Sold|$9,472 / set
Pair of 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Chests
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Pair of 20th Century Swedish Gustavian style chests. Repainted, with nice detailing and reeded front drawers.
Wood, Paint
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of Swedish Gustavian style chest of drawers. Each of this pair of Gustavian style painted chests features a rectangular marbled top with canted corners in the front, sitting ab...
Brass
Sold|$9,800 / set
Pair of Painted Blue Gustavian Style Swedish Chests
Located in Atlanta, GA
Bring timeless Scandinavian charm into your home with this exquisite pair of Swedish chest of drawers. Painted in a soft, serene blue with a contrasting whitish-grey top, these chest...
Wood
Sold|$5,995 / set
Swedish Gustavian Serpentine Painted Chests of Drawers, Pair
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in Elkhart, IN
A gorgeous pair of Gustavian or French Country style serpentine front dressers or chests of drawers USA, Early 21st Century Carved wood, painted in an antique white finish, with or...
Brass
Sold|$8,700 / set
Pair, Blue Painted Swedish Gustavian Chest of Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of elegant Gustavian pine chests of three drawers painted in soft blue with pair of griffins highlighting the top drawer. Canted fluted side posts with upper carved lion head...
Brass
Sold|$9,500 / set
Pair of Swedish 19th Century Gustavian Style Chests of Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A beautifully matched pair of Swedish Gustavian style chests of drawers from the 19th century, crafted in pine with an elegant pale painted finish and softly timeworn patina. Their r...
Wood
An Elegant Pair of Swedish Gustavian Elm & Cherrywood Chests
Located in San Francisco, CA
An elegant pair of Swedish Gustavian elm and cherrywood parquetry chests; each well-figured top with canted corners above a body fitted with 3 graduated drawers raised on tapering legs
Sold|$7,000 / set
Swedish Pair Gustavian Style Painted Wood Chests, Mid 20th
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish pair of Gustavian style three drawer painted wood chests from the mid 20th century. This pair of vintage chests from Sweden feature clean simple lines softened by the flute...
Wood
Sold|$6,833 / set
Pair of Blue Painted Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of Swedish blue painted Gustavian style chest of drawers.
Pine
Sold|$9,600 / set
19th Century, a Pair of Gustavian Pedestal Cabinets
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An unusual pair of Swedish side cabinets made of grey painted pinewood with one door and keys, featured inside with two white front drawers. The hand carved pedestals are in good con...
Pine
Sold|$6,076 / set
Pair of Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers, 1860-1870
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of decorative Swedish Gustavian Style chest of drawers painted in dusty rose.
Brass
Pair of Blue Painted Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of Swedish Gustavian style chest of drawers. Blue painted with faux painted porphyry tops sitting above a dentil molding. Canted sides with traditional flutings and diamond mo...
Pine
Sold|$6,071 / set
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style Painted Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of Swedish Gustavian style blue painted breakfront chest of three drawers, dating from the 19th century. Each chest features a painted black grained top with canted corners...
Pine
Pair of 19th Century Swedish Painted Commodes
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Decorative pair of Swedish painted pine three drawer commodes. Dating to the late 19th century, these drawers feature high relief rectangular panels with brass hardware and reeded...
Brass
Pair of Gray Gustavian Faux Marble Chest of Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A pair of light gray painted 3 drawer chests with original brass hardware and faux marble table top. The canted corners with carved lion head medallions are typical of the Gustavian ...
Brass
Sold|$11,000 / set
Pair of 19th Century Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Charleston, SC
A pair of 19th century Swedish chest of drawers in Gustavian style with block fronts, shaped marbelized wooden tops, corner post with decorative motifs on the short tapered feet. In ...
Pine, Paint
Sold|$7,417 / set
Small pair of 19th century painted commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Good quality pair of gustavian influenced swedish commodes, which would work well as a pair of bedside tables or in any other room around the home.
Pine
Pair of late 19th Century Gustavian Style Chests of Drawers
Located in Jesteburg, DE
A very elegant pair of Swedish late 19th century Gustavian chests of drawers. Beautiful faux- marble painted tops. Repainted, some of the carved ornaments and possibly hardware of a ...
Pair of Gray Gustavian Faux Marble Chest of Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A pair of light gray painted 3 drawer chests with original brass hardware and faux marble table top. The canted corners with carved lion head medallions are typical of the Gustavian ...
Brass
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Pair of Painted Bedside Chests
Located in Wichita, KS
A beautiful pair of Swedish bedside chests in the Gustavian style. Three drawers, brass hardware, canted and fluted corner posts, and tapered legs. Original locks with keys.
