A very fine George I walnut tallboy
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A very fine George I walnut tallboy, of typical rectangular form with a wide base containing three
Antique 1720s English George I Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Walnut
A very fine George I walnut tallboy
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A very fine George I walnut tallboy, of typical rectangular form with a wide base containing three
Walnut
18th Century George I Walnut Tallboy Chest-on-Stand, England
Located in Houston, TX
A superb early 18th-century George I walnut "tallboy" chest-on-stand, featuring exquisite oyster
Walnut
Walnut 18th Century Georgian Tallboy Chest On Chest
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A Wonderful Early 18th Century, George I Period, Walnut Chest On Chest, Or Tallboy, Of Attractive
Walnut
George I Walnut Tallboy
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A George I walnut tallboy, of tall rectangular form, the upper section with a moulded cornice over
Walnut
Attractive George I Walnut and Feather Banded Tallboy
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
An attractive George I walnut and feather banded tallboy, the upper section with stop-fluted canted
Rare Very Small Georgian Walnut Tallboy
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
An Extremely Attractive And Very Rare Early 18th Century, George I Period, Walnut Tallboy, Or Chest
Walnut
Antique 18th Century Walnut Chest on Chest / Tallboy
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A delightful George I period walnut chest on chest, or tallboy, of diminutive proportions having
Walnut
Small Georgian Walnut Tallboy
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A charming early 18th century George I period walnut tallboy, or chest on chest, of extremely rare
Walnut
George I Burr Walnut Tallboy
Located in London, GB
A good George I burr walnut tallboy, the upper part with canted corners above a brushing slide, the
George I Walnut Tallboy/chest on chest
Located in Wiltshire, GB
George I walnut tallboy of superb colour, patination and proportions with inlaid starburst to the
Walnut
Unusual Early 18th Century George I Walnut Tallboy
Located in Bradford on Avon, GB
This unusual example is of rare small size and is most exceptional for the inclusion of a door and flanking pilasters to the upper section. The
Walnut
Early 18th Century George I Period Burr Walnut Secretaire Tallboy
Located in London, GB
A fine early 18th century George I Period burr walnut secretaire tallboy, the shaped cornice above
Brass
Early 18th Century George I Period Walnut Chest on Chest Tallboy
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
pre-cockbeading drawer mouldings and proper oak lined drawers. George I, circa 1720. Measures
An Antique Georgian Walnut Tallboy
Located in London, GB
An usually slim George I period walnut veneered tallboy; the crossgrain veneered cavetto cornice
Walnut
Chest on Chest Walnut
Located in Bradford on Avon, GB
Unusual Early 18th Century George I Walnut Tallboy This unusual example is of rare small size and
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
$237,295 / set
H 61.82 in W 20.48 in D 10.63 in
Pair Of Exceptional Commissioned HOK Floor Lamps by Paavo Tynell, Taito 1940s
By Taito Oy, Paavo Tynell
Located in Helsinki, FI
A Grand pair of Paavo Tynell floor lamps commissioned for the HOK Suurravintola "Grand Restaurant" in Helsinki. Paavo Tynell, Oy Taito Ab, c. 1949. Only 8 of these lamps are known to...
Metal, Brass
$3,200
H 10.5 in W 13.75 in D 13.75 in
A French late 19th century Louis XV st. Lunéville Faience Porcelain serving set
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A stunning and most decorative French late 19th century Louis XV st. Lunéville Faience Porcelain serving set. This most attractive fifty-four piece dining is painted on over glaze co...
Porcelain
Pair of Louis XV Style 16-Light Chandeliers, Manner of Baccarat
By Cristalleries De Baccarat
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A large pair of Louis XV style gilt bronze and cut-glass sixteen-light chandeliers. The solid bronze frames surmounted with pendants, molded towers, fleur de lis and a central suppor...
Crystal, Bronze
A fine pair of George 11 burled walnut chests
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine pair of 18th century English burled walnut George 11 period chests
Walnut
Early 16th Century Flemish Late Gothic Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
Early 16th century flemish late Gothic tapestry, possibly tournai. Provenance: Dinolevi, Florence, circa 1960.
$18,160 / set
H 31.89 in W 44.89 in D 22.45 in
Original Otto Wagner & Kohn Jacob & Josef & Koloman 'Kolo' Moser Ensemble, 1901
By Otto Wagner, Koloman Moser, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Vienna, AT
As pioneer and master of the Modern, Otto Wagner seized the then rather new technique of bending wood for his furniture designs. Occasionally These furniture are attributed to Koloma...
Fabric, Bentwood
$13,575
H 69.3 in W 40.16 in D 23.23 in
Antique Queen Anne Walnut Secretaire Chest / Escritoire, 18th Century
Located in London, GB
A beautiful Queen Anne walnut secretaire chest / escritoire, circa 1710 in date. The upper section features a moulded cornice above a secret bulge front frieze drawer, this is above ...
Walnut
Antique Walnut Chest on Chest of Drawers
Located in London, GB
A large and impressive antique walnut chest on chest of drawers. This in the Georgian revival style, it was made in England and dates from around the 1950’s. It is of superb quality...
Walnut
English Mahogany Tall Chest of Drawers, 18th Century
Located in Savannah, GA
18th Century English Mahogany Tall Chest of Drawers having a dentil molded cornice above a rectangular top two small drawers over six drawers with brass pulls and escutcheons, raised...
Brass
18th Century Walnut Chest on Chest
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
18th Century English, beautiful and good quality Georgian walnut chest on chest tallboy. Of small proportions this attractive piece not only offers great storage but looks amazing. T...
Brass
$132,278
H 30 in W 69 in D 60 in
Substantial 19th Century Figured Burr Walnut Partners' Desk by Holland & Sons
By Holland & Sons
Located in London, GB
A Substantial Walnut Partners' Desk By Holland & Sons A fully fitted partners desk with identical arrangements to both sides, constructed using finely figured walnut and with a tool...
Leather, Walnut
Pair of Howard & sons sofas
By Howard and Sons
Located in Stroud, GB
Pair of rare deco “Bruton” model sofas by Howard and sons covered in salmon H&S monogrammed organic cotton ticking with duck feather and down cushions and stamped castors. Dimension...
Hardwood
Baltic NeoClassic Mahogany 18th Century Breakfront
Located in Queens, NY
"Continental (Probably Baltic-18th Century) Neo-classic mahogany breakfront cabinet with a lower section having 4 door under 4 drawers, all having an oval shaped inlaid pattern and a...
Mahogany
Unavailable|$15,203 / item
H 31 in W 37.75 in D 90 in
English Chesterfield Double Chaise Lounge Chair Bench in H&S Tweed - Tent By DH
Located in New York, NY
Introducing the Millbrook Double Chaise, a luxurious and versatile piece by Tent By Darren Henault, blending comfort with elegance. Is it a chaise longue, a tete et tete, a bench? Th...
Maple, Oak, Down, Feathers
Set of Four Swedish Arts and Crafts Club Chairs
Located in Atlanta, GA
This handsome set of Swedish club chairs are in the arts and crafts style yet they are also clean lined like modern Art Deco. It is rare to find a set of four and this set has been r...
Muslin, Wood
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.