nota bene: At the risk of eliciting a few chuckles from my readers, brought about by the title of today's post, this essay really is all about reviving an old chest of drawers, and has nothing whatsoever to do with those other types of drawers, thank you very much!
Sometimes I despair at how long it can take to find just the right item of furniture when looking to furnish the rooms of our house. I don't make things easy on myself having a predilection for American Federal and English Regency furnishings and decorative arts. These things are, after all, not exactly in abundance here on the relatively young West coast of the United States. I do, however, remind myself that all good things are worth the wait.
Earlier this year, Lady Luck took pity on me while trolling an outdoor antiques market and presented me with the opportunity of snapping up the chest of drawers you see below.
Sorely in need of more storage space, this useful piece of furniture fit the bill. In fact, I had been on the lookout for a Federal era chest of drawers for a number of years and this one was well worth the wait. The price was right too; embarrassingly so. Having arranged for the chest's delivery with the dealer, I finally took possession of it several weeks after purchase.
Overall, the chest was in good condition for its age. One of its prior owners had obviously cared for it enough to have the central panel of the backboard repaired a numbers of years ago, as well as one of the drawer bottoms. Fortunately, the original finish and brass hardware remain intact. I believe this bowfront mahogany chest was likely made in Massachusetts around 1810 - 1825. Of course, I would be delighted to learn more about such early American chests if any of you reading this would care to enlighten me.
The first thing I did to revive this tired looking Sleeping Beauty was to remove the stamped brass drawer knobs and corresponding back plates. They were filthy! Setting to work with my trusty bottle of Brasso, a soft flannel cloth, and a bit of old-fashioned elbow grease, I soon had these beauties twinkling.
Next, my very handy husband took care of a couple of splits in the bottoms of two of the four drawers. Some hide glue, a few clamps, and a bit of patience soon put things right (thank you, Dearest!).
A once over with the vacuum cleaner removed heaps of dirt from the chest's dusty cavity. It also unearthed these:
I then wiped the internal surfaces of each drawer with a damp cloth and allowed sufficient time for them to dry. Remembering the stash of assorted wallpaper rolls in our basement, I trotted downstairs to see what was what. You might be surprised to learn how handy a remnant roll of wallpaper or two is for little household projects. It's not just for walls you know!
An application of furniture wax and plenty of buffing soon returned a glow to the old finish. It also banished the unsightly moisture marks created by the glass lamps which sat upon the chest's top that fog-drenched day I spotted it for sale (seen in the first photograph of this post).
One final but important task remained. To prevent the drawers from sticking, which can be quite a nuisance once they have been filled, I reached for an old candle stub.
By rubbing a spent candle stub along the bottom of each runner, the drawers are again able to glide smoothly into position, just as they did when the piece was made two-hundred years ago.
I am delighted at how a little tender loving care and attention has helped breath new life into these old drawers. And, let me just add that this handsome and sturdy piece of furniture should never be underestimated for its usefulness around the house. In fact, I think it is a great pity that most people confine chests of drawers to just the bedroom. This one, I am pleased to say, now resides in our dining room. And, until I one day find the perfect sideboard, this is exactly where it will remain. Stuffed full of napery, silver, and other assorted dining-related paraphernalia, everything is now within easy reach of setting the table.
Tell me, is there a useful chest of drawers in your house that is not confined to a bedroom and if so, where did you place it and what does it hold?
Sometimes I despair at how long it can take to find just the right item of furniture when looking to furnish the rooms of our house. I don't make things easy on myself having a predilection for American Federal and English Regency furnishings and decorative arts. These things are, after all, not exactly in abundance here on the relatively young West coast of the United States. I do, however, remind myself that all good things are worth the wait.
Earlier this year, Lady Luck took pity on me while trolling an outdoor antiques market and presented me with the opportunity of snapping up the chest of drawers you see below.
Photo: Chronica Domus
Sorely in need of more storage space, this useful piece of furniture fit the bill. In fact, I had been on the lookout for a Federal era chest of drawers for a number of years and this one was well worth the wait. The price was right too; embarrassingly so. Having arranged for the chest's delivery with the dealer, I finally took possession of it several weeks after purchase.
