French Directoire Style Ebonized Commode by Jansen
By Maison Jansen
Located in Stamford, CT
Magnificent French commode in the Directoire style, circa 1940s, the white shaped marble atop a narrow banded frieze fitted with two drawers, over a conforming case with two long ban...
Classic French, Directoire Style Commode, Marble top
Located in Bellport, NY
Louis XV1 Style Commode(Directoire) Light mahogany wood,with one top drawer,two opening front doors, marble top and original brass hardware.
Marble, Brass
Classic French Directoire Style Commode, Marble Top
Located in Bellport, NY
Louis XV1 Style Commode/Directoire. Light mahogany wood,with one top drawer,two openng front doors.Original brass hardware with original and unusual brass key.
Beautiful marbl...
Marble
French Directoire Style 1840s Walnut Bookmarked Veneer Three-Drawer Commode
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Directoire style three-drawer commode from the first half of the 19th century with bookmarked walnut veneer, fluted side posts and tapered feet.
Walnut
Directoire Mahogany and Brass-Mounted Commode
Located in Essex, MA
Rectangular gray and white marble top with turreted corners over three graduated drawers with brass trim, all flanked by fluted brass inlaid columns, raised on toupie feet.
Sold|$12,500
Directoire Mahogany and Brass-Mounted Commode
Located in Essex, MA
With rectangular grey and white marble top with rounded front corners over a conforming case with three drawers over two long drawers flanked by fluted columns raised on toupie feet....
19th Century French Louis XVI, Directoire Style Marble Top Commode
Located in Dallas, TX
19th century French Louis XVI, Directoire style marble top commode boasts the tailored lines and rectilinear architecture that defines the genre.
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Directoire Style Inlaid Cherry Commode Fitted Desk
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
An early-19th century French cherrywood Directoire commode with lovely colour and patina.
Cherry
Sold|$9,425
Exceptional Directoire Period Commode
Located in Round Top, TX
An exceptional and rare Directoire period commode from France. Beautifully constructed from walnut.
Walnut
Pair of French Midcentury Directoire Style Walnut Commodes with Brass Galleries
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French Directoire style walnut commodes from the mid 20th century, with three drawers and brass galleries.
Brass
French Directoire Style Louis XVI Marble Top Commode, Circa 1920
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Marble top. Brass accents. 3 dovetail drawers. Measures: 32 3/4" H x 37 7/8" W x 21" D. Condition Chips in marble. Minor finish loss. Scratches. Discoloration in marble.
Marble
Petite French Directoire Style Three-Drawer Commode with Tapered Legs, 1880s
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Directoire style petite walnut three-drawer commode from the late 19th century with tapered legs.
Oak, Walnut
Superb Maison Jansen Style French Directoire Marble Top Louis XVI Commode
By Maison Jansen
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a gorgeous French-made Maison Jansen style Directoire commode with pale mahogany and gorgeous bronze ormolu and details.
Marble, Bronze
Maison Jansen French Directoire Style Painted Commode
Located in Stamford, CT
A very charming French commode, circa 1940, in the style of Directoire, overall painted and parcel-gilt, the shaped top over a conforming case fitted with three drawers flanked by fl...
Wood
Sold|$10,730
A Fine Directoire Commode
Located in London, GB
A fine early 19th century mahogany commode of good colour with graduated drawers all supported on topee feet.
Burled Walnut Gilded Marble Top French Directoire Style Portuguese Commode
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a fine quality French Directoire style commode made of rosewood, burled walnut and fine gilded wood details and a fantastic marble top.
Griotte Marble
French Directoire Style Marble Top Commode M Jansen
By Maison Jansen
Located in Stamford, CT
Fine French Directoire style mahogany commode, salmon-color marble atop a conforming case fitted with a narrow drawer with key-pull, over two larger drawers with brass loop pulls, al...
Marble, Bronze
Sold|$10,500
18th c. Directoire Commode
Located in New Orleans, LA
Petite Walnut Commode
Walnut
Antique 1880s era French Louis XV Directoire Walnut Commode with Brass Ormolu
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a stunning antique French polished Directoire comode made during the 1870-80s era and in beautiful dark brown walnut with brass ormolu mounts and a gallery.
