Antique French Empire Mahogany & Gilt Metal Mounted Cabinet on Chest circa 1800
Located in Suffolk, GB
This antique French Empire mahogany and gilt metal mounted antique cabinet on chest has an upper tier with two doors fitted boasting attractive gilt metal mounts. The bottom chest ha...
Mahogany
Early 20th Century French Empire Marble Top Carved Walnut Four-Drawer Chest
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate a living room or den with this elegant antique chest of drawers. Crafted in France, circa 1930, the traditional commode sits on carved columnar supports over a straight bott...
Marble, Bronze
French Empire Style 19th Century Walnut Chest with Drop Front Desk, Two Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Empire style walnut chest from the 19th century with drop front desk and two additional drawers. This elegant French Empire style walnut chest from the 19th century exudes c...
Brass
19TH C French Marble Top Commode manner of Henri Dasson
By Paul Somani
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
19TH C French Lois XVI style Commode Attributed to Henri Dasson Antique French Empire Style Marble-Top Commode with Ormolu Mounts Add timeless elegance to your space with this exqui...
Marble, Bronze
Empire Baluster Chest of Drawers in Walnut, circa 1900
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire style baluster commode. Circa 1900. Fully restored. Functional keys and locks. Excellent condition. Additional information: Period: 19th century Style: Empire - Consulate Co...
Walnut
Empire Style Mahogany Chest of Drawers, 20th Century
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire style chest of drawers in mahogany veneer and Saint Anne grey marble top. Very good condition. Additional information: Period: 20th century Style: Empire - Consulate Condi...
Marble
Consulat Early Empire Chest with Gray Sainte-Anne Marble Top
Located in Austin, TX
This refined Empire commode exemplifies the architectural balance and restrained elegance associated with early 19th century French furniture.
Marble, Brass
$3,756Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Baker French Empire Directoire Walnut Lowboy Dresser 1960s
Located in Lake Worth, FL
For FULL item description click on "Read More" or "View More Details" below. Shipping Quote Information The shipping quote stated in the listing is from 1st Dibs and they normally s...
Brass
19th Century French Empire Miniature Commode
Located in Winter Park, FL
A fine early 19th century French Empire miniature sample commode with four dovetailed drawers.
Walnut
Unusual Empire Mahogany Chest with Dressing Mirror, ca. 1810
Located in Atlanta, GA
An Unusual Empire Mahogany Chest with Dressing Mirror, dating from the first quarter of the 19th century and French in origin. The piece in 2 parts: the top a dressing mirror with...
Mirror
Empire-Style Chest of Drawers in Elm Burl Veneer, 19th Century
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire period chest of drawers. Elm burl veneer. Functional locks with a key. Blackened wood top. Impeccable condition. Additional information: Period: 19th century Style: Empire -...
Elm, Burl
Late 19th Century Empire Style Chest with Ormolu Hardware and Mounts
Located in Phoenix, AZ
Late 19th Century Empire Style Chest with Ormolu Hardware and Mounts Beautiful piece purchased in France. Painted in Marie Antoinette Grey. Age appropriate wear, see detailed phot...
Wood
Empire Period Chest of Drawers in Walnut and Walnut Veneer, 19th Century
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire period commode with detached columns in walnut and walnut veneer, mounted on a very high-quality solid oak and fir frame. Functional key and locks. Original black marble...
Marble
Empire Period Chest of Drawers - Chiffonier with a Marble Slab, 19th Century
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire period walnut chest of drawers topped with a marble slab at waist height. Fully restored. Interior drawer height 15.5 cm. Marble slab height 81/75 cm. Additional inf...
Marble
Empire Style Chest of Drawers in Walnut and Green Marble, 20th Century
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire style chest of drawers in walnut and walnut veneer (some minor veneer loss). Functional key and lock - marble top in perfect condition. Restoration services available upon r...
Marble
Early 20th C Ebonised Mahogany Empire Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Troy, MI
Found in France, this circa 1910 Empire style mahogany chest of four drawers has a new ebonised finish and black marble top. Decorative columns on the front sides have brass trim and...
Brass
Antique half-round Empire chest of drawers, mahogany, around 1810
Located in Berlin, DE
Antique half-round Empire chest of drawers, mahogany, around 1810 Semi-circular body, one door in the middle flanked by full columns and one drawer each above and below. An extremel...
Wood, Mahogany
French Empire Demilune Console Table with Gilt Bronze and Gilt Caryatids, 19th C
Located in Madrid, ES
An elegant and highly decorative French Empire demilune console table, distinguished by its refined proportions and rich combination of finely chased gilt bronze mounts and carved gi...
Fruitwood
LARGE FAUX CHEST OF DRAWERS HIDDEN TV CABINET FRENCH EMPiRE STYLE
Located in Pulborough, GB
Antiques of London A striking Regency-style chest of drawers, beautifully detailed with gilt acanthus columns and ornate garland motifs, crafted in a lustrous finish. This elegant ...
Walnut
$2,970Sale Price|20% Off
Early 19th Century Empire Walnut Chest of Drawers with Marble on top
Located in Stahnsdorf, DE
19th Century Empire Walnut Chest of Drawers with Marble on top France, 1810 Walnut Antique Chest of drawers with black marble on top. Beautiful grain of walnut on front and both sid...
Walnut
A Tall French Empire Walnut Chest of Drawers in the Neo Classical Style
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
A Tall French Empire Walnut Chest of Drawers in the Neo Classical Style This is a French Satin Walnut Chest, known as a 7 day chest, it has 7 drawers, one for each day of the wee...
