Early 20th Century Fruitwood Commode
Located in Martlesham, GB
A superb quality early 20th century French fruitwood commode of serpentine bombe form, having a shaped, moulded edge top above three small drawers over two long deep drawers with ori...
Fruitwood
English George I Style Chest on Chest
Located in Hudson, NY
English George I style chest on chest.
Mahogany
18th Century French Rococo Period Commode
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
18th Century French Rococo period commode with traces of original paint. Of beautiful proportions.
Wood, Paint
A Fabulous Edwardian Neat Size Chest on Chest
Located in Dublin, IE
A fabulous Edwardian well figured flame mahogany chest on chest of neat proportions, finely carved with beautifully rich patination and grain. The stepped cavetto pediment with dent...
Brass
18th Century Baroque Style Commode
Located in Berlin, DE
Original Baroque style commode, circa 1750. Various precious wood veneers on solid fir wood. Profile framed passively curved frame on pressed ball feet. In the front two drawers, in...
Wood, Fir
Italian Inlaid Four-Drawer Commode, C. 1920
Located in Philadelphia, PA
It would serve beautifully as a chest or commode in a bedroom, a handsome storage piece in a living room or library, or an elegant accent chest in an entry hall or smaller hallway.
Wood
19th Century German Biedermeier Walnut Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
This product is a 19th century German Biedermeier walnut commode. This antique piece of furniture exudes the charm and craftsmanship of the Biedermeier style, reflecting the clean li...
Walnut
Late 18th Century Dutch Empire Commode
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
An unusual late 18th Century Dutch Empire oak tallboy commode. With ebonised columns and original brassware. Circa 1780.
Brass
$2,400 / item
French Early 20th Century Commode
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Charming Tall Dresser, it is French Louis XV style and it is made of Rosewood with a beautiful pattern.
Rosewood
Super Georgian Mahogany Chest on Chest of Drawers
Located in Swadlincote, GB
A very nice Georgian mahogany chest on chest of drawers in supeprb original condition, original swan necked handles, locks, key etc, oak lined throughout, splits into two, lovely col...
Mahogany
English Mahogany Bow Front Chest on Chest
Located in Woodbury, CT
English, mahogany bow front chest on chest with ebony string inlay on unique Hepplewhite crown. Brass ring pulls with round backplates.
Mahogany
Antique Country French Painted Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique Country French painted commode features a graceful appearance enhanced with subtle scrollwork from the carved ornamentation on the drawer facades to the four legs below, each...
Brass
$9,600Sale Price|25% Off
Georgian Style Oyster Veneer Tallboy Chest on Chest
Located in Savannah, GA
A Georgian style yew wood oyster veneer tallboy chest on chest, 20th century composed of new and old elements. 44 ½ inches base width (44 ¾ inches at cornice) by 23 ½ inches deep by...
Yew
Commode Louis XV Stamped Gosselin
By Antoine-Louis Gosselin
Located in BARSAC, FR
Superb Louis XV chest of drawers with all curved sides, in crimped kingwood marquetry in satin frames underlined by boxwood fillets. Opening four drawers in three rows. Beautiful g...
Marble
Empire Commode, France, 19th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Empire commode. Mahogany, oak, ormolu bronze, Saint Anne marble.
Marble, Bronze
Superb Serpentine Burr Walnut Chest on Chest of Drawers
Located in Swadlincote, GB
Top quality oak lined Queen Anne serpentine chest on chest of nine drawers, original locks, burr walnut with brass plate handles, standing on bracket feet, splits into two for ease, ...
Burl
19th Century Italian Inlaid Walnut Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
This vintage 19th century Italian inlaid Parquetry walnut commode exudes elegance and charm with its intricate design and classic Italian style. Perfect for adding a touch of luxury ...
Walnut
George II Burr Walnut Chest on Chest
Located in New York, NY
The upper part with cavetto frieze over three short drawers over three graduated drawers, set between fluted canted corners; the lower part with a brushing slide set over three gradu...
Brass
$6,500 / item
18th Century German Neoclassical Walnut Commode
Located in Rochester, NY
German neoclassical two-drawer walnut veneered commode. Good old finish with rich color, circa 1790.
Walnut
French Oak Commode, Late 18th C.
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A distinguished late 18th-century French commode crafted in solid oak, featuring a rectangular case with elegantly canted corners and three generously proportioned drawers. The piece...
Oak
Satinwood Sheraton Revival Breakfront Marquetry Commode
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
An Exceptional Edwardian Satinwood Commode, Reproducing Thomas Chippendale’s Piece-Known as the Diana and Minerva Commode-Supplied to the Lascelles Family at Harewood House A satinw...
