19th Century Swedish Gustavian Gray Painted Bench Settee
Located in Round Top, TX
19th century Swedish Gustavian bench crafted in pine. Decorative hand-carved Greek key meander detailing runs along the skirt, turned finials create the sides and back, adding sculpt...
Fabric, Pine, Paint
Swedish Gustavian Painted Sideboard Buffet Commode White C.1890
Located in Lewes, England
Circa 1870/1890 antique Swedish Gustavian White painted Sideboard Buffet commode in gustavian style with classic Gustavian diamond ribbing detail on the drawer fronts and leading edg...
Pine
Small Danish Gustavian Chest of Drawers in Original Coral Paint
Located in Kastrup, DK
Small Louis XVI / Gustavian chest of drawers in pine with its original coral-red paint and subtle traces of gilding on mouldings and carved details. Architecturally composed with cl...
Brass
Swedish Gustavian Bedside Table / Cabinet with Original Blue Paint
Located in Kastrup, DK
Small Gustavian bedside cabinet in pine with light blue paint and a beautiful patina. The piece has an elegant and refined appearance, enhanced by classic hand-carved details. The f...
Metal
Bespoke Swedish Style Commode
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Bespoke Swedish style three drawer commode with a reeded top drawer and panelled sides. Customer will need to supply handles which we can fit. Code: 9115 Dimensions: W: 47.5" (...
Pine
Antique Swedish Gustavian Painted Sideboard Buffet Commode White C.1850
Located in Lewes, England
Circa 1850 antique Swedish Gustavian White painted Sideboard Buffet commode in gustavian style with classic Gustavian ribbing detail on the door front and on the 2 drawers. It has p...
Pine
Antique Swedish Gustavian Painted Sideboard Buffet Commode White C.1860
Located in Lewes, England
Circa 1860 antique Swedish Gustavian White painted Sideboard Buffet commode in gustavian style with classic Gustavian diamond ribbing detail on the door front and on the drawer. It ...
Pine
Swedish Gustavian Painted Sideboard Buffet Commode White C.1860 Green Gold
Located in Lewes, England
Circa 1850/1880 antique Swedish Gustavian green and gold painted chest of drawers buffet commode in gustavian style with classic Gustaviancurverd detail features on the bottom drawer...
Pine
$9,167 / set
Pair of 19th century painted Swedish commodes
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pair of 19th century painted Swedish commodes circa 1880. Fine quality pair of Scandinavian chest of drawers in the Gustavian taste, which could work well as a pair of large bedside...
Oak, Pine, Paint
Swedish Gustavian Period 18th Century Painted Commode
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A spectacular three-drawer commode from Sweden, circa 1790, that alludes to a Louis XVI influence met with the pared-down Nordic sensibility of both culture and time period. On top a...
Brass
$2,920 / set
Swedish Style Bedside Cupboards
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Pair of custom built Swedish style bedside cupboards. These can be made to your specification. These will be fitted with knobs as per the photo. Dimensions: 21 inches (53 cms) wide ...
Pine
Tall 19th century elm secretaire chest of drawers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Tall 19th century elm secretaire chest of drawers circa 1870. We are pleased to offer this stunning chest swedish chest of drawers of generous proportions. Made from a rich golden ...
Birch, Elm, Pine
A classic pair of 19th-century Gustavian chests of drawers
Located in Charleston, SC
A pair of 19th-century classic Gustavian chests of drawers with dentil molding beneath the tops and decorative charming carvings on both drawer fronts. locks are functional, with tw...
Bronze
Alexandre II Dresser - Swedish Scraped Bone
By Century Furniture, Tara Shaw
Located in New Orleans, LA
The Swedish 6-drawer double dresser, known for its clean lines and practical design, reflects the influence of Gustavian style, which emerged in the late 18th Century during the reig...
Wood, Pine
Antique Swedish Gustavian Pedestals, Light-Grey Pinewood, Circa 1790
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A white-grey, antique pair of Swedish Gustavian pedestals, cabinets made of light-grey painted Pinewood with carved garlands. The hand carved Scandinavian commodes are in good condit...
Pine
Simulated birch hand painted chest of drawers by Gemla Fabrikers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Simulated birch hand painted chest of drawers by Gemla Fabrikers circa 1930. Good quality small chest of drawers, ideal for a child's bedroom. Fitted with 4 drawers of equal propor...