Overall, the chest was in good condition for its age. One of its prior owners had obviously cared for it enough to have the central panel of the backboard repaired a numbers of years ago, as well as one of the drawer bottoms. Fortunately, the original finish and brass hardware remain intact. I believe this bowfront mahogany chest was likely made in Massachusetts around 1810 - 1825. Of course, I would be delighted to learn more about such early American chests if any of you reading this would care to enlighten me.
The first thing I did to revive this tired looking Sleeping Beauty was to remove the stamped brass drawer knobs and corresponding back plates. They were filthy! Setting to work with my trusty bottle of Brasso, a soft flannel cloth, and a bit of old-fashioned elbow grease, I soon had these beauties twinkling.
What a difference a bit of elbow grease and a few dabs of Brasso make to these Federal era stamped brass drawer knobs and back plates
Photo: Chronica Domus
Within an hour, I had restored all eight drawer knobs and back plates to their former gleaming glory
Photo: Chronica Domus
Next, my very handy husband took care of a couple of splits in the bottoms of two of the four drawers. Some hide glue, a few clamps, and a bit of patience soon put things right (thank you, Dearest!).
Photo: Chronica Domus
A once over with the vacuum cleaner removed heaps of dirt from the chest's dusty cavity. It also unearthed these:
It's surprising what lurks within the nooks and crannies of an old chest of drawers
Photo: Chronica Domus
I then wiped the internal surfaces of each drawer with a damp cloth and allowed sufficient time for them to dry. Remembering the stash of assorted wallpaper rolls in our basement, I trotted downstairs to see what was what. You might be surprised to learn how handy a remnant roll of wallpaper or two is for little household projects. It's not just for walls you know!
After making a template of one of the drawer bottoms with brown paper, I used it to
cut out four drawer liners from a remnant roll of marbled wallpaper
Photo: Chronica Domus
cut out four drawer liners from a remnant roll of marbled wallpaper
Photo: Chronica Domus
The marbled wallpaper liners are now secured in place with the aid of old-fashioned
brass drawing pins
brass drawing pins
Photo: Chronica Domus
An application of furniture wax and plenty of buffing soon returned a glow to the old finish. It also banished the unsightly moisture marks created by the glass lamps which sat upon the chest's top that fog-drenched day I spotted it for sale (seen in the first photograph of this post).
One final but important task remained. To prevent the drawers from sticking, which can be quite a nuisance once they have been filled, I reached for an old candle stub.
Spent candles come in handy for waxing drawer runners
Photo: Chronica Domus
By rubbing a spent candle stub along the bottom of each runner, the drawers are again able to glide smoothly into position, just as they did when the piece was made two-hundred years ago.
All that elbow grease has really paid off!
Photo: Chronica Domus
I am delighted at how a little tender loving care and attention has helped breath new life into these old drawers. And, let me just add that this handsome and sturdy piece of furniture should never be underestimated for its usefulness around the house. In fact, I think it is a great pity that most people confine chests of drawers to just the bedroom. This one, I am pleased to say, now resides in our dining room. And, until I one day find the perfect sideboard, this is exactly where it will remain. Stuffed full of napery, silver, and other assorted dining-related paraphernalia, everything is now within easy reach of setting the table.
Photo: Chronica Domus
Of course, every piece of furniture is enhanced by a small autumnal arrangement of
ornamental cabbages, would you not agree?
Photo: Chronica Domus
The Federal mahogany bowfront chest of drawers in situ
(Yes, that's right, the dining room floors are still bare but I'm hopeful this too will be
rectified one of these days!)
Photo: Chronica Domus
Tell me, is there a useful chest of drawers in your house that is not confined to a bedroom and if so, where did you place it and what does it hold?
Hello CD, You did a beautiful job of restoring your early chest. When I moved to Taiwan I had to give away some early 19th century pieces, but I kept one Empire chest of drawers (not as beautiful or fancy as yours; the kind with wooden knobs and two small drawers set back on top) that I had bought for $20, but that had needed no work at all.