Marble
18th Century Mahogany Chest on Chest with Original Brass Handles
Located in Nottingham, GB
A superb 18th century mahogany chest on chest, showcasing the elegance, practicality and exceptional craftsmanship associated with fine Georgian furniture. This impressive tall chest...
Brass
A South German 18th century commode
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A South German 18th century walnut, maple and ebony banded serpentine Apprentice's commode of small size, with quarter veneering and fruitwood stringing, the moulded top above three ...
Ebony, Maple, Walnut
19th Century French Marble Top Commode
Located in Charlottesville, VA
A French marble top commode with a shaped marble top over a serpentine case fitted with two long drawers and three smaller drawers above, including a central top drawer. Veneered sur...
Brass
Late Gustavian Swedish Commode, early 1800s
Located in Farsta, SE
Late Gustavian Swedish Commode, early 1800s Retains its original English red marbled painted surface with a beautifully aged patina and wear. Made of pine. Heigth: 91 cm/35.8 inch...
Pine
Early 19th Century Biedermier Cherrywood Commode
Located in Kent, Dover
A large Austrian Biedermeier commode in cherry veneer, comprising four drawers, with ebonised half-columns, detailing and handles. The interior lined in pine.
Brass
Period English Chippendale Mahogany Chest on Chest with Serpentine Form
Located in Atlanta, GA
Period English Chippendale Mahogany Chest on Chest with Serpentine Form, ca. 1760
Mahogany
Early 18th Century Geometric-Front Chest on Chest
Located in Lymington, GB
A rare English early-18th century oak geometrically-panelled chest on chest, ca 1710-1720. Queen Anne / George I-period. NB. This is an interesting example of a transition from the...
Oak
$3,978
Large Oak Chest
Located in Los angeles, CA
Large Oak Chest
Oak
Louis XV Walnut Two Drawer Commode
Located in East Aurora, NY
A very attractive mid 18th century Walnut commode. Two large deep drawers that are gliding smoothly in the case. Nicely carved raised panel sides and drawer fronts. Excellent color ...
Walnut
Rare Pair of Geo II Chest on Chests
Located in Shipston-On-Stour, GB
A one off pair of Geo II mahogany chest on chests of compact size, the flat tops with moulded edges and canted corners running full height of the chests, the fronts with sets of grad...
Mahogany, Oak
19th Century Swedish Commode Circa 1860
Located in Atlanta, GA
A beautiful 19th-century Swedish Gustavian-style commode, circa 1860, painted in a soft gray with a delicate hint of green.
Beech
18th Century Italian Serpentine Polychrome Painted Commode
Located in Atlanta, GA
18th Century Italian Serpentine Polychrome Painted Commode with Silver Gilt and Blue Painted Foliage Detail
Wood
18th Century French Walnut Three Drawer Commode
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Lovely decorative mid-18th Century French walnut commode. With three drawers and original brass handles and mounts. Circa 1750.
Brass
Fine 18th Century Venetian Fruitwood Commodes
Located in Rome, IT
A fine pair of 18th century Venetian fruitwood commodes with three long drawers. Measures: 132 x 88 x 62 cm. Very good vintage condition.
Nutwood
$2,500
Chippendale Walnut Chest
Located in East Aurora, NY
Chippendale Walnut fluted quarter column chest probably Maryland or Pennsylvania 1800 - 1810. No replacements or repairs other than the hardware which is a later addition. Nicely mo...
Walnut
Exceptional 18th Century Georgian English Chippendale Mahogany Chest on Chest
Located in Nottingham, GB
A superb 18th-century English chest on chest, finely crafted from richly figured mahogany in the Chippendale style and distinguished by its impressive proportions, exceptional timber...
Brass
Antique George III Pediment Top Chest-On-Chest
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A large and very well made Period Georgian Chest-On-Chest with dove-tail constructed drawers, bold broken pediment, pull out central return, intricate foliate drawer pulls and escutc...
Metal
Italian Neoclassical Walnut Commode with Inlay, 1800s
Located in Carmine, TX
Neoclassical commode hand-made in Italy in the early 1800s using walnut and decorated with walnut cross-banded veneer.
Walnut
19thC French Ebonised Fruitwood Marble Commode
Located in Staffordshire, GB
circa 1880 19thC French Ebonised Fruitwood Marble Commode sku 1436E W106.5 x D52.5 x H99 cm Weight 69Kg
Marble
Late 18th Century English Bleached Mahogany Painted Chest On Chest
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A highly decorative and now bleached and painted mahogany chest on chest. English, Circa 1780. This beautiful piece has had a unique make over with the bleaching of the Georgian mah...
