$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.25 in W 47 in D 21 in
Art Deco Four-Drawer Bleached Mahogany Serpentine Front Commode
By Empire Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Bleached and toned mahogany four-drawer commode by the fine furniture maker, Empire Furniture
Brass
$4,200
H 35.5 in W 50.75 in D 23.13 in
18th Century Bleached Mahogany French Empire Commode with Black Marble Top
Located in Carmine, TX
Empire chest of drawers hand-made in France in the early 1800s using oak and decorated with
Mahogany
Four Drawer Bleached Mahogany Serpentine Front Commode
By Empire Furniture
Located in Chicago, IL
Bleached and toned mahogany four drawer commode by the fine furniture maker, Empire Furniture
Brass
19th Century Bleached Italian Empire Walnut Commode
Located in Carmine, TX
Bleached Italian Empire commode handmade using walnut and pegged construction. This is a
Cherry
Sold
H 29.94 in W 37.19 in D 18.82 in
Pair of Petite Bleached French Empire Style Four-Drawer Commodes
Located in Richmond, VA
Great pair of petite bleached French Empire style four-drawer commodes, early 20th century. Height
Walnut
French Bleached Oak Commode
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Early 19th C French bleached oak commode in the Empire Style. 1820. Dimensions 48.5 inches (123
Oak
Sold
H 35.5 in W 45 in D 23.25 in
19th Century French Empire Period Bleached Walnut Commode with Marble Top
Located in Birmingham, AL
A fine 19th century French Empire period four-drawer commode handcrafted of walnut, circa 1810
Marble, Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 36.5 in W 51 in D 24.5 in
Early 19th Century French Empire Period Bleached Walnut Lyonnaise Commode with B
Located in Birmingham, AL
A handsome early 19th century French Empire period four drawer commode handcrafted of walnut by
Brass, Bronze
French Bleached Walnut Commode
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Early 19th C French bleached walnut Empire commode with a marble top. 1850. Reference: 8214
Walnut
French Bleached Walnut Commode
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Early 19th C French bleached walnut Empire commode with a marble top. 1850. Reference: 8214
Walnut
19th Century French Bleached Oak Empire Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Dallas, TX
Handsome 19th century French bleached oak Empire style chest of drawers. The piece has nice clean
Oak
19th Century French Empire Bleached Mahogany Chest with Brass Inlay
Located in Dallas, TX
Lovely 19th century French Empire bleached mahogany chest with brass inlay. Very nice black marble
Marble
19th Century Italian Empire Chest of Drawers in Bleached Walnut
Located in Carmine, TX
drawers and the presence of flat columns give the dresser an empire look, however, the long tapered legs
Walnut
1820s Empire Style Bleached Oak Drawer Chest
Located in High Point, NC
This oak chest of drawers was made in France, circa 1820. It houses four drawers, each with a carved wreath between decorative brass ring pulls. The drawers are slightly elevated, st...
Brass
Sold
H 36.61 in W 48.82 in D 24.41 in
19th Century Italian Empire Chest of Drawers / Dresser in Bleached Walnut
Located in Carmine, TX
Empire chest of drawers hand-made in Italy in the early 1800s using walnut. The dresser features
Walnut
Pair of Vintage Bleached Mahogany Empire Style Chests, circa 1940
Located in North York, ON
Pair of Vintage Bleached Mahogany Empire Style Chests Circa 1940. Restored by our craftsmen with a
Bronze
Sold
H 36 in W 51.25 in D 25.25 in
French Empire Mahogany Commode with Bluestone Top and Gilt Bronze Hardware
Located in Dallas, TX
This French Empire commode is a perfect example of the type of chest of drawers that became popular
Stone, Bronze
Kindel Bleached Walnut & Brass Empire Style Dresser
Located in Chicago, IL
Bleached walnut nine drawer dresser from revered Grand Rapids, Michigan furniture maker, Kindel
Brass
19th Century French Bleached Walnut Chest of Drawers
Located in Carmine, TX
with a petal pattern. Overall this is a sturdy, highly decorated but yet light piece. The bleaching
Walnut
18th Century French Oak Chest of Drawers
Located in High Point, NC
Empire style furniture. Built in France in the 1700s, the oak has been carefully restored in our
Brass
19th Century, French Country Chest of Drawers
Located in High Point, NC
Rational and harmonious, this antique oak chest of drawers is a covetable find. Made in France in the 19th century, the neoclassical design reflects the restrained yet opulent tastes...