Pine
Mid 19th century Scandinavian inlaid elm chest of drawers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century Scandinavian inlaid elm chest of drawers circa 1868. We are pleased to offer this stunning chest of drawers from Sweden. Beautifully made in elm with cross-banded ...
Pewter
Pair of 19th century chest of drawers with faux marble tops
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Pair of 19th century chest of drawers with faux marble tops circa 1870. Good quality pair of Swedish commodes. Rectangular tops with canted corners and hand painted to look like ma...
Pine, Paint
Vintage Swedish Painted Bombe Commode with Faux Marble Top
Located in Dallas, TX
Vintage Swedish painted bombe commode with faux marble top is a wonderful example of meticulous craftsmanship combined with an artistic hand-painted finish! From the four talon and b...
Pine
18th–19th Century Swedish Gustavian Two-Part Pinewood Bureau in Grey
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A 18th-19th century, light-grey, white antique Swedish Gustavian two part bureau made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition. The Scandinavian secretaire is composed wit...
Metal, Bronze
Pair of Swedish Gustavian Blue Painted Breakfront Commodes
Located in Kastrup, DK
Elegant pair of Gustavian-style breakfront commodes from Sweden, circa 1840–1860. Each is painted in a light blue tone with a charming patina. Below the top runs a finely carved à l...
Pine
SWEDISH RUSTIC PiNE HAND PAINTED DROP FRONT BUREAU DESK CHEST OF DRAWERS
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely Swedish style hand painted and antiqued Bureau desk with drawers Please note the delivery fee ...
Pine
19th Century Gustavian Style Painted Three-Drawer Commode with Faux-Marble Top
Located in Kvidinge, SE
Elevate your home with this exquisite Swedish Gustavian-style commode, featuring a wonderfully aged, multi-layered painted patina that reveals warm undertones beneath muted mineral b...
Brass
Rococo commode signed Johan Martin Ek, Stockholm, Circa 1770
Located in Atlanta, GA
A distinguished example of 18th-century Swedish craftsmanship, this Rococo period commode is signed by renowned cabinetmaker Johan Martin Ek (1734–1795), active in Stockholm during o...
Wood, Pine
Swedish Faux Painted Grain Chest of Drawers
Located in Denton, TX
Solid pine with hand painted faux grain design and faux burl on the drawer fronts. Rococo Revival drawer pulls add to this timeless style.
Metal
18th Century Swedish Rococo Bombé Secretary Chest
Located in Kastrup, DK
Swedish Rococo secretary desk, dating from circa 1770, crafted in the distinctive bombé form that defines the elegance of the Swedish Rococo period. The piece features a beautiful wa...
Brass
Gustavian 19th Century Grey Painted 3 Drawer Dresser
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Late Swedish 19th century painted chest of drawers. This 3 drawer dresser has a charming break front style with the original brass hardware.
Bronze
Late 18th Century High-Gustavian Commode with Intarsia by Gustaf Foltjern
By Carl Gustaf Foltjern
Located in Ljungby, SE
A distinguished high-Gustavian commode, crafted in Stockholm by Gustaf Foltjern (master 1771-1804). The top features an original slab of Kolsmo marble, while the body is veneered in ...
Bronze
Swedish Gustavian Style Antique Mahogany Chest of Drawers Commode
Located in Shippensburg, PA
SWEDISH GUSTAVIAN STYLE MAHOGANY THREE DRAWER COMMODE Probably Sweden, 20th century Mahogany veneers over pine, marble top, gilt brass hardware 32 5/16" H x 19 5/8" D x 38 3/4" W ...
Marble, Brass
19th century Swedish Biedermeier secretaire chest of drawers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century Swedish Biedermeier secretaire chest of drawers circa 1860. Fine example of a Karl Johan period secretaire which was Sweden's take on the French empire and the German b...
Birch, Pine
Mid 19th century burr birch Swedish secretaire chest of drawers
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century burr birch Swedish secretaire chest of drawers circa 1860. We are pleased to offer this Scandinavian birch and pine secretaire chest, which has just been fully rest...
Birch, Pine
Antique Swedish Country House Secretary Chest, Faux Mahogany Paint, Circa 1840
Located in Kramfors, SE
Country house secretary chest from the early 1800s. Made by hand in northern Sweden around 1840 with two large and functional drawers. The writing desk has an interior with drawers a...
Pine
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.
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