19th Century Flame Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in High Point, NC
19th century flame mahogany chest of drawers from England. The top is made from a single plank and is wonderfully grained. This follows down to simple sides and two over four drawers...
Mahogany
Chest Of Drawers In Mahogany, Early 19th Century
Located in Brussels, Brussels
a fine bowfront mahogany chest of drawers from the early 19th century from England. Beautiful veneer on the drawers and top Beautiful proportions. Very beautiful bowfront shape The ...
Mahogany
$3,628Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Gentleman's Sporran Chest, Scottish, Sock Drawers, Victorian, Circa 1850
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique gentleman’s sporran chest. A Scottish, mahogany collector’s cabinet, dating to the early Victorian period, circa 1850. Of graceful proportion and appealing colour,...
Brass
Antique Bachelor's Chest of Drawers, English, Bedroom, Victorian, Circa 1870
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique bachelor's chest of drawers. An English, mahogany four drawer bedroom chest, dating to the Victorian period, circa 1870. A delightful late 19th century example off...
Brass
$7,372Sale Price / set|20% Off
Tall Pair of Antique Nightstands, English, Chest of Drawers, Bedside, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a pair of antique nightstands. An English, mahogany bank of drawers or bedside pedestals, dating to the mid Victorian period, circa 1860. Exceptional Victorian craftsmanship...
Mahogany
19th Century Mahogany Chest of Drawers with Barley Twist Columns
Located in Toronto, ON
19th Century Mahogany Chest of Drawers with Barley Twist Columns Good vintage condition This 19th-century mahogany chest of drawers features a strong architectural form highlighted...
Mahogany
Bowfront Chest Of Drawers In Mahogany, Early 19th Century
Located in Brussels, Brussels
a fine bowfront mahogany chest of drawers from the first half of the 19th century from England. Beautiful flamed drawers, top, and sides. The bowfront front and drawers give it a lo...
Mahogany
Antique Georgian Mahogany Chest of Drawers with Zebra Wood Handles
Located in Leicester, GB
Antique Georgian (1860) Mahogany Chest Of Drawers. Made in England. This is a unique design with four graduating drawers which each have the most beautiful contrasting zebra wood (Li...
Mahogany, Zebra Wood
$4,958Sale Price|19% Off
Large Antique Gentleman's Tallboy, English, Walnut, Chest of Drawers, Victorian
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a large antique gentleman's tallboy. An English, walnut chest of drawers, dating to the early Victorian period, circa 1850. Striking example with beautiful figuring and fasc...
Mahogany, Walnut
$4,323Sale Price|20% Off
Antique English Tallboy, Chest of Drawers, Victorian Walnut, Flame, Circa 1850
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique 5 drawer tallboy. An English, walnut and flame mahogany chest of drawers, dating to the Victorian period, circa 1850. Exquisite Victorian craftsmanship – A fine e...
Mahogany, Walnut
English Mahogany Chest of Drawers with Turned Button Handles
Located in Faversham, GB
A great 19th century mahogany chest with an arrangement of two short over three long drawers with molded edges. Each smooth running drawer has wonderful recessed turned mahogany han...
Mahogany
Antique Empire Flame Mahogany Highboy Chest of Drawers, Circa 1880s
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous antique Empire or Victorian flame mahogany highboy dresser or chest of drawers with Mother-of-Pearl inlay Scotland, Circa 1880s Measures: 48.25"W x 22.88"D x 68.88"H. V...
Mahogany, Mother-of-Pearl
$1,886Sale Price|30% Off
Late 19th Century Mini 4 Drawer Mahogany Dresser
Located in Petaluma, CA
This lovely little mahogany dresser can solve much of one's needs without taking up a lot of space. Hand carved with the original wooden knobs and as an added bonus, bone keyhole es...
Bone, Mahogany
English Mahogany Chest of Drawers with decorative brass handles, circa 1840
Located in Houston, TX
English chest of drawers dating to circa 1840, showcasing the refined proportions and solid craftsmanship of the period. Constructed in richly toned wood with a warm, well-developed...
Mahogany
19th Century English Mahogany Five Drawers Chest with Inlaid Top
Located in Germantown, MD
Late 19th Century English Mahogany Five Drawers Chest with Inlaid Top recently refinished. All drawers opening and closing smoothly with Edwardian dovetails. Measures 37" in width x ...
Brass
Late 19th Century Chippendale Mahogany Lowboy with Ball and Claw Feet
Located in Germantown, MD
Well kept and refinished late 19th century Chippendale style mahogany low boy with ball and claw feet. Measure 38.5" W x 21"D x 33"H.
Mahogany
Outstanding Quality Antique Figured Mahogany Serpentine Shaped Chest of Drawers
Located in Suffolk, GB
Outstanding quality antique Victorian figured mahogany serpentine shaped chest of drawers having a quality serpentine shaped mahogany top above two long figured mahogany serpentine s...
Serpentine, Other
$4,428Sale Price|30% Off
Victorian Apothecary Campaign 4 Drawer Brass Bound Chest with Hand Painted Front
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Rare Victorian Apothecary Military Campaign four drawer brass bound chest finished with tooled black leather A Beautiful handcrafted Apothecary Chest. Each drawer has been indente...
Brass
Vintage Bead Trim Table Top Chest of Drawers
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This elegant vintage tabletop chest of drawers is a masterful blend of traditional charm and practical storage. Defined by its distinctive bobbin-style bead trim framing the drawer f...
Brass
$1,463Sale Price|25% Off
19th Century English Painted Chest of Drawers by Edwards & Roberts
By Edwards & Roberts
Located in Seaford, GB
19th-Century Edwards & Roberts Stamped Chest of Drawers A genuine 19th-century chest of drawers stamped by the respected Victorian furnishers Howards & Roberts, London. This...
Mahogany
$10,219
Country House Vanity
By Jonathan Sainsbury
Located in Sturminster Marshall, Dorset
A vanity cupboard with marble top and splashback. The cabinet with dentil under-moulding and dummy top drawer. The two opening doors with bead decoration all resting upon a turned bu...
Marble
19th Century Bow Front Inlay Chest of Drawers
Located in Petworth,West Sussex, GB
A fine quality mid-19th-century bow-fronted chest of drawers, crafted from beautifully figured solid mahogany with elegant inlays, dating to circa 1850. The rectangular caddy top is ...
Mahogany
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.