1960s Virginia Maid by Lane Cedar Chest

Details

Description

This rare chest is as versatile as it is storied, serving as storage, a coffee table, or a bench, while … Read more This rare chest is as versatile as it is storied, serving as storage, a coffee table, or a bench, while carrying with it a rich history.

Made in Altavista, Virginia by Lane, the company celebrated for its iconic hope chests, this piece comes from the Virginia Maid line of the late 1960s.

Each chest was marketed with Lane’s signature Aroma Tite pressure seal and a $500 moth damage warranty, a bold promise of protection and durability that spoke to the company’s confidence in their materials and construction. Those original details remain intact here, with the paper warranty label and Aroma Tite stamp preserved inside the lid.

What makes this chest especially rare is its design. Where most Lane cedar chests from this era leaned heavily into the Colonial Revival look, spindle fronts, raised panels, traditional hope chest silhouettes, this one took a different path…

The front is styled as a faux multi-drawer dresser, complete with eight turned wooden knobs, giving it the look of a miniature sideboard, apothecary, or campaign chest. It’s a playful trompe l’oeil effect that sets it apart, and one you don’t often find.

The form is also unusual: long and low, making it as functional as a coffee table with hidden storage as it is a classic blanket chest.

Inside, the cedar lining is spacious and aromatic, designed to naturally preserve linens, woolens, or keepsakes.

Every detail speaks to a moment in American furniture history, when companies like Lane were bridging old traditions (Colonial motifs, cedar protection) with the modern needs of postwar households.

This chest is a transitional design, caught between the 1960s’ classic revival styles and the later silhouettes that would define the 1970s.

The result is a piece that feels collected and distinctive. It can anchor a living room with warmth and character, bring history to the foot of a bed, or serve as a conversation-starting coffee table.

The cedar aroma still lingers inside, a testament of the material’s natural beauty and durability.

Storage Dimensions:
44"L x 13.5"W x 12"D

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