$6,900
H 40 in W 48 in D 17.75 in
Sublime Holland MacRae for Lee Jofa Chatsworth Concave Mahogany Chest
By Lee Jofa
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Holland MacRae Chatsworth mahogany chest of drawers for Lee Jofa is a stunning piece of artistry
Mahogany
$1,696Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 4.15 in W 5.35 in D 7.75 in
Hans-Agne Jakobsson 'Mini-Tratten' Verdigris Patinated Outdoor Sconce
By Hans-Agne Jakobsson, Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Glendale, CA
Hans-Agne Jakobsson 'Mini-Tratten' verdigris patinated outdoor sconce. An exclusive made for U.S. and UL listed authorized re-edition of the classic Swedish design executed in rich v...
Metal
$1,645Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 29.5 in W 9 in D 9 in
2 Ralph Lauren Modern Glass Hurricane Bronze Library Buffet Table Lamps
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Dayton, OH
Pair of Ralph Lauren Lighting Modern Table Lamps. The minimalist design features a glass cylinder accented with Bronze finished metal rims and pendulum shaped cord cover suspended in...
Bronze
$3,000
H 29.5 in W 25 in D 31 in
Ralph Lauren Home Cannes Mahogany & Brass End or Bedside Table, French Style
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Ralph Lauren home cannes end or bedside table with concealed single drawer. Beautifully patterned Mahogany wood top is trimmed in solid brass. Curved Mahogony wood legs feature decor...
Brass
Ralph Lauren Leather and Chrome Armchair
By Ralph Lauren
Located in Water Mill, NY
Very heavy leather and chrome armchair by Ralph Lauren. Seat D 19.5.
Chrome
$7,700
H 52 in W 48 in D 20 in
19th Century Swedish Mahogany Chiffonje, Writing Agency - Cabinet by Karl Johan
By Karl Johan
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 19th Century, antique Swedish Biedermeier writing agency, secretary table made of hand crafted polished, partly veneered Mahogany with a writing flap, designed by Karl-Johan in goo...
Metal, Brass
$2,575
H 30.71 in W 23.63 in D 28.35 in
EX DiSPLAY RALPH LAUREN DESIGNER MODERN PENTHOUSE CHROME & LEATHER ARMCHAIR
By Ralph Lauren
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this perfect condition, Ex-display, Ralph Lauren Modern Penthouse Collection Chrome and cream leather armcha...
Chrome
Baker Historic Charleston Reproductions Mahogany Sideboard
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Bridgeport, CT
The finest construction in mahogany with a bow front case and double banded top. Three apron drawers, the sides with drawers flanking the arched open center with satinwood half fan i...
Brass
George II Mahogany Bachelors Chest
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
George II mahogany bachelors chest, 18th century. With a slightly over hanging rectangular top, the top drawer has a felt lined writing surface that slides back for storage, canted c...
Brass
Stately Black Forest Antler Mount on Carved Walnut Plaque
Located in Buchanan, MI
Stately Black Forest antler mount on carved walnut plaque. We have a large selection of both large and small antler mounts on Black Forrest plaques. Call for current availability.
Antler, Walnut
Italian Florentine Silver Leaf Mirror
Located in Dallas, TX
18th century Italian Florentine carved wood leaf mirror. circa 1780. Perfect for today's transitional designs!
Mirror, Wood
$5,100
H 22 in W 30 in
"Slide Right (Paper)" figurative oil painting of swimmer underwater red swimsuit
By Carol Bennett
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Pr...
Oil, Paper
$3,600Sale Price|25% Off
H 24.5 in W 64 in D 24 in
Moviestar Sumptuous Tufted Velvet Gilded Neoclassical Style Chaise Longue
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Sublimely sexy small neoclassical chaise longue having marbleized and gilded frame with scroll arms 24.5 h and impressive paw feet. The upholstery job is super luxurious with remove...
Velvet, Wood
Swedish Period Baroque "Bombée" Chest of Drawers, circa 1750
Located in Jesteburg, DE
A beautiful and rare "Bombée" chest of drawers in original condition, made in Stockholm ca 1750. A moulded serpentine rectangular top above three long drawers, shaped apro...
$2,200Sale Price|20% Off
H 46.5 in W 33 in D 15.75 in
Sleek Danish Mid Century Modern Designer Secretary Desk
By Erling Torvits
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Danish Design Danish glossy veneer secretary attributed Erling Torvits for Klim Møbelfabrik. This secretary has a hinged leaf that drops down and becomes a sturdy desktop. Inside the...
Wood
19th Century English Rolltop Desk
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Wonderful antique English mahogany petite roll top desk having all the bells and whistles including working curved roll top that reveals cubbies and little drawers with a pull out dr...
Leather, Mahogany
$90,000
H 84 in W 96 in D 2 in
Mist, Beige and Sepia Mixed Media Painting with horse
By Ashley Collins
Located in Miami, FL
Mixed media, oil on panel, aged paper, hand fired resin finish. The painting shown on the wall may not be proportional to the room size.
Resin, Paper, Oil, Wood Panel
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.