What is a bachelor’s chest?

A bachelor’s chest is a low chest of drawers. Its name comes from the fact that it was originally designed to provide multipurpose storage for a single man with a small living space.

What is a bachelors chest of drawers?

A bachelor’s chest of drawers is a relatively short and shallow chest, usually with three or four drawers. The name refers to their historical use as multi-purpose, space-saving fixtures that are perfect for a bachelor sharing a friend’s flat. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of antique and modern bachelor’s chests from some of the world’s top sellers.

Walnut Bachelor Chest

Fold Chest

United Furniture Company Chest Of Drawers

Brass Pulls Midcentury Dresser

Commode Dresser Pair

Chest Drawers Brass Pulls

Bachelor Dresser

$3,600

Very Nice Mid-Century Modern Walnut Three-Drawer Bachelor Chest

Located in Rockaway, NJ

High quality nice design three-drawer walnut bachelor chest.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Pair of Robsjohn-Gibbings Bachelor Four Drawer Chests Dressers

$4,600 / set

Pair of Robsjohn-Gibbings Bachelor Four Drawer Chests Dressers

By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Widdicomb Furniture Co.

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Pair of Mid-Century Modern walnut bachelor chests by Robsjohn-Gibbings for Widdicomb.

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Walnut

Stunning Pair of American of Martinsville Walnut Brass Louvered Bachelors Chests

$3,600Sale Price / set|20% Off

Stunning Pair of American of Martinsville Walnut Brass Louvered Bachelors Chests

By American of Martinsville

Located in Pemberton, NJ

Stunning pair of American of Martinsville louvered walnut bachelor’s chests. We love the stylish louvered drawer fronts and handsome brass banding along the base.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Vintage George 1 Walnut Flip Top Bachelors Chest

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

This exquisite George III style bachelor's chest is a testament to timeless English design and fine cabinetry.

Category

Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Oiled Walnut 4 Drawers Back Splash Bachelor Chest Dresser

$3,800

Oiled Walnut 4 Drawers Back Splash Bachelor Chest Dresser

By John Stuart, Jens Risom

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Mid-Century Modern walnut four-drawer back splash bachelor chest dresser credenza console cabinet.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Walnut

English Bachelor's Small Chest or Bedside Cabinet of Burl Walnut

$5,895

English Bachelor's Small Chest or Bedside Cabinet of Burl Walnut

Located in Austin, TX

A fine English bachelor's small chest of drawers (or side chest) from the Edwardian era, featuring a moulded, shaped top with a beautiful figured veneer of burr walnut, over a serpen...

Category

Early 20th Century English Edwardian Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Metal, Brass

$3,850

Vintage Birdseye Maple Bachelors Chest After Biedermeier

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

This striking bachelor’s chest draws inspiration from the refined minimalism and architectural grace of the Neoclassical Biedermeier era. Masterfully crafted with richly figured bird...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Art Deco Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Brass

Four Drawers Small Petit Narrow Bachelor Chest

$4,600

Four Drawers Small Petit Narrow Bachelor Chest

By Paul McCobb

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Very nice narrow Mid-Century Modern bachelor chest by Paul McCobb.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Aluminum

Pair Solid Mahogany Raised Front Mid Century Modern Bleached Bachelor Chest MINT

By Johan Tapp

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Very nice pair of mid century chests with raised front drawers. The chests are in excellent refinished condition and feature high quality craftsmenship involving fine dovetail joints.

Category

20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dressers

Materials

Materials

Walnut

HENREDON Burl Walnut Chippendale Style Bombe Bachelor Chest

Unavailable

H 34 in W 38 in D 20.25 in

HENREDON Burl Walnut Chippendale Style Bombe Bachelor Chest

By Henredon

Located in Charlotte, NC

A Chippendale style bombe chest by Henredon. Burl walnut with a slightly distressed finish, brass hardware, and ogee bracket feet. Features four drawers of dovetail construction with...

