Chest of Drawers

Choosing the right size and drawer format

The number of drawers you need depends on what you plan to store and how much floor space you can give up. A three-drawer design suits a small bedroom or a corner where you want a little extra surface on top. Wider six-drawer formats hold far more folded clothing and work well as the main bedroom drawers along one wall.

If floor space is tight but you have height to spare, a tall narrow format, often called a tallboy, stacks the same storage into a smaller footprint. Our range covers everything from low three-drawer chests up to taller seven and nine-drawer designs, so you can match the shape to the room rather than forcing the room to fit the furniture.

Measure the wall and check how far the drawers extend when open, leaving room to stand and pull them out fully. A chest that sits neatly under a window or between two other pieces will always feel more settled than one squeezed into a gap.

White and painted finishes

A white chest of drawers keeps a room feeling light and calm, which makes it a reliable choice for smaller bedrooms and north-facing spaces. Painted finishes reflect more of the daylight around them and sit easily alongside walls in soft neutrals, deeper colours or wallpaper with a busy pattern.

White and cream painted pieces suit both plain contemporary rooms and softer classic ones, so you are not locked into a single look. They pair well with brass or antique-brass handles when you want a little contrast against the pale surface.

To keep a white finish looking clean, wipe it down regularly with a soft damp cloth and dry it straight after. Marks tend to show sooner on pale paint, so dealing with spills and fingerprints early stops them settling in.

Oak and other solid woods

An oak chest of drawers brings warmth and a visible grain that painted furniture cannot match. Oak carries its own tone and figure, from the open grain of natural oak to darker stained finishes, so no two pieces read quite the same.

Solid wood shifts gently with age. Natural and weathered oak tones can mellow and deepen over years of use, and light exposure plays its part in how the colour settles. This is part of the appeal, as the wood gains character rather than looking tired.

Our wood finishes run from pale Scandinavian naturals through rustic tones to deeper browns, so you can lean towards a fresh, light room or a warmer, more grounded one depending on the grain and shade you choose.

Materials and construction

What holds a chest together matters as much as how it looks. Look for drawers that run smoothly and sit level when closed, as good runners make daily use far easier and take the strain off the joints over time.

Solid wood carcasses and well-fitted joints give a chest the weight and stability to last, while a solid top handles the lamps, trays and everyday clutter that a chest inevitably carries. Some of our designs top the wood with marble for a harder, cooler surface that wipes clean easily.

Beyond wood, our range includes metal-framed pieces and designs with rattan or mother-of-pearl fronts, each bringing a different texture. Whichever material you choose, a chest that feels solid when you open and close it is one that will keep working for years.

Beyond the bedroom

A chest of drawers is not only a bedroom piece, though that is where most of ours end up. Known as a dresser in the US, it works just as hard in a hallway, holding gloves, keys, chargers and post, with the top surface acting as a landing spot as you come and go.

In a living room, a lower wide chest can stand in for a sideboard, keeping remotes, candles and spare throws tucked away while giving you room on top for lamps or a few framed prints. The closed drawers keep everyday mess out of sight in a space where you tend to sit and relax.

Because our range spans several styles and finishes, you can pick a chest that ties in with the rest of a room rather than one that stands apart from it.

Care and maintenance

Regular light cleaning keeps any chest looking its best. Dust wooden surfaces with a soft dry cloth, and for a deeper clean use a barely damp cloth followed by a dry one. Avoid soaking the wood or leaving standing water, which can mark the finish.

For painted and white pieces, mild soapy water on a soft cloth lifts fingerprints and everyday marks. Marble tops wipe clean but are best protected from spills of anything acidic, so use coasters and mats under drinks and toiletries.

Every so often, check that drawer runners still move freely and that handles are firm. A quick tighten and a little care go a long way towards keeping a chest working smoothly for the long term.