Dressers were once a staple part of all bedrooms but now are utilized as great and stylish storage options throughout the home. Coming in many forms and styles, dressers can be upcycled in a variety of ways to perfectly suit any space and aesthetic.
How to Identify Antique Furniture
When identifying antique furniture you should look for the following:
- See if there is a signature or identifying marks
- Make sure the piece looks ‘right’. Do the legs suits the top, are the drawer pulls cohesive with the rest of the design? If things seem out of place it’s likely you’re looking at a marriage of two separate pieces. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing but can affect the value.
- In order to find the age of the piece, have a look at the joints used. The 1600s used dowels and pegs to connect wood panels, while the pieces from the 1700s will feature glue and dovetailing. Pieces from the 1860s onwards tend to have the machine-made Knapp joint which is also called a half-moon, or pin and scallop. Pieces made after the 1800s will tend to have machine-made dovetailing.
- You can also look to see if the wood pieces were hand-sawn as this would indicate a piece made before the 1850s. During and after the industrial revolution circular saws were used leaving behind circle-shaped marks.
Different Eras of Antique Furniture
You can narrow your search for your perfect vintage or antique dresser by knowing a little about the different furniture styles of the last few hundred years, which are as follows:
- Jacobean (1600-1690): This style features straight lines, ornate detailing, and dark wood.
- William and Mary (1690-1735): Lacquer work and turned legs characterize this kind of furniture, which was highly influenced by Dutch and Chinese traditions.
- Queen Anne (1700-1755): Features ornate legs (cabriole) and drake feet. Accompanying chairs are fiddle-back and drawer pulls feature at a batwing shape.
- Pennsylvania Dutch (1720-1830): This is an American style that was largely influenced by Dutch immigration. It has a simple style with bright folk paintings.
- Louis XVI (1760-1789): This style of furniture was designed specifically for Marie Antoinette and is influenced by the styles of ancient Rome and Greece.
- Chippendale (1750-1790): Created by cabinet-maker Thomas Chippendale, this style of furniture has gothic, French, and Chinese influences.
- Hepplewhite (1765-1800): This kind of furniture, named after designer George Hepplewhite, was particularly popular in America and has contrasting veneer work and tapered legs.
- Sheraton (1780-1820): This furniture, named after designer George Sheraton, is extremely simple and features contrasting veneer work.
- Federal (1780-1820): Combines Hepplewhite and Sheraton styles.
- American Empire (1800-1840): Inspired by French style and includes dark wood and carvings.
- Victorian (1840-1910): Victorian furniture was the first to be mass-produced and contains dark wood, ornate embellishment, and a romanticized style. It was named after the queen of England at the time.
- Arts and Craft (1880-1910): The Arts and Crafts style, often known as ‘Art Nouveau,’ was founded by artist William Morris and showcases handcrafted craftsmanship that predates the Victorian era’s production. Botanical and natural influences can be found in a lot of works from this time period.
- Art Deco (1910-1939): Art Deco is characterized by brilliant colors, wood inlays, metalwork, and geometric designs, and it represents a return to maximalism.
- Scandinavian Contemporary (1930-1950): This style of furniture, which originated in the Scandinavian countries, is sometimes referred to as ‘mid-century modern’ and has grown in popularity in recent years. This furniture style is characterized by a simple and minimalist design that was created with functionality in mind.
50 Antique Dressers
We’ve searched long and hard online to find the creme de la creme of antique dressers currently for sale. We’ve organized our list into handy sections to help you find what you’re looking for.
I) Antique dressers with mirrors
1. Antique Victorian Tall Tiger Oak American Dresser Chest With Mirror Circa 1900’s
Material: MirrorOak
Color: Brown
Price: $1595
An Oak Wood 1900s Antique Tall Tiger American Dresser with two small drawers and two large drawers. Featuring brass handles detailed to match the mirror details.
2. An Antique American Renaissance Victorian Painted Dresser With Mirror.
Material: Pine
Color: Light Brown
Price: $2495
A light brown antique American painted dresser with a mirror. Featuring dark brown brass handles for the uniquely detailed drawers.
3. Antique Art Deco Waterfall Gold Accent Dresser
Material: Gold, Oak, and Glass
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $400
A dark brown oak vintage dresser with gold accents and brass handles featured on each small and large drawer.
4. Vintage Antique Arts and Crafts Bookmatched
Material: Wood, Mirror
Color: Dark/Light Brown
Price: $1875
A well-designed drawer with mirror top. The vintage antique drawers feature wooden handles and a well-designed wooden cross for the centerpiece.
5. Antique French Louis XV
Material: Mahogany, Mirror, Satinwood
Color: brown
Price: $2250
A light brown French drawer with mahogany material makes a great vintage-looking design.
