Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Showa Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
20th Century Philippine British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bamboo
19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
2010s Indian Agra Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Mother-of-Pearl
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Shell
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1910s Japanese Meiji Vintage Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Philippine Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
19th Century Korean Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Nickel
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
19th Century Chinese Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
Late 20th Century Indonesian Louis XVI Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Cedar
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar, Pine
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
Late 20th Century Philippine Hollywood Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Late 19th Century Lebanese Moorish Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mother-of-Pearl
Late 20th Century Philippine Directoire Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Brutalist Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
19th Century Japanese Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Early 1900s Korean Other Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
1940s Japanese Organic Modern Vintage Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Cedar
Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Cedar
2010s Indian Agra Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Teak
19th Century Japanese Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Anglo-Indian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
2010s Philippine Georgian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Leather, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Anglo-Indian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Russian Brutalist Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Late 19th Century Japanese Edo Antique Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Cedar
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Georgian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique and Vintage Chests of Drawers and Commodes for Sale: Find Art Deco Commodes and Mid-Century Modern Chests of Drawers on 1stDibs
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.