Category

Late 20th Century American Chippendale Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Burl, Walnut

Sold

H 32 in W 36 in D 20 in

Mid-Century Modern Sligh Walnut Bachelor Chest

By Sligh Furniture

Located in Clarksboro, NJ

This listing is for a Mid-Century Modern Sligh Walnut Bachelor Chest. Featuring a straight line design, four drawers for storage, recessed handles, chrome trim with caps on the feet,...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Chrome

Three-Drawer Mid-Century Modern Walnut Bachelor Chest Dresser

Sold

Sold

H 30 in W 36 in D 18.25 in

Mid-Century Modern Jack Cartwright Walnut Bachelor Chest

By Jack Cartwright

Located in Clarksboro, NJ

This listing is for a Mid-Century Modern Walnut Bachelor Chest attributed to designer Jack Cartwright.

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Antique Burr Walnut Bachelors Chest of Drawers

Sold

H 30.32 in W 25.2 in D 13.39 in

Antique Burr Walnut Bachelors Chest of Drawers

Located in London, GB

Small antique burr walnut bachelors chest of drawers with a flap over top, which could prove very useful.

Category

Vintage 1930s English Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Walnut

Mid-Century Modern Brasilia Style Walnut Bachelor Chest

Sold

Sold

Sold

H 33 in W 29 in D 21 in

Pair of Mid-Century Modern Walnut Bachelor Chests or Dressers

By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Pair of very nice mid-century modern walnut bachelor chests or dressers. Excellent vintage condition.

Sold

H 31.5 in W 36 in D 20 in

Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Walnut Bachelor Chests - Set of 2

By Drexel

Located in Clarksboro, NJ

This listing is for a pair of Mid-Century Modern Drexel Declaration Walnut Bachelor Chests. Featuring a straight line design, three drawers for storage, original white milk glass har...

Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Georgian Walnut Bachelor's Chest

Sold

H 29.375 in W 27.625 in D 13.5 in

Georgian Walnut Bachelor's Chest

Located in New Orleans, LA

Crafted of sturdy walnut, this elegant chest was made to accommodate close quarters.

Sold

H 30 in W 24 in D 18 in

Mid-Century Modern Walnut Bachelor Chest or Dresser with Accent Drawer Pulls

By T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings

Located in Rockaway, NJ

Very sharp looking mid-century modern walnut bachelor chest

Materials

Walnut

Baker Furniture Georgian Burled Walnut Bachelor Chest

Sold

$3,243

H 61.5 in W 42.5 in D 23 in

George II Walnut Chest on Chest Circa 1740

Located in Potters Bar, GB

Fine George II walnut chest on chest dating to circa 1740 The upper section features two short drawers above three graduated long drawers Lower chest fitted with two further graduate...

Category

Antique 1740s George II Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Walnut

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Custom Made Modern English Arm Sofa in Performance Linen Velvet - 86"

$4,900 / item

$23,500

H 82.75 in W 39.75 in D 22.5 in

George II Walnut Slant Front Bureau Bookcase / Secretary

Located in Woodbury, CT

George II walnut and walnut burl slant front bureau bookcase / secretary with original hand beveled mirrored doors on bracket feet. Upper cabinet with candle slides conceals book she...

Category

Antique 18th Century British George II Secretaires

Materials

Walnut, Burl

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Walnut Bachelor Chest For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal walnut bachelor chest for your home. A walnut bachelor chest — often made from wood, walnut and metal — can elevate any home. There are many kinds of the walnut bachelor chest you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. A walnut bachelor chest is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern, Georgian and Hollywood Regency styles are sought with frequency. You’ll likely find more than one walnut bachelor chest that is appealing in its simplicity, but Baker Furniture Company, Drexel and T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings produced versions that are worth a look.

How Much is a Walnut Bachelor Chest?

Prices for a walnut bachelor chest start at $795 and top out at $26,850 with the average selling for $2,833.

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.

Questions About Walnut Bachelor Chest

What is a bachelor’s chest?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJanuary 23, 2019
A bachelor’s chest is a low chest of drawers. Its name comes from the fact that it was originally designed to provide multipurpose storage for a single man with a small living space.
What is a bachelors chest of drawers?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
A bachelor’s chest of drawers is a relatively short and shallow chest, usually with three or four drawers. The name refers to their historical use as multi-purpose, space-saving fixtures that are perfect for a bachelor sharing a friend’s flat. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of antique and modern bachelor’s chests from some of the world’s top sellers.

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