut
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1970s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Rosewood, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century English Gothic Cupboards
20th Century American Club Chairs
Oak
Vintage 1940s American Loveseats
Oak, Naugahyde
Vintage 1940s American End Tables
Oak
Vintage 1940s American End Tables
Oak
Vintage 1940s American Armchairs
Oak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Laminate
Vintage 1960s Industrial Dressers
Metal
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Wood
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Teak, Birch
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Teak
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Teak
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Wood
Early 20th Century Country Dressers
Oak
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Wood
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Burl
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Metal
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Wide Dresser For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Wide Dresser?
A Close Look at Mid-century Modern Furniture
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Emerged during the mid-20th century
- Informed by European modernism, Bauhaus, International style, Scandinavian modernism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture
- A heyday of innovation in postwar America
- Experimentation with new ideas, new materials and new forms flourished in Scandinavia, Italy, the former Czechoslovakia and elsewhere in Europe
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
- Simplicity, organic forms, clean lines
- A blend of neutral and bold Pop art colors
- Use of natural and man-made materials — alluring woods such as teak, rosewood and oak; steel, fiberglass and molded plywood
- Light-filled spaces with colorful upholstery
- Glass walls and an emphasis on the outdoors
- Promotion of functionality
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
- Charles and Ray Eames
- Eero Saarinen
- Milo Baughman
- Florence Knoll
- Harry Bertoia
- Isamu Noguchi
- George Nelson
- Danish modernists Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, whose emphasis on natural materials and craftsmanship influenced American designers and vice versa
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
- Eames lounge chair
- Nelson daybed
- Florence Knoll sofa
- Egg chair
- Womb chair
- Noguchi coffee table
- Barcelona chair
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
Finding the Right Dressers for You
Antique, new and vintage dressers are a staple in any household. Whether it’s a 19th-century solid pine or oak Welsh kitchen dresser you’re using to store tableware or a Broyhill Brasilia highboy in your bedroom, these furniture fixtures are essential for making the most of your space.
The first step in finding the perfect dresser is considering your particular needs. Most tall dressers offer anywhere from five to seven drawers, essentially allowing for the organization of an entire wardrobe, while shorter, waist-height dresser varieties can be equipped with a convenient vanity mirror.
A highboy dresser is usually around six feet tall, with some versions standing even taller at seven feet or so. Highboys, which began to appear with frequency during the early 17th century in England, are essentially very tall dressers with lots of drawers, whereas a lowboy is a different type of storage furniture in that it's a dressing table with one or two rows of drawers.
When shopping for your antique or vintage dresser, consider those that bear the hallmarks of solid construction. Good furniture means making an investment, and solid hardwood pieces of maple, walnut or cherry will prove far more durable than a bedroom dresser made of particleboard.
If you’re looking for a mid-century modern case piece that boasts a subdued pairing of wood grains and uncomplicated drawer pulls, browse elegant dressers designed by Florence Knoll, Harvey Probber, Paul McCobb and other furniture makers associated with the celebrated style on 1stDibs.
Dressers characterized by bolder designs are also popular: Not only will your new piece of furniture be a storage solution, but it'll also make a statement.
Art Deco furniture makers preferred to work with dark woods and typically incorporated decorative embellishments. An ornately carved French or Italian Art Deco dresser complete with vanity mirror and cabriole scrolled feet might better complement the other pieces in your home. Alternatively, if you favor sumptuous antique furniture with curving lines and floral flourishes, the collection on 1stDibs also includes sophisticated 1800s-era Victorian walnut dressers and washstands with marble tops.
After all, a good case piece isn’t merely for minimizing clutter in your space. The style of your chosen dresser and its specific attributes should add something to your decor and your home. Modern creations include one-of-a-kind shapes, like the venturesome chests of drawers in leather, marble and wood crafted by the likes of Roberto Cavalli.
Explore a broad array of antique and vintage dressers today on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A short wide dresser is simply called a dresser. It is usually placed in the bedroom and has multiple drawers in two or more columns. Short dressers sometimes come with a mirror attached to the top. Shop for dressers in various designs and sizes by top sellers on 1stDibs.