ReplyDeleteIn one house it was in the dining room, and in my last house (the Hemlock Lane one) it was in the living room. It was too useful to get rid of, so when I moved away I put it in the spare bedroom in my mother's place, so now it is back to its original location and function.
--Jim
Hello Jim,
DeleteI know exactly the type of chest you write about (what a bargain!). And, as I wrote in my post, chests are very useful in other rooms of the house outside the bedroom.
I see yours has run a few laps around your house (and your mother's) already.
I too have a chest in my living room. The design is similar to the Federal chest featured in today's post but has original wooden knobs on the drawers (you can view a glimpse of it in the top photograph of this post http://chronicadomus.blogspot.com/2016/11/happy-thanksgiving.html). So handy for stashing playing cards, candles, board games and assorted bits and bobs.
I especially like the brass drawer knobs - so handsome. This chest of drawers is a wonderful find and you have done well in restoring it.
ReplyDeleteHello slf,
DeleteThank you and yes, I agree, the brass knobs are indeed handsome, like icing on the cake.
Hello CD,
ReplyDeleteYou have done a beautiful job bringing out the best in your "new" chest of drawers.
From the same era but from the stylistically-differing north of Europe, I have a fairly plain Biedermeier secrétaire in my living room that is stuffed to the gunnels with the paperwork of our modern life: bills, receipts, bank statements and tax paraphernalia; all manner of stationery items; rolls of wrapping paper and ribbons and two deep drawers groaning with folders of unsorted photographs. In short, it's a wooden version of The Cloud!
I also notice and appreciate your grey walls and white trim - a match to my own decorating choices. Equally at home in your stylish period home as it is in my art deco apartment. So soothing a colour scheme...
And thank you for the reminder to wax the runners of my drawers. It's been on my spring cleaning list, and spring is nearly done!
Greetings from Sydney,
Vanessa
Hello Vanessa,
DeleteYour Biedermeier secrétaire sounds to be a very stylish addition to your living room, and a useful one to boot. In your honor, my own Georgian secretary, which resides in our living room, will henceforth be known as "The Cloud" for the same reason as yours. Thank you for that witty and charming parallel to one of modern life's inventions.
Pleased too that you like the wall color of our dining room. My husband jokingly calls it "wet cement" and it is the darkest color to be found in our house. I think it is perfectly suited for dining during evening hours where the added glow of candlelight helps create a dramatic backdrop for fun dinners. At least that's the idea.
Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Do come again!
Well done! I have a bow-front dresser in my main room and it's so handy for holding seasonal decorations.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meg. I feel so fortunate to have found my new old chest. And, what a nice idea to corral your seasonal decorations in a handy chest. I think I'd need about three just to hold my Christmas ornaments. Better not go there, yikes!
DeleteI've always liked bow-front chests of drawers. Cleaning the knobs and giving it a good waxing made a world of difference. The piece looks elegant in your dining room.
ReplyDeleteHello Diogenes,
DeleteI'm pleased you liked the rejuvenated chest. To be perfectly honest with you, I walked by it the first time I saw it. Those 60'/ 70's lamps and the dull finish of the wood and brass did not call to me whatsoever. So pleased I gave it a second gander.
The chest is beautiful! Can you please share what furniture polish or wax you used?
ReplyDeleteHello Stephanie Bell, and thank you.
DeleteI used furniture wax on my chest which I purchased in the UK (but I think Amazon sell it too - or at least some of the range) called Town Talk Luxury Furniture Wax. It is the one in the dark red tin with the very cute graphic. Harrell's is also another excellent furniture wax which was recommended to me by one of the antique dealers I purchased my bedroom chest of drawers from. It works wonders!
Thank you!
DeleteYou're very welcome!
DeleteWell that is a makeover and a half! Looks so good CD and a great find. I looked for something similar at the right price of course but now i just don't have the space for it. I almost am thinking I might not have everything in built for my next wardrobe and just get drawers.