Paint
Sold|$8,580 / set
Late 19th Century Pair of Gustavian Chests from Sweden
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A pair of small handcrafted Swedish chests of drawers made of pinewood with a grey-white painted finish, fleur-de-lys decor on square tapered legs. The chests have two drawers with s...
Pine
Sold|$8,250 / set
Pair, 19th Century Blue Gustavian Pine Chest of Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of elegant Gustavian pine chest of drawers with brass pulls on each drawer. Three drawers, upper drawer decorated with simple vertical lines and diamonds. Canted fluted side p...
Brass
Sold|$8,250 / set
Pair, 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Black Chest of Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of elegant Gustavian pine chest of drawers with brass pulls on each drawer. Three drawers, upper drawer decorated with painted Greek key motif and additional contrasting accen...
Brass
Sold|$6,828 / set
Pair of Antique Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of antique Swedish Gustavian style light-grey painted chest of three drawers, dating from the 19th century. Each chest features a black painted rectangular top with canted cor...
Brass
Sold|$12,500 / set
Pair of Gustavian Style Chests of Drawers, Early 20th C.
Located in South Salem, NY
This pair of Gustavian style cream painted chests of drawers exudes timeless charm and sophistication. Each chest boasts three spacious drawers adorned with elegant brass ring pulls ...
Pine
Pair of 19th C. Gustavian Side Chests Of Drawers, Sweden
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming pair of Late-Gustivan bed tables with four drawers and brass hardware.
Sold|$7,417 / set
Small pair of 19th century painted commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Good quality pair of Gustavian influenced Swedish commodes, which would work well as a pair of bedside tables or in any other room around the home.
Pine, Paint
Sold|$5,435 / set
Pair of Swedish Black Gustavian Style Breakfront Chests of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of black gustavian style breakfront chests of drawers. Three drawers, fluted canted corners and top with a beautifully marbleized surface in shades of Gustavian gray. Gustavia...
Brass
Sold|$6,500 / set
Pair of Green Painted Gustavian Dressers Or Chests Of Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Pair of green painted Gustavian dressers with 3 drawers. Complimentary delivery to most areas of London UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Northern Germany.
Pine
Pair of Swedish 19th Century Gustavian Style Painted Breakfront Chests
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of Swedish Gustavian style painted wood breakfront chest of drawers from the 19th century. Each of this pair of ivory painted chests features a rectangular top with dentil mo...
Brass
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style Blue Painted Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of Swedish Gustavian style painted pine wood chest of drawers from the 19th century. Each of this pair of blue painted chests features a black rectangular top with dentil mol...
Brass
Antique Pair of Swedish Gustavian Painted Chest of Drawers Nightstands
Located in Round Top, TX
Finding a matched pair of nightstands can be challenging, which makes this pair of Gustavian style chest of drawers an excellent find. Both have simple, clean lines and were painted ...
Wood
Sold|$6,640 / set
Pair of Black-Painted Chests of Drawers Gustavian style, Sweden
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of elegant chests of drawers in Gustavian style, crafted in black-painted pine with a beautiful patina, where the wood subtly shows through in places. Can be used as bed side ch...
Pine
Sold|$8,250 / set
Pair, Gustavian Painted Chest of Drawers, Sweden circa 1860-80
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of decorative Gustavian pine chest of drawers with canted fluted side posts with upper carved diamond medallion and dentil molding. All resting on four tapered fluted feet. Th...
Brass
Sold|$7,349 / set
Pair of Late 19th Century Swedish Painted Commodes
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Pair of late 19th Century Swedish painted three drawer commodes of architectural form. In painted pine with brass hardware. Circa 1890.
Brass
Sold|$9,450 / set
Pair, Gustavian White Chest of Drawers Sweden circa 1860-80
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of decorative Gustavian pine chest of drawers with Greek key motif painted along upper drawer. Canted fluted side posts topped with carved applied tassels resting on four tape...
Brass
Sold|$6,833 / set
Pair of Swedish Black Painted Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers
Located in Kastrup, DK
A pair of decorative Gustavian style chests of drawers. Crafted from black-painted pine with a lovely patina. Each chest has 2 drawer fronts with patinated brass pull handles. The p...
Brass
Pair of Smaller Gustavian Style 19th Century Chests of Drawers
Located in Jesteburg, DE
Very elegant- this pair comes from northern Sweden and was recently restored. Would make a perfect set of bedside cabinets, but of course also stunning flanking a fireplace. 81 cm H...
Sold|$9,247 / set
Pair of Swedish painted 19th century commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pair of swedish painted 19th century commodes circa 1880. Good quality pair of chest of drawers, each fitted with 3 drawers and hand painted in a faded light green colour. Plain to...
