Thomasville Furniture was once a manufacturing giant known for its chic designs and popular licensed collections. Today, every vintage solid wood Thomasville cabinet, dining chair and dining table is a charming piece of American furniture history.

Thomasville was founded in 1904 in the town of Thomasville, North Carolina. The neighboring city of High Point, home to Tomlinson and others, would one day be known as the capital of American-made furniture, while iconic mid-century modern brands Century, Broyhill and Drexel also opened their doors in the so-called “Tar Heel State.”

Thomasville’s initial offerings were limited to one item — the Thomasville chair — and it was known in its early days as the Thomasville Chair Company. People loved Thomasville chairs so much that demand surged for more types of seating and other furnishings. In 1922, there was even a 13-foot replica of the original chair design installed in the town square. Dubbed "The Big Chair," it was rebuilt in 1951 to a height of 30 feet and still serves as the town's most notable landmark.

Thomasville quickly grew and expanded, and was featured in hundreds of retail stores across America. The manufacturer also established Thomasville Home Furnishing stores to carry the company’s products exclusively. In 1995, Thomasville was purchased by Interco Inc.

In 2002, Thomasville unveiled the Humphrey Bogart collection, the first of two highly successful licensed collections. Inspired by the Art Deco movement as well as the Hollywood Regency style, the theatrical line of alluring mahogany chests, mirror-topped nesting tables and other furnishings positioned glamour and sophistication front and center. Upon seeing the collection, Bogart's widow, actress Lauren Bacall, remarked, "They haven't missed a trick."

This was followed in 2004 by the Ernest Hemingway collection, released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the writer's Nobel Prize. The collection, which included sleigh beds, chests, dining tables and more, drew on Chippendale furniture and the French Rococo style. It represented the largest launch in Thomasville's history, boosting the company's sales and brand image.

In 2008, Thomasville introduced a new signature collection in collaboration with designer Darryl Carter. The partnership yielded a line of versatile traditionalist center tables, seating and other pieces with a contemporary twist and saw Carter offering a fresh take on the classic work for which Thomasville is known.

In 2014, Thomasville, then owned by Heritage Home Group, announced the end of operations in its native city.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Thomasville case pieces, tables, seating and more.

A Close Look at Spanish-colonial Furniture

After the conquest of Mexico in 1521 and the Philippines in 1565, Spain dictated a global culture. The colonization of territories in the Americas, Western Europe, Africa, Oceania and the Pacific imposed the values of Spain, including Catholicism, while the extraction of resources reinforced the empire’s wealth and power. Unlike many styles that came out of European colonialism, such as British Colonial, Spanish Colonial furniture and architecture frequently mixed local heritage with the artistic traditions of Spain.

Spanish Colonial furniture was informed by the shifting styles of Europe as well as Indigenous culture. There were Inca tapestries depicting Spanish coats of arms and Baroque chairs adorned with tropical flora. The butaca, a low easy chair popular in the Caribbean, was inspired by Rococo’s curving forms and the shape of precolonial seating. In New Mexico, Pueblo artisans carved chests with patterns reminiscent of Anasazi art.

Even within the homes of the wealthy, furniture was usually restricted to necessities like benches, desks, cupboards and chests. These were often ornately designed and especially important for storing prized goods like textiles. Spanish Colonial houses were built with adobe and clay and tended to be minimally decorated, so the style’s heavily carved wooden furniture pieces stood out against a home’s white stucco walls.

The Spanish Colonial period mostly came to an end after the territories achieved independence from Spain. However, its aesthetics continued to influence Southwestern style and Spanish Colonial Revival style after Spanish Colonial style was used extensively at San Diego’s 1915 Panama-California Exposition.

Find a collection of antique Spanish Colonial chairs, tables, bedroom furniture and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Materials: Brass Furniture

Whether burnished or lacquered, antique, new and vintage brass furniture can elevate a room.

From traditional spaces that use brass as an accent — by way of brass dining chairs or brass pendant lights — to contemporary rooms that embrace bold brass decor, there are many ways to incorporate the golden-hued metal.

“I find mixed metals to be a very updated approach, as opposed to the old days, when it was all shiny brass of dulled-out silver tones,” says interior designer Drew McGukin. “I especially love working with brass and blackened steel for added warmth and tonality. To me, aged brass is complementary across many design styles and can trend contemporary or traditional when pushed either way.”

He proves his point in a San Francisco entryway, where a Lindsey Adelman light fixture hangs above a limited-edition table and stools by Kelly Wearstler — also an enthusiast of juxtapositions — all providing bronze accents. The walls were hand-painted by artist Caroline Lizarraga and the ombré stair runner is by DMc.

West Coast designer Catherine Kwong chose a sleek brass and lacquered-parchment credenza by Scala Luxury to fit this San Francisco apartment. “The design of this sideboard is reminiscent of work by French modernist Jean Prouvé. The brass font imbues the space with warmth and the round ‘portholes’ provide an arresting geometric element.”

Find antique, new and vintage brass tables, case pieces and other furnishings now on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right Commodes-chests-of-drawers for You

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.