Walnut Burl French Writing Desk-Chest of Drawers L. Phillipe Marble Top
Located in Miami, FL
Exquisite chest of Drawers (4 drawers plus the upper part as writing desk) in the writing desk space are 6 small drawers plus 2 secret panels on both each side. The dark blue leather...
Walnut
Antique chest of drawers, circa 1870, France.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Unique chest of drawers, France, circa 1870. Very good condition. Wood: walnut dimensions: height 110 cm width 83 cm depth 41 cm
Brass
Chest of drawers with stone top, Western Europe, first half of the 20th century.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Chest of drawers with stone top from the first half of the 20th century, Western Europe. Dimensions: height 99 cm / width 115 cm / depth 42 cm
Walnut
Chest of drawers-chiffonier, France, early 20th century.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Chest of drawers-chiffonier, France, early 20th century. Very good condition. Wood: walnut Dimensions: height 137 cm width 78 cm depth 45 cm
Walnut
Stylish walnut chiffonier with marble top.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Stylish walnut chiffonier with marble top. Origin: France, early 20th century. Very good condition, no damage. Material: Walnut, metal, marble. Dimensions: height 98cm, width 64c...
Walnut
$1,718Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Chest of Drawers with Marble Top, France, circa 1890
Located in Chorzów, PL
French walnut chest of drawers from circa 1890 Origin: France Very good condition. Dimensions: height 97 cm / width 121 cm / depth. 60 cm.
Walnut
Chest of drawers - chiffon, France, around 1880.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Chest of drawers - chiffon, France, around 1880. Very good condition. wood: walnut dimensions: height 115 cm width 49 cm depth 38 cm
Brass
19th Century French Ebonised Cartonnier
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Late 19th Century French ebonised cartonnier.With sixteen leather clad drawers. Silver gilt tooled with silver gilt Roman numerals. Retaining original keys.
Leather, Wood
Antique small chest of drawers with a marble top, France.
Located in Chorzów, PL
A small French-style chiffonier chest of drawers from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is a charming piece of furniture combining elegance and functionality. The chest of draw...
Marble, Brass
Chiffonier chest of drawers, France, around 1900.
Located in Chorzów, PL
Antique chiffonier chest of drawers from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, France. Dimensions: height 101 cm / width 66 cm / depth 39 cm
Marble, Brass
set of three Venetian Charles X furniture pieces in briarwood, circa 1830
Located in Vicenza, IT
Splendid triptych of Venetian provenance, dating from the Charles X period, datable to around 1830. Consisting of a dresser and two nightstands, this ensemble represents a significan...
Wood
Charles X - Luigi Filippo chest of drawers in walnut and burl walnut, Italy, circa 1830
Located in Vicenza, IT
Important Italian dresser from the transitional period between Charles X and Louis Philippe, made around 1830 in solid walnut and burl walnut. The cabinet presents a sober and elegan...
Wood, Nutwood, Walnut
Thomasville French Louis Philippe Burl Wood Marble Top Dresser Chest
By Thomasville
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful French Empire or Louis Philippe style three-drawer dresser, commode, or chest of drawers By Thomasville USA, Late 20th Century Gorgeous burl wood, with thick beveled m...
Marble, Brass
French Mahogany Marble Top Ormolu Chest of Drawers. Circa 1810
Located in Charleston, SC
French mahogany marble top chest with graduated book matched drawers, original gilt floral ormolu mounts, and terminating on rounded block feet. Early 19th Century
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Louis Philippe Silver Leaf Mirror with Gilt Accents
Located in Dallas, TX
Place this elegant antique Louis Philippe mirror above a commode, console, chest, or in a refined powder room to instantly introduce warmth and classic French character to a space.
Silver Leaf
19th Century French Louis Philippe Giltwood Wall Mirror with Engraved Motifs
Located in Dallas, TX
Place this elegant antique Louis Philippe mirror above a commode, mantel, console, or in a refined powder room to instantly introduce warmth and period authenticity to a space.
Mercury Glass, Giltwood
$2,043Sale Price|20% Off
Dresser Commode Wood and Marble Vanity 19th Century
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Very beautiful piece dresser comprising with two drawers and two doors. In solid wood it is also composed of a marble plate in red, gray and white tones . Decorations are scuplted on...
Marble
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.