Brass
French Directoire Style Marble Top Commode by Jansen
Located in Stamford, CT
An exceptional and fine commode in the taste of French Directoire, circa 1940s, the white marble top a frieze fitted with three drawers with ormolu banding, over a conforming case fi...
Marble, Bronze
Antique French Directoire Brass Mounted Mahogany Commode with White Marble Top
Located in New York, NY
French Directoire chest of drawers, with galleried original top in gray veined white marble, decorated with brass stringing lines and moldings at the feet as well as chased brass pla...
Marble, Brass
French Directoire Period Walnut 2-Door Commode, 1st quarter 19th century
Located in Atlanta, GA
Having a rectangular molded edge top above a conforming case with slightly stepped center section and two drawers with geometric carving retaining original brass ring pulls, with car...
Walnut
Period Louis XVI Directoire Marble Top French Commode with Ormolu, circa 1800
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Maison Jansen became world famous for copying this original antique form of commode. This is a late 1700s early 1800s era Directoire commode. The commode features age cracks that hav...
Marble, Brass
Fine French Louis XVI Directoire Walnut Antique Commode with Marble Top
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Description Marble top. 3 drawers. Walnut. 34 3/4" h x 50" w x 23" d. Condition Scratches. Finish loss. Chips in edge of marble.
Marble, Brass
Sold|$2,600
A Directoire Fruitwood Commode
Located in Sheffield, MA
The shaped rectangular top over two drawers all resting on turned legs.
French Directoire Style Walnut Two-Drawer Commode, circa 1840 with Turned Legs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Directoire style walnut veneered two-drawer commode from the first half of the 19th century with brass hardware, fluted side posts and turned legs.
Walnut
A French Directoire Gilt Bronze Mounted Commode with Marble Top, 19th Century
Located in ARMADALE, VIC
A French Directoire Gilt Bronze Mounted Parquetry Commode With Marble Top, 19th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection Acquired in 1980s.
Marble, Ormolu
French Mahogany and Brass Directoire-Style Commode with Marble-Top, circa 1880
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
French mahogany Directoire-style commode with marble top and lovely brass gallery.
Marble, Brass
Pair of Petite French Directoire Style Commodes with Gallery and Marble Tops
Located in Atlanta, GA
This pair of French Directoire style petite commodes was made in the early 20th century.
Marble, Brass
Directoire Style Painted Commode with Carrara Marble Top
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Commode, in Directoire taste, having a rectangular top of white carrara marble, on case with a mottled painted finish, two stacked fielded drawers with a rosette at each corner, rais...
Marble
Directoire Provençal Oak Commode, Late 18th Century
Located in London, GB
Of good scale, with ornamental top and bottom guilloche carved frieze, beautiful provençal swagged gilt bronze handles and original ornamentation. Wonderful warm patina and of excell...
Bronze
18th Century Directoire Chest of Drawers / Commode
Located in Carmine, TX
Bleached directoire chest of drawers hand-built in France in the late 1700s using oak and pegged construction.
Oak
French Directoire Style Commode in the Swedish Fashion
Located in Stamford, CT
French Directoire style commode, 20th century, overall distressed, the conforming case fitted with three drawers, flanked by fluted columnar uprights, raised on tapering bulbous legs.
Wood
French Directoire Style Marble Mahogany Commode by Jansen
Located in Stamford, CT
French marble top mahogany commode in the style of Directoire, circa 1940, the marble over a conforming case fitted with two over two drawers, parcel-gilt banding and fluted columns,...
Marble
Late 18th Century French Directoire Period Walnut Commode or Chest with Marble
Located in Fayetteville, AR
With only a 39 inch width, this small scale early nineteenth century French Directoire period walnut commode or chest of drawers features a Saint Anne marble top.
Marble, Bronze
Exquisite Directoire Style Marble-Top Commode with Applied Bronze
By Maison Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Exquisite Directoire-Style Marble-Top Commode with Applied Bronze, featuring three drawers, attributed to Maison Jansen
Sold|$8,700
A French Directoire Chest
Located in New York, NY
A French Directoire Chest/secretary in mahogany and brass and a marble top.
