Chest Of Drawers

Funny how families are like food chains. All the toys and clothes that don’t fall apart or break filter through from older siblings to the youngest.

The theory extends to bedrooms and furniture. The day our older daughter moved out to go flatting, the 13 year old claimed her big sister’s bedroom. I could understand why. The teenager’s “new” bedroom has a view over the garden instead of rubbish tins and the flats next door.

To encourage the move (and limit potential grief at being the only child left at home) I let her have a new dressing table. Well, not exactly new. My chest of drawers had become so battered, I could no longer pretend the scratch marks were deliberate, high fashion “distressing”.

Our daughter was delighted to inherit my old chest of drawers because she’d always thought they were posh (and didn’t notice the scratches). They certainly are smarter than the horrid chipboard dressing table her older sister passed on to her 10 years ago.

Worst thing about it was the task of emptying my old chest of drawers. There was no problem with the clothes. Half of them stank and needed chucking. What was a woman who refuses to go anywhere without fluffy towels and central heating doing with mountaineering thermal underwear anyway?

The jewellery drawer was another matter. Don’t get me wrong. The fact I have a designated jewellery drawer doesn’t mean I own a lot of jewels. It just means I’m incapable of throwing away anything that might have sentimental value. Such as :
1) A cardboard badge decorated with uncooked macaroni. The macaroni was daubed with gold paint to give it an expensive sheen before being glued on to the badge secured with a safety pin. While I can’t remember exactly where it came from, it probably has something to do with the -
2) Handmade Mother’s Day card with a stick figure drawing on the front and drunken letters inside saying “love from Your Daughter”. Next to the card I discover -
3) My old clip-on sunglasses, bought back in the 80’s with great triumph, knowing I’d never again have to buy ophthalmic sunglasses – until I took the clip-on sunglasses home and was laughed under the kitchen table by the entire family.

I’d secreted them away waiting for the day clip-on sunglasses take the world by storm. It’s probably safe to throw them in the bin now – even though they’re a perfect match for the –
4) Dame Edna spectacles circa 1977. Honestly. Whatever possessed me to buy them with their swooping silver eyebrows? Must’ve been under the influence of illegal pharmaceuticals. Or did everyone look that daggy once?

I bin them along with the pocket calculator in its chipped gold case (from the days when everyone thought calculators were magical) and the –

5) Mahogany coloured lipstick. Whoever made me imagine dark brown lipstick is fabulous? Some of those girls who work behind beauty counters should be arrested. Scrabbling at the bottom of the drawer I discover -

6) A baby’s tooth. My spine turns to Playdoh as I hold the tiny pearl in my palm. My jewellery drawer must’ve doubled as the tooth fairy’s stash. There are two more teeth in the drawer, too precious to throw out but not pretty enough to be turned into earrings. Other things are easier to toss -

7) A rusted key, a small plastic doll’s brush, an Anzac Day badge, various buttons and safety pins. I’m less certain what to do with the -

Wiggly Woo tape. “Let’s All Do the Wiggly Woo” was the only thing that kept our younger daughter quiet in the car when she was three years old. I put it aside in case she wants to hear it again. She probably won’t remember it.

Deeper in the drawer I discover more manifested memories. I long to see them because they belonged to people I loved, yet each one of them plunges a skewer in my heart: a dress ring that belonged to a beloved aunt; chunky necklaces Mum looked great in but nobody has been able to wear with her aplomb since; Dad’s old watch; a plastic tiki, the last gift received from a child before he suddenly died.

Impossible to throw away, these relics are placed in their own special box. Perhaps one day, someone will glance at them, assume they have no value and toss them away. By then I too will have left this planet.

Want to decorate with a White Chest Of Drawers? Or maybe even a Black Chest Of Drawers? Then come see us first!

In this article I will be dealing with antique mahogany chest of drawers from the Georgian period. These are one of the most sought pieces of antique furniture. The price guides given will be for chests in mahogany. As with all antiques, items of exceptional size, whether large or small and those items with unusual design features, may be far more valuable.

Mahogany started to be used in England at the beginning of the 1720s and stayed popular for over a hundred years. Antique chests of the early 1700s are made from very dense mature mahogany. This timber is commonly called ‘Cuban mahogany’, but in fact came from Jamaica.

Antique mahogany bachelors chest are very rare and have considerable value. They have fold over tops supported on lopers. They were made mainly between the 1720s and 1740s and were often of small proportions.

I have recently purchased a very rare antique mahogany chest of drawers circa.1740. The chest is of fine dense timber and has a caddy moulded top. This type of top is much sought after, as the moulding does not overhang the side or front of the chest. This gives the chest a very clean line. This antique mahogany chest has four long graduated drawers, with the top drawer being fitted with compartments and a baize writing slide. Because of the weight of the top drawer, it is supported on pull-out lopers. I will upload a picture of this chest shortly on my web site.

This type of antique chest with caddy moulded top, was out of fashion by the end 1740s. So the chest can dated accurately to the mid 1740s.

By the middle of the eighteen century, mahogany chests were to be seen in many more homes. Normally at this time they would have overhanging mouldings and brass swan neck handles. Better antique chests made for more important rooms in the house would have four long graduated drawers, instead of the more common two small drawers over three or four long drawers. Additional features that add to the desirability of an antique chest, would be a brushing / writing slide and possibly a fitted top drawer.

As with all antique furniture, originality, especially patination, handles, and feet are very important in determining price and desirability.

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the quality of antique Georgian chest of drawers, began to diminish. This was down to the reduction in the quality of timber being imported and the move towards higher production. At the beginning of the century only the wealthiest could afford fine antique mahogany chests and chest were bespoke made. As the century drew to an end the dawn of mass production was on the horizon.

Antique Georgian mahogany chest of drawers price guide. Antique bachelors chest with fold over tops c.1720-1740 – £30,000 – £320,000. Antique chest with caddy moulded tops c.1740 £5,000 – £25,000. Antique chest with thumbnail moulding c.1760-1790 £1000 – £10,000. Antique chest with four long graduated drawers £2,000 – £25,000. Antique chest with brushing slide or fitted top drawer £3,000 – £30,000.

Buying a new chest of drawers can be a difficult process because there are so many different options available. On the one hand, it’s great to have such a wide range of chest of drawers that you can buy because it means that you’ll always be a will to find a type that you need. On the other hand, it does make the choice more difficult so it’s important to know a bit about chest of drawers before you buy them.

The first thing you need to think about is where you want to put the chest of drawers. Many people think they are a piece of furniture that can only be used in the bedroom but this simply isn’t true because there are a wide range of different situations where they fit in well. For example, people often use chest of drawers in the living room to provide a space to store the DVDs. They can also be used in the kitchen to store kitchen utensils or even the bathroom.

Wherever you decide to put your chest of drawers the next need to think about is your budget because this will decide which type you are going to buy. It is probably obvious that the bigger the chest of drawers you buy the more expensive it will be which is why it’s important to know your budget before you start looking. You also need to think about the size of the chest of drawers in relation to the rest of your room and the other furniture with it. Many people make the mistake of buying furniture is either too big or too small for the room and this can make the whole design appear cluttered.

The style of the drawer should also be important because you want to make sure that it matches what you already have in your room. For example, if you have a more traditionally created home then buying a modern piece of furniture will probably not work well so you need to think about the style before you buy. You can buy antique chest of drawers in some cases and these may be a good option.

If you want a piece of furniture that can not only add to the interior decor almost any room but also gives you a space where you can store pretty much anything you need then a chest of drawers is one of the best options available.