Brass
Sold
H 35.75 in W 49 in D 22.25 in
19th Century French Empire Period Bleached Walnut Commode with Bookmatched Front
Located in Birmingham, AL
A striking 19th century French Empire period commode handcrafted of walnut and flame walnut, circa
Bronze
Sold
H 33 in W 47 in D 20 in
Pair of Antique Italian Empire Style Bleached Commodes with Carrara Marble
Located in Dallas, TX
Exceptional pair of antique Italian Empire style bleached commodes with Carrara marble. A very
Carrara Marble
Sold
H 33.5 in W 44.5 in D 22.75 in
French 1870s Empire Style Bleached Wood Commode with Columns and Frieze Drawer
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French bleached wood Empire style four-drawer commode from the late 19th century, with columns
Brass
French Empire Commode
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Good looking 18th century French 4-drawer bleached walnut Empire commode, 1810 Dimensions 50.5
Walnut
Sold
H 38.75 in W 48 in D 22.25 in
19th Century French Mahogany Empire Chest/Commode with Black Marble Top
Located in Carmine, TX
French Empire chest built in the early 1800s using bookmatched crotch magohany veneer and oak
Marble
Sold
H 35 in W 51.5 in D 23 in
French Empire Style Bleached Walnut Marble Top Chest with Ebonized Feet.
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
French Empire Style Bleached Walnut Marble Top Chest with Ebonized Paw Feet. Ca. 1860. Bleached
Belgian Black Marble
19th Century French Empire Commode in Bleached Walnut
Located in Fairhope, AL
This 19th century French Empire commode is bleached walnut and has a beautiful black marble-top
Walnut
19th Century Bleached Empire Chest with Paw Feet
Located in Atlanta, GA
19th century bleached Empire chest with paw feet.
Antique French Empire Chest in Bleached Oak
Located in Houston, TX
Antique French oak chest featuring three drawers in the French Empire style that is solidly built
Brass
Pair of 19th Century Italian Walnut Commodes
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A pair of mid-19th century Italian commodes in bleached walnut, with Empire style columns of good
Walnut
Classic Empire Center Table, Oatmeal
Located in Westwood, NJ
A Classic Empire style grey cerused oak oatmeal stained center table with a carved ogee edge, raised on an octagonal pedestal base. Dimensions: 42" W x 42" D x 30" H.
Wood
$2,000 / item
H 8.5 in Dm 17.5 in
Vintage Inspired Handcrafted Fluted Farmhouse Porcelain Pendant Light
By DBO Home
Located in Sharon, CT
Classic, elegant, with a perfectly imperfect touch. We just love our new porcelain Parasol Fluted Pendants. Inspired by a vintage pie cover, we designed them to hang over our kitchen...
Brass
$1,155Sale Price / item|30% Off
H 16.1 in Dm 11.5 in
'Plissé White Edition' Pleated Textile Table Lamp by Folkform for Örsjö
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
'Plissé White Edition' pleated textile table lamp by Folkform for Örsjö. This unique table lamp was awarded “Lighting of the Year 2022” by Residence Magazine Sweden, who called it “...
Textile
Dunbar Credenza
By Dunbar Furniture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This vintage modern Dunbar credenza features a lacquered hard wood base, spacious interior cabinets, and unique metal pulls. This beautiful Mid-Century piece is perfect for use as a ...
Wood
American Designer, Cabinet, Oak, USA, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
An oak and metal cabinet designed and produced in the US, c. 1940s.
Oak
$4,311 / item
H 69.69 in W 61.82 in D 18.51 in
Italian Contemporary Mid-Century Paolo Buffa Style Geometric Wood Cabinet
Located in Scandicci, Florence
Beautiful cabinet designed and handcrafted by us with structure and interior in solid beechwood, 2 rectangular leg , 2 folding doors with vertical and orizontal geometric moldings (...
Brass
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.