Mahogany, Paint
Italian Neoclassical Walnut Commode With Walnut Veneer
Located in Viterbo, VT
Neoclassical commode hand-crafted in central Italy in the early 1800s and decorated with gorgeous walnut veneer.
Walnut
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
18th Century Painted Louis XVI Commode
Located in Carmine, TX
The top of the commode is decorated with an ogee edge. This is a very simple and elegant chest with a beautiful whitish-mint color highlighted by gray.
Oak
19th Century Italian Commode With Marble
Located in Nashville, TN
Italian walnut chest of drawers from the Lombardy region of Italy, typical of the Bergamo cabinet-making tradition. The casework is solid walnut while the drawer interiors are pine. ...
Marble
Baroque Walnut Commode, Mid-18th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Elegant Baroque walnut commode featuring three spacious drawers and compressed ball feet. The gently curved serpentine front is adorned with ornate, asymmetrical fittings. Rounded cr...
Walnut
French late 19th Century Louis XVI Commode
Located in Stockbridge, GA
This is a French 19th century Louis Style Commode. Its is made of walnut with brass around the drawers and a Saint-Anne marble top.
Marble, Brass
French Louis XVI Painted Oak Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
18th century French Louis XVI style painted oak commode. This piece blends neoclassical symmetry with rustic elegance—perfect for adding refined character to a bedroom, hallway, or l...
Oak
18th Century French Bleached Walnut Serpentine Commode
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Late 18th Century French bleached walnut serpentine commode, with exceptional veneers and original handles. Circa 1780. With minor restoration.
Walnut
Fine 18th Century Swedish Rococo Commode
Located in Bozeman, MT
Fine 18th century Swedish Rococo commode in It's original colour. ca 1770 Sweden.
Pine
German Biedermeier Solid Cherrywood Commode, circa 1840
Located in Darmstadt, DE
This fine Biedermeier commode is crafted from solid cherrywood, showing the warm, honey-toned patina and rich grain typical of the finest examples from South Germany, circa 1840. The...
Cherry, Spruce
Virginian Walnut Tallboy/Chest on Chest circa 1750
Located in Sherborne, GB
George 2nd Virginia walnut Tallboy/chest on chest with fluted canted corners on bracket feet circa 1750. Retaining its original brass handles, escutcheons and iron locks. The drawer ...
Walnut
Italian Neoclassic Satinwood And Rosewood Commode
Located in Essex, MA
Rectangular white marble top over two drawers each inlaid with musical trophies and Greek key borders. Round brass pulls. Flanked by vertical string inlays and ending on square taper...
Carrara Marble, Brass
Italian Neoclassic Rosewood And Palisander Commode
Located in Essex, MA
Likely made in Rome. With a rectangular top with central oval marquetry inlay depicting the Greek goddess Athena interacting with Cecrops the mythical first king of Athens depicted a...
Bone, Palisander, Rosewood
19th Century French Louis Philippe Commode
Located in Charlottesville, VA
A 19th century French Louis Philippe commode in well-figured walnut, topped with a deep gray marble. The drawer fronts showcase rich grain patterns, and fine dovetail joinery is visi...
Marble
$12,156 / set
Pair of 19th Century Walnut Commodes
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Pair of 19th Century Italian walnut commodes.Finished on gilded lions claw feet. Unusual to find a pair of these burr walnut commodes with a spiral turned column. These are finished ...
Marble
Baroque Marquetry Commode with Elm Inlay, 1760
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
An impressive antique commode of particularly elegant proportions, distinguished by its beautifully executed marquetry and highly decorative veneered surfaces. The top features an e...
Brass
$8,200 / set
French 19th Century Pair of Commodes
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Exquisite Pair of 19th century French pair of commodes. They are made of mahogany with brass around the drawers. They have it’s original marble top with a brass gallery around.
Marble, Brass
$7,840Sale Price|20% Off
19th Century Italian Walnut Bombe' Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
This 19th Century Italian Walnut Bombe' Commode is a stunning piece of antique furniture. Crafted in Italy, it features a beautiful bombe' shape and is made of rich walnut wood. With...
Walnut
19th c. French Louis XVI Transitional Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
French Louis XVI Transitional Commode is an antique piece of furniture that exudes elegance and refinement.
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Original Patina Italian Walnut Commode
Located in Brenham, TX
18th Century Italian Walnut Commode 18th-century Italian walnut commode with a distinctive architectural form and warm, richly figured walnut surface. The case has a broad, slightly...
Walnut
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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