Pine, Paint
Pair of Large 19th Century Swedish Painted Commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Stunning pair of mid-19th century Swedish commodes/chest of drawers, circa 1860. Stepped top with dentil freize detailing. Three oak lined drawers with later brass hardware. Later...
Oak
Sold|$6,736 / set
Pair of 19th Century Swedish Pine Painted Commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Fine pair of Swedish painted commodes, circa 1870. Good quality pair of commodes, 19th century in later paint. 3 drawers with shaped drawer fronts. Canted corners with carved and ...
Pine
Sold|$8,700 / set
Pair, 19th Century Gustavian White Chest of Three Drawers, Sweden
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of decorative Gustavian pine chest of drawers painted in shades of white, fitting their Swedish origin. Canted fluted side posts with upper carved diamond medallion, carved flu...
Brass
Sold|$3,400
Pair of Gustavian Style Campain Chests.
Located in Stamford, CT
A wonderful pair of gustavian style three drawer chests each with hiden campain pulls. Both done in a high shine white finish. Can buy one or the pair.
Brass
Pair of Small Swedish Gustavian Style Chest of Drawers or Nightstands
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of small Gustavian style chest of drawers, 1880-1900.
Pine
Sold|$8,370 / set
Fine Pair of 19th Century Swedish Painted Commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pair of Gustavian inspired chest of drawers circa 1870. 3 drawer chests with shaped fronts, later ring handles and escutcheons. Canted corners with applied acanthus detailing. ...
Pine
Sold|$8,023 / set
Fine Pair of 19th Century Swedish Painted Commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pair of Gustavian inspired chest of drawers, circa 1870. 3-drawer chests with shaped fronts, later ring handles and escutheons. Canted corners with applied acanthus detailing. ...
Pine
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Black Painted Chests of Three Drawer
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Black Painted Chests of Three Drawers Swedish Gustavian chests of drawers crafted in pine with newer professionally applied layered black painted finish. T...
Wood, Pine, Paint
Sold|$8,250 / set
Pair of 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Chests of Three Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of 19th-century Swedish Gustavian chests of three drawers crafted in pine. Each chest features a newer layered gray painted finish with antique white undertones, lightly distres...
Brass
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Pair of Painted Bedside Chests
Located in Wichita, KS
A beautiful neoclassical pair of Swedish Gustavian style painted chests with hand-painted marbleized tops and tapered legs. Each chest has three drawers, brass hardware and original ...
Brass
Sold|$8,250 / set
Pair, 19th Century Blue Swedish Gustavian Chest of Three Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of elegant Gustavian pine chest of drawers with brass pulls on each drawer. Three drawers, upper drawer decorated with carved Greek key motif. Canted fluted side posts, dentil...
Brass
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style 1880s Painted Chests with Three Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Swedish Gustavian style painted wood chests from the late 19th century, with marbleized tops and fluted side posts.
Wood
Antique Pair of Swedish Late Gustavian Period Painted Chests, 19th Century
Located in Wichita, KS
A beautiful neoclasical pair of Swedish painted chests from the late Gustavian period. Each chest has three drawers, brass hardware and original locks and key. The corner posts are c...
Brass
Sold|$8,250 / set
Pair, 19th Century Swedish Blue Gustavian Chest of Three Drawers
Located in Round Top, TX
A pair of elegant Gustavian chest of drawers painted in shades of blue, fitting their Swedish origin. Note the decorative painted lions under top central keyhole. Contrasting faux ma...
Brass
Sold|$1,295 / set
Vintage Gustavian Gray Nightstands - a Pair
Located in Centennial, CO
This is a beautiful and functional pair of vintage 1940s nightstands have been recently painted with Gustavian gray paint. Brass drawer pulls are replacements. Three drawers in each ...
Brass
Sold|$9,800 / set
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Style Pair of Painted Bedside Chests
Located in Wichita, KS
A beautiful pair of Swedish Gustavian style painted chests from the 19th century with carved guilloché detail around the apron; canted corner posts; and square, fluted legs. Each che...
Pine, Paint
Sold|$12,950 / set
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style 19th Century Painted Three-Drawer Chests
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Swedish Gustavian style painted wood chests-of-drawers from the 19th century, with diamond motifs, carved foliage, fluted accents and distressed patina. Created in Sweden d...
Wood
Antique Pair Large Swedish Gustavian Chests with Marbleized Tops, 19th Century
Located in Wichita, KS
A pair of grand-scale Swedish chests of drawers from the late Gustavian period with classic neoclassical styling, original locks, brass hardware and hand-painted marbleized tops. The...
Brass
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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.