Walnut
Large Early 19th Century Empire Chest Of Drawers, Mahogany, Ormolu, Paris, 1810
Located in Greven, DE
Large Empire chest of drawers Paris Mahogany Early 19th century Dimensions: H x W x D: 97 x 136 x 68 cm Description: The architecturally designed front of the chest of drawers is ...
Bronze, Ormolu
Empire Chest of Drawers Cherry Wood with Black Colones and Black Marble Top
Located in Schöfflisdorf, CH
EMPIRE chest of drawers cherry wood with black colones and black marble top
Belgian Black Marble
Pair French Empire Cabinets - Painted Vernis Martin Commodes
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Gorgeous pair of French Empire style cabinets with painted fronts Hand painted doors and side are in the style of Vernis Martin In French interior design, vernis Martin is a type (or...
Wood
Pair of French Bedside Chests
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Nice pair of French empire style pine bedside chests. 1920
Pine
Super French Chest of Drawers
Located in Swadlincote, GB
Super Empire mahogany chest of four drawers of small proportions, gilt brass handles, escutions ad toes, baize lined drawers, in escellent overall condition. 33" high 21" wide 15" d...
Mahogany
Empire Period Chest of Drawers, Mahogany and Carrara Marble Top, 19th Century
Located in NAVILLY, FR
Empire period mahogany and mahogany veneer commode with a white Carrara marble top that has been restored previously (visible). Some veneer is missing (all restorations are possible...
Carrara Marble
19th Century French Empire Miniature Commode, Walnut, Circa 1800-1820
Located in Winter Park, FL
A fine early 19th century French Empire miniature sample commode crafted of solid walnut and burl of walnut veneer with deep, striking grain patterns.
Walnut
19th Century French Empire Miniature Commode, Hand-Crafted Walnut
Located in Winter Park, FL
A 19th century French Empire miniature commode made of walnut and veneer of walnut.
Walnut
French Cherry Wood Marble Top Chest of Drawers
Located in Faversham, GB
A substantial Continental chest of drawers or commode in cherry wood with a gently over sailing original marble top with square corners. The smooth white Carrara marble top with no...
Cherry
19th Century French Empire Miniature Commode, Walnut, Circa 1800-1820
Located in Winter Park, FL
A fine early 19th century French Empire miniature sample commode crafted of solid and veneer of walnut with deep, striking grain patterns.
Brass
Early 19th Century French Empire Apprentice Commode in Walnut with Lift Top
Located in Atlanta, GA
Early 19th century French Empire Apprentice Commode in walnut with lift top.
Walnut
19th Century French Mahogany Chest of Drawers with a Dark Gray Stone Top
Located in Dallas, TX
An early 19th century French Empire mahogany commode with bronze mounts and a dark gray stone top.
Stone, Bronze
French Empire Bedroom Suite Walnut Nightstands Bed Commode 1870
Located in Potters Bar, GB
This Suite Comprises of a Large Gentleman's Wardrobe, a Ladies Wardrobe, Super King Size Bed, Marble Top Commode and a Pair of Marble Top Bedside Cabinets. The Whole of the Suite Bei...
Marble
Villa Garnelo French Empire Style Crotch Mahogany 4 Drawer Commode Dresser Chest
By Villa Garnelo Internacional
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Please message us with your zip code to request a more reasonable domestic U.S. shipping quote. Villa Garnelo French Empire Style Crotch Mahogany 4 Drawer Commode Dresser Chest.
Mahogany
Pair French Empire Demi Lune Commodes Marquetry Cabinets Gilt
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Stunning pair of French Empire style demi lune cabinets Lovely demi lune - half moon - shape to this elegant pair Classic Empire look with classical references such as the fluted col...
Ormolu
19th Century Empire Commode, Nightstand or Sewing Table
Located in Berlin, DE
French Empire. Solid mahogany wood. Gilded and chiselled fittings. Two-wise frame base with protruding rectangular marble slab on square columns, joined by an intermediate compartmen...
Marble, Bronze
Charles X Dresser With Doors
Located in Beaune, FR
Charles X period commode with doors in rosewood and lemonwood marquetry - 19th century.Original in its design and creation. A rare piece of furniture in terms of quality and craftsma...
Rosewood
$1,613Sale Price|30% Off
French Empire Biedermeier Oak Double Dresser Commode Console Chest Hidden Drawer
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage French Empire / Biedermeier style chest of drawers / dresser / commode.
Oak
$2,796Sale Price|20% Off
Rway Mid Century French Empire Highboy Dresser
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Offering One Of Our Recent Palm Beach Estate Fine Furniture Acquisitions Of A French Empire Dresser Buffet with Glass Top by R-way Furniture Co Mid-Century French Empire style mahog...
Brass, Bronze
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.
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Whether you’re just moving in or ready to give your home a makeover, our guide will give you pointers on tables that are fitting for every room, nook and hallway.
The furniture equivalent of a Swiss Army knife, it's the multifunctional piece you didn't know you needed.
Italian studio DimoreMilano mustered great ingenuity when crafting these sculptural shelves, which are built without any screws.
Leaping into a design project, whether it's refreshing the bedroom or redoing the whole house, can be overwhelming. Luckily, we know more than a few interior designers. You asked questions on Instagram, and now they're answering.
Introduced nearly 500 years ago, curiosity cabinets are finding new fans among today's collectors and designers.
In the hands of New York Heartwoods cofounder Megan Offner, unwanted local trees become works of design art.
From Brooklyn townhouses to Maine campgrounds, Trattie Davies and Jonathan Toews relish a challenge, like transforming a former warehouse space into the new 1stdibs Gallery.