Blue Gustavian Chest
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Vintage 1950s European Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 2000s European Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century Scandinavian Gustavian Commodes and Chests of ...
Brass
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 2000s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
20th Century Unknown Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 1880s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Dutch Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Oak
Antique Mid-19th Century Danish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Vintage 1950s European Gustavian Night Stands
Wood
Antique 1780s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Swedish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Painted Furniture
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 1860s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Paint, Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Cane
Mid-20th Century American Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Cane
Antique 1790s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Early 19th Century Danish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Mid-20th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 18th Century European Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Neoclassical Commodes and Chests of D...
Metal, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century Danish Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Antique 19th Century Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1920s Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Pine
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Blanket Chests
Pine
Antique Late 19th Century Italian Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Fruitwood
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Danish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood, Paint
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Blue Gustavian Chest For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Blue Gustavian Chest?
A Close Look at Gustavian Furniture
With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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.