6. Antique Eastlake Style Dresser With Mirror and Hidden Drawer
Material: Marble, Mirror, Walnut
Color: Chestnut
Price: $675
A marble-made drawer with a mirror stand and three drawers featuring wooden handles.
7. Chest of Drawers in Wood & Brass with Mirror, Italy, 1950s
Material: Wood, Brass, Mirror
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $1739
A dark brown chest of drawers with a large mirror head featuring four black legs for balance.
8. Antique Victorian Bamboo Lacquer Dresser With Mirror
Material: Bamboo
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $1600
A dark brown bamboo lacquer dresser with mirror featuring 4 handles on the front with a flower-designed pattern on the hand rest.
9. Antique RJ Horner School Oak Mirrored Chest of Drawers
Material: Oak, Mirror
Color: Orange
Price: $1450
A light brown/Orange chest of drawers which are an antique piece featuring a mirror and six drawers and a single compartment.
10. Gustav Stickley Antique Mission Oak Vanity with Mirror
Material: Oak
Color: Brown
Price: $2995
A brown chest of drawers with two single drawers with brass handles to open featuring a single standing mirror. Very simple and very useful.
II) Antique dresser with doors and drawers
1. Antique Carved Oak Dresser With Mirror, Circa 1900
Material: Oak Wood, Mirror
Color: Light Brown
Price: $1395
A light brown antique drawer with small drawers and a standing mirror. Featuring a well-designed lock system for each draw.
2. Antique Pitch Pine Dresser
Material: Pine
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $2100
A dark brown vintage antique chest of drawers featuring dark brown brass handles with a flat top.
3. Antique Maple Wood American Empire Tall Chest Washstand Dresser Cabinet Flint
Material: Maple
Color: Light brown
Price: $2250
A light brown almost yellow chest of drawers with simple locks and 6 uniquely made drawers.
4. Antique American Two Door Cabinet With Custom Glass Top
Material: Satinwood
Color: Dark brown
Price: $4350
An antique American two-door cabinet with two drawers featuring locks on each door and drawer.
5. Antique French Louis XVI Burl Walnut Hand Painted
Material: Marble, Paint, Walnut
Color: Dark brown
Price: $2200
A dark brown antique french Louis dresser featuring two images on the front of each panel.
III) Antique dressers from the 1800s
1. Antique Italian Olivewood & Yew Commode
Material: Wood
Color: Dark brown
Price: $1795
A chest of drawers with four unique style drawers from the front. Brass handles on each drawer resting on unique designed panels.
2. Victorian Antique Charles II Revival Dresser Sideboard
Material: Oak
Color: Black
Price: $4550
A black victorian antique drawer featuring an engraved decal on the front of the headboard and front panels.
3. Empire Dresser-Flame Mahogany
Material: Flame Mahogany
Color: Light brown
Price: $650
A small chest of drawers featuring a brass lock on the front of each drawer with a flat top and four legs.
4. Century Antique French Oak Commode
Material: Metal, Oak
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $5145
A dark brown chest of drawers with nine small drawers in a three by three pattern.
5. Antique American Naval Campaign Style Hand Painted
Material: Paint, Pine
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $1260
A chest of drawers with a unique style of painting covers the whole drawer. The picture resembles an American warship from the late 1800s with various different voyage images on each drawer.
6. Antique Eastlake Victorian Country Farmhouse Carved Walnut Mirrored Dresser
Material: Mirror, Walnut
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $500
A dark brown chest of drawers with light brass handles for each drawer, a flat top with a mirror and four small legs to balance the piece.
IV) Antique dressers from the early 1900s
1. Antique Continental Painted Chest
Material: Paint, Wood
Color: Gray
Price: $3600
A chest of gray drawers featuring a single bird in a mirror and banners located on the front of the drawers as if it was one large panel.
2. Antique French Louis XIV Commode
Material: Brass, Oak
Color: Dark Burnt Umber
Price: $2980
A dark chest of drawers with eight brass handles for the four well-designed drawers.
3. Depression Era Dresser
Material: Wood
Color: Yellow
Price: $1650
A large chest of drawers with five similarly designed drawers with small wooden handles for each.
4. Art Deco Waterfall Highboy Dresser
Material: Mahogany
Color: Light Brown
Price: $1196
A light brown mahogany chest of drawers with brass handles for easy access to pull open the drawers.
5. Antique French Drawers
Material: Mahogany
Color: Light Brown
Price: $2465
A dark brown chest of drawers with a flower engraved design on the front, with a flat top for mirror or other ornaments.
6. Antique Victorian Eastlake
Material: Mirror, Wood
Color: Yellow
Price: $775
A yellow chest of drawers with wooden handles to aid in opening. A strong base with a featured mirror inside the drawer.