ReplyDeleteHello Naomi,
DeleteI highly recommend a mix of built-in and movable furniture. It's funny (sad, really) but our house hardly had any built-in storage space which I why, I suppose, I've turned to these chests in most of the rooms in the house.
In my next house, I'd opt for more drawers in the kitchen than cupboards. So much easier to slide a drawer open than rummage about in a dark, low cupboard when searching for things.
Gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteMy mother's grandfather made a chest like that, in Western Massachusetts in the late 1800s. Mom kept it in her dining room to store table linens and silver serving pieces. It's one of the few pieces we moved into her rooms in the memory care facility. Now we store her clothes in it.
Hello Lisa,
DeleteWell, thank you! I must say your great grandfather was a talented man indeed to have made such a chest. It is nice to learn too that your mother still has it, and makes good use of it. I wonder what you'll keep within its drawers when it passes to you?
Well I enjoyed this post immensely. There is nothing more satisfying than bringing back a piece of furniture to life with some wax and brasso! The knobs on that chest really are lovely - the whole piece is so pretty. You had a great find! And it really does look divine in your beautiful dining room. I too line my drawers with wallpaper scraps and end rolls (and I do have rather a lot of those at my house!). I recently purchased an English oak dresser base for my hall table. The previous one (which I love and is very pretty) was too small. I use the drawers to store all sorts of things from items to return to people (handy by the front door as you're going out) and library books, to pond algae tablets for our fountain! it's interesting that here in Australia so many people think of storage as only being built in now, when all the old furniture pieces can make much more attractive holders of "stuff". One of the blandest houses I have been in had so much built in storage there was no room for furniture pieces. Acres of cabinetry can be rather dull to look at (if seamless and minimalist).
ReplyDeleteHello Heidi,
DeleteAlthough I'd love a few more built-in cupboards around the house, there's nothing quite like the warmth of real furniture. And, I know the brown stuff is not at all fashionable nowadays, I cannot help myself but to snap it up whenever I see a piece that would fit my needs.
What a clever and useful idea it is to stash all the "returnables" by the front door. I cannot count the times someone has left behind an item after a visit to our place, and by the time I see them next, I've misplaced it (oops!).
Bravo CD; that chest looks like it was made for your dining room. It is elegant and so practical. During my bachelorette days, I splurged on a wide bedroom dresser with thirteen drawers. While it was new, the mahogany veneers, brass fixtures and satinwood inlay design gave it an antique appearance. It came with a matching mirror. When I married, I moved my paraphernalia into the master bedroom already furnished with my husband's furniture. So my dresser and mirror were placed in the dining room where is has remained in three different homes.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I use it to store linens, boxes of candles and silver. From time to time, it does double duty as a buffet server. Actually, my husband has commandeered two drawers to hold extra reading and sun glasses.
Best,
KL Gaylin
Hello KL Gaylin, and thank you.
DeleteI couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled across it (although I had to walk by the chest twice to see the possibilities of it looking spiffed up).
And, might I just add, what a stylish bachelorette you were, having the foresight to invest in good furniture. You should have seen what I lived with! And, how wonderful to know that you still have the dresser and mirror and press it into service in your dining room, and that it has followed you from house to house.
Dear CD,
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you how much I enjoyed this post! We have a chest remarkably similar to yours (slightly more dinged up), but I've never liked it because its drawers were hard to use. After I read your post, I was inspired to try fixing it up. I polished the knobs, vacuumed the inside, waxed the bottom of the drawers, and polished it (with the brand you recommended)! It looks like a completely different piece of furniture! The drawers work a lot better,too. We really like the chest now - thank you so much for inspiring me! Love your blog.
Stephanie
Hello Stephanie,
DeleteHow nice of you to return and leave such a marvelous comment regarding your own chest which, by all accounts, is once again loved and looking its best. To learn that my post inspired you to view your furniture with renewed interest and fresh eyes is very pleasing to me indeed.
Thank you for taking the time to share your story.