Vintage Henredon French Louis XV Style Banded Walnut Tall Chest Dresser
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Henredon French Louis XV Style Banded Walnut Tall Chest Dresser.
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Dressers
Brass
Vintage Henredon French Louis XV Style Banded Walnut Tall Chest Dresser
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vintage Henredon French Louis XV Style Banded Walnut Tall Chest Dresser.
Brass
Collectible Fine Hmrd. Antq. Bronze Demi Semainier – Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Louise Demi Semainier takes its name from the French semainier chest tradition and its formal language from the Louis XV period, combining both with a carved floral surface that ...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Collectible Fine Hammered White Bronze Demi Semainier – Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Louise Demi Semainier takes its name from the French semainier chest tradition and its formal language from the Louis XV period, combining both with a carved floral surface that ...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Collectible Smooth Antq. White Bronze Demi Semainier – Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Louise Demi Semainier takes its name from the French semainier chest tradition and its formal language from the Louis XV period, combining both with a carved floral surface that ...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Antique French Louis XV Style Satinwood Marble Top Tall Chest Dresser Cabinet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique French Louis XV Style Satinwood Marble Top Tall Chest Dresser Cabinet.
Marble
French Louis XV Style Walnut Inlaid Marble Top Dresser High Chest Circa 1920's
Located in Long Branch, NJ
French Louis XV Style Walnut Inlaid Marble Top High Chest Circa 1920's Dimensions : 42" Wide X 22.5" Deep X 55.25" Tall This high chest was made in the Louis XV French Style in the...
Marble
Mid-Century French Louis XV Carved Burl and Rosewood Bombe Six-Drawer Chest
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in France circa 1960, the elegant antique "Semainier" stands on cabriole legs ending with front bronze sabots, over a scalloped apron decorated with a center bronze mount. Th...
Bronze
Pair of Louis XV Style Carved-Wood & Portoro Black Marble Top Night Stands
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Each piece features a tall, narrow silhouette with five drawers, carved floral detailing, cabriole legs, and brass pulls that add a refined decorative touch.
Marble, Brass
Mid-Century French Louis XV Marble Top Marquetry Bombe Seven-Drawer Semainier
Located in Dallas, TX
Crafted in France circa 1960, the elegant fruit wood "Semainier" stands on cabriole legs ending with front bronze sabots, over a scalloped apron decorated with a center bronze mount....
Marble, Bronze
Pair of Quality French Louis XV Style Bombe Fruitwood Nightstands End Tables
Located in Forney, TX
A most charming pair of high-quality vintage country French Louis XV revival fruitwood nightstands / occasional tables, circa 1960 France, almost certainly Paris, mid-20th century, ...
Bronze
18th C. Louis XV Bureau Scriban Bibliothèque Secretary Cabinet Mahogany Antique
Located in West Hollywood, CA
18th C. Louis XV Bureau Scriban Bibliothèque Secretary Cabinet Mahogany Antique .
Metal, Wrought Iron, Metallic Thread
Italian Art Nouveau Louis XV Mixed Wood Nightstand Side Table Jewelry Pedestal
Located in Forney, TX
Crafted in Northern Italy in the mid-20th century, warm mixed woods including the flanks display highly figured grain patterns, executed in elegantly sophisticated Louis XV taste, ta...
Wood, Beech, Elm
Smooth Copper Demi Semainier – Carved Nightstand Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Copper, Sheet Metal
Smooth Brass Demi Semainier – Carved Nightstand Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Brass, Sheet Metal
Smooth Antq. White Bronze Demi Semainier – Carved Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Smooth White Bronze Demi Semainier – Carved Nightstand Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Fine Hammered Brass Demi Semainier – Carved Nightstand Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Brass, Sheet Metal
Fine Hmrd. Antq. Bronze Demi Semainier – Carved Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Fine Hammered White Bronze Demi Semainier – Carved Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Silver, Sheet Metal
Fine Hammered Copper Demi Semainier – Carved Nightstand Cabinet, Paul Mathieu
By Paul Mathieu (French)
Located in New York, NY
The Demi Semainier is a half-version of the traditional French seven-drawer semainier, reduced by Paul Mathieu to three drawers and given the Louis XV vocabulary and carved floral su...
Copper, Sheet Metal
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.