7. Antique Depression Era dresser
Material: Brass, Mirror, Wood
Color: Goldenrod
Price: $1075
A goldenrod-colored chest of drawers with brass handles on the front of each drawer.
V) Vintage chest of drawers 1950s/60s
1. Compact Mid Century Louvered Highboy Dresser
Material: Mirror, Wood
Color: Orange, Dark Brown
Price: $875
A more modern-looking chest of drawers, dating back to the mid-century in the 1960s.
2. Fantastic Teak Double Dresser
Material: Teak
Color: Light Brown
Price: $1525
A light brown chest of drawers with internal handles and a flat top.
3. Mid Century Tall Boy Dresser
Material: Walnut, Brass, Wood, Metal
Color: Light/Dark Brown
Price: $1899
A light brown 1950s mid-century Tall Boy Dresser with open exposed legs and a well-designed front panel combination of light and dark colors.
4. Vintage Oak Chest of Drawers, 1950s-1960s
Material: Brass, Mirror, Wood
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $744
A light brown chest of drawers from the 1950s-60s, with an interior mirror and brass handles.
5. Chest of Drawers, Italy, 1950s
Material: Brass, Glass, Wood
Color: Light Brown
Price: $1002
A light brown chest of drawers with brass handles for each panel and a glass top with brass locks.
6. Chest of Drawers or Sideboard
Material: Wood
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $5250
A large chest of drawers from the 1950s with a plain design but under-grips for each drawer.
7. Mid-Century Vintage Danish Teak Chest of Drawers, 1950s
Material: Teak
Color: Light Brown
Price: $1451
A light brown tall chest of 1950s drawers with flat plain panels and a single brass lock at the top.
VI) Vintage dresser tall
1. Antique English Walnut Dresser
Material: Walnut
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $4455
A ten-handle chest of drawers with six drawers featuring brass handles and locks on the front and a flat top.
2. Antique Biedermeier
Material: Mahogany
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $3900
A dark brown tall chest of drawers with seven drawers for storage and four base legs.
3. Antique Bamboo & Fiber Trimmed and Covered Pine Chest of Drawers
Material: Pine
Color: Light brown
Price: $875
A light brown chest of pine drawers featuring a grain style art on the front of each panel wielding a brass handle for each drawer.
4. Antique French Louis XV Blonde Walnut Serpentine Chiffoniere
Material: Walnut
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $3700
A dark brown walnut drawer with six drawers featuring brass handles on each front panel.
5. Vintage Hitchcock Stencilled Tall Chest Dresser
Material: Wood
Color: Light Brown
Price: $495
A light brown tall chest of drawers with a subtle flower design on one panel.
6. Vintage 1960s Walnut Wood Curved Front Tall Dresser
Material: Burlwood, Walnut
Color: Light Brown
Price: $1475
A light brown well designed tall dresser with multiple flat panels on the front with a flat top.
7. Tall Georgian Brown Dresser
Material: Mahogany
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $5000
A tall dark brown dresser with eight different drawers and fourteen light brown handles for each front panel.
8. Vintage French Provincial Cream Blue Paint Tall Narrow
Material: Paint, Wood
Color: Beige
Price: $2850
A beige tall chest of drawers with nine compartments and sixteen handles for each panel on the front.
9. American of Martinsville Rosewood Ebony Tall Dresser Chest
Material: Rosewood
Color: Dark Brown
Price: $2200
A dark brown tall chest of drawers with a large top compartment and three medium-sized drawers as teh bottom half.
VII) Refurbished antique dressers
1. Antique Hand Painted Dresser With Mirror
Material: Mirror, Wood
Color: Green
Price: $350
A dark green dresser with yellow flowers neatly designed on the front panels of each drawer.
2. Dresser with mirror
Material: Wood, Paint
Color: Dark Blue
Price: $600
A navy blue chest of drawers with golden handles for each panel to open from. Flat top and a nice mirror stand.
3. MCM hand-painted dresser
Material: Teak
Color: Blue, Brown, White
Price: $1550
A chest of drawers with an ocean view featuring a lighthouse and a wave in the open sea.
4. Boho mermaid dresser, hand-painted MCM dresser
Material: Solid Wood
Color: Light Blue
Price: $999
A light blue Ocean-designed chest of drawers featuring various fish and oceanic creatures on the front panels as one full art piece.
5. Hand Painted Dresser
Material: Mirror, Oak, Paint
Color: White
Price: $700
A white chest of drawers with brass handles on the front of each panel of each drawer.
Final Thoughts
We hope our article has helped you to learn more about the fascinating history of antique furniture production and guided you towards finding your perfect dresser for your space.