Brass
Sold|$3,500
French Directoire Painted Chiffonier
Located in Austin, TX
Antique French Directoire style chiffonier in fruitwood with a gray patina, white pilasters, and nine dovetailed drawers with bronze hardware. A charming piece with sturdy constructi...
Cherry
Sold|$7,800
19th century painted directoire commode
Located in New Orleans, LA
Two drawer painted commode with white marble columns
Original Faux painted top
Sold|$1,900
French Directoire Style Console
Located in Austin, TX
French Directoire style console with a "Trianon gray" and white patina, three drawers and tapered legs. Wonderful proportions and a light finish create a versatile piece, easily plac...
Cherry
Sold|$5,500
French Directoire Period Chest
Located in Austin, TX
Chest / commode from France made of solid walnut from the Rhone Valley.
Bronze
Signed Classic Louis XVI Distressed Walnut Marble Directoire Commode
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a superb distressed Directoire style commode with a beautiful marble top.
Marble
Sold|$9,800
19th c. Petite Directoire Commode
Located in New Orleans, LA
Walnut petite Commode
Walnut
Sold|$14,500
18th c. Walnut Directoire Commode
Located in New Orleans, LA
Simply elegant two drawer walnut commode
Walnut
A Directoire Style Brass Banded Walnut Commode, Rare Size
Located in Buchanan, MI
Sale 261 Lot 580 A Directoire Brass Banded Walnut Commode, having a planked rectangular top over two long drawers flanked by fluted supports, raised on square tapering legs endi...
Brass
Sold|$2,995
Antique French Directoire Semainier
Located in Austin, TX
French Directoire antique semainier with seven dovetailed drawers (semaine is week in French, a drawer per day of the week). This piece is made of cherry wood and perfectly proportio...
Bronze
Pr. of 19th Century French Directoire Louis XVI commodes
Located in Dallas, TX
Pair of tapered Louis XVI Mahogany commodes. Matched pr.
Wood
Large Mahogany Maison Jansen Directoire Style Marble Top Commode
By Maison Jansen
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a grand scale commode. Maison Jansen Directoire style mahogany 9-drawer, bronze mounted, marble-top commode.
Marble, Bronze
Directoire-Style Ebonized Marble-Top Commode with Bronze Mounts
Located in New York, NY
Directoire-style ebonized marble-top commode with bronze mounts.
Mahogany
Sold|$3,900
French Directoire Chest of Drawers
Located in Austin, TX
French antique Directoire chest of drawers. Beautifully built and flawless proportions. Great patined French blue. Solid hand-carved cherrywood. Three dovetailed drawers with origina...
Mahogany and Brass Banded Commode, Directoire circa 1790
Located in Berlin, DE
A rectangular moulded green/ grey marble top above three frieze drawers and two long drawers, the panelled sides within brass surround, raised on square tapering feet. The whole desi...
Brass
Sold|$5,200
French Directoire Chest of Drawers
Located in Austin, TX
The commode is finished in a lustrous museum quality French polish.
Bronze
Fine Quality Late 18th Century Directoire Period Mahogany Commode
Located in Benington, Herts
A fine quality French late 18th century Directoire period mahogany commode having a white and grey veined “Breche Verte” marble top with brass mounts, circa 1795.
Marble, Brass
Sold|$11,500
Directoire Style Ebonized, Marble-Top Commode
Located in New York, NY
Directoire style ebonized commode having a shaped marble top over three bronze mounted block front drawers flanked by columns on tapered legs ending on brass sabots
Sold|$9,500
Louis XVI/ Directoire Commode, circa 1800
Located in Doylestown, PA
A provincial French commode, Louis XVI/Directoire Period, circa 1800, in walnut with brass escutcheons and drawer pulls, and a black slate top.
Walnut
Pair of Ebonised Directoire Brass Mounted Marble Top Commodes
Located in Benington, Herts
A stunning and decorative pair of French Directoire period ebonised and brass mounted marble topped commodes.
Brass
Louis XVI Transitional to Directoire Plum Pudding Mahogany Commode
Located in Nashville, TN
With hand-hewn Carrara marble top. The drawer fronts of bleached plum pudding mahogany against a frame of brown mahogany (for contrast). Old refinish and re-polish to the exterio...
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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