Elegant Dutch Rococo Walnut Commode or Chest of Drawers with Secret Drawer
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Elegant Dutch Rococo commode or chest of drawers with undulating form and secret top drawer!
Brass
Unavailable
H 42 in W 48.5 in D 21.5 in
Large English Mahogany Chest with Reeded Sides and Secret Drawer
Located in Athens, GA
Large English Regency chest, circa 1820, mahogany with 3 small drawers across the top, only the middle one opens from inside and the other 2 are false, beautiful color, deep, heavy d...
Mahogany
William III Oak Chest on Stand
Located in Stamford, CT
Fabulous William III oak chest on stand with secret drawer, circa 1690.
French Empire Marble Top Chest With Secret Drawer
Located in Hixson, TN
A fine five drawer French Empire marble top chest with a secret drawer.
Marble
Sold
H 37.01 in W 55.12 in D 26.78 in
Three Locks Chest 'with Secret Drawer' Walnut, Iron, Spain, 17th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
Inside, there is a partition on one side, occupying the entire side: from bottom to top, three drawers with access from outside this space, this front decorated with moldings resembl...
Other, Wrought Iron
Sold
H 38 in W 52 in D 25.25 in
18th Century French Louis XV Carved Walnut Chest with Center Secret Drawer
Located in Dallas, TX
The elegant, fruitwood serpentine" commode Lyonnaise" stands on front escargot feet over a scalloped apron; it features three hand carved drawers across the front, including a hidden...
Bronze
Sold
H 42 in W 55 in D 31 in
Large 18th Century French Carved Walnut Commode from Lyon with Secret Drawer
Located in Dallas, TX
The commode features three serpentine drawers across the front with bronze hardware and a secret drawer at the bottom. The "commode lyonnaise" has scrolled feet, Fine carvi...
Bronze
Sold
H 70.63 in W 40 in D 23 in
18th Century New England Queen Anne Maple Flat Top Highboy with Secret Drawer
Located in Milford, NH
A two part flat top 18th century Queen Anne highboy in a warm toned maple of New England origin, with molded cornice concealing a secret long drawer surmounting an upper case with tw...
Maple
19th Century Japanese Merchant's Chest
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Japanese Choba, merchant chest with secret compartment behind small bottom drawer
Late 18th Century French Inlaid Walnut Commode
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A Fine Late 18th Century French Inlaid Walnut Commode or Large Chest of Drawers with Secret Drawer. Of high Louis XVI neoclassical form, this commode features a versatile combinatio...
Walnut
Sold
H 60.25 in W 42 in D 21.25 in
19th Century Biedermeier Fall Front Secretary or Chest MOVING SALE!
Located in Denton, TX
19th century Biedermeier fall front secretary/chest with secret drawer and figured fruitwood front.
Wood
20th Century Swedish Style Chese with Secret Drawer that Locks
Located in Round Top, TX
Swedish style chest of drawers with top center drawer that consists of smaller drawers for storage of jewelry or small item that locks for safe keeping.
Pine
19th Century English Oyster Chest with Secret Drawer
Located in Fairhope, AL
This is a very unique English oyster chest from the 19th century with a secret drawer near the top.
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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