Antique Bow Front Chests
19th Century British Sheraton Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
19th Century British William IV Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Early 19th Century British Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
19th Century Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
1790s English George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
1850s English Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
Late 18th Century English Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
19th Century British High Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Early 1800s English George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
19th Century British Early Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Metal, Brass
19th Century British Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
1820s European Hepplewhite Antique Bow Front Chests
19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
Early 1900s British Edwardian Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Late 18th Century American Hepplewhite Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Early 19th Century English Regency Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany, Rosewood
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Antique Bow Front Chests
Other
1810s American Sheraton Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
Late 18th Century British George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
19th Century Regency Antique Bow Front Chests
Other
1810s American Hepplewhite Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
19th Century British Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
1840s American American Empire Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
Early 19th Century British George IV Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
19th Century Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
1820s Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
Mid-19th Century American High Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Oak
Mid-19th Century British Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Ivory, Mahogany
19th Century English George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Other
Late 18th Century American Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century British George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
19th Century English George IV Antique Bow Front Chests
Oak
18th Century English George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Oak
19th Century English George IV Antique Bow Front Chests
Oak
19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
19th Century English Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
19th Century English Early Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Oak
1820s American Federal Antique Bow Front Chests
Birdseye Maple, Maple
1820s American Antique Bow Front Chests
Wood
Mid-18th Century English George III Antique Bow Front Chests
Kingwood, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Bow Front Chests
Marble, Brass
19th Century Georgian Antique Bow Front Chests
Brass
Late 19th Century British High Victorian Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany, Oak
1830s American Federal Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Regency Antique Bow Front Chests
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Bow Front Chests
Walnut
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Antique Bow Front Chests For Sale on 1stDibs
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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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