Antique Bird’s-Eye Maple Faux Bamboo Six Drawer Chest of Drawers

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Antique Bird’s-Eye Maple Faux Bamboo Six Drawer Chest of Drawers

Some chests of drawers are perfectly happy being useful. This … Read more Antique Bird’s-Eye Maple Faux Bamboo Six Drawer Chest of Drawers

Some chests of drawers are perfectly happy being useful. This one has considerably higher aspirations. Attributed to R.J. Horner and dating to the 1880s, this exceptional chest combines richly figured bird’s-eye maple, faux-bamboo detailing, original hardware, and one particularly well-kept secret.

Six drawers are beautifully framed in bamboo-form moldings and retain their original decorative pulls, while substantial cylindrical faux-bamboo posts run the full height of the case, giving it that wonderfully tall, architectural silhouette. The original castor feet remain intact, because apparently even a chest of drawers deserves the ability to make an entrance.

And then there is the secret. Concealed behind one of the cylindrical bamboo posts is a locking mechanism with its original key. An ingenious bit of 19th-century engineering, and exactly the sort of detail that makes antique furniture infinitely more interesting than anything designed merely to hold socks. Your valuables may be perfectly safe elsewhere, but this chest would prefer to keep its options open.

The bird’s-eye maple is exceptional, with beautifully figured grain that gives the warm honey-brown surface remarkable depth and movement. The effect is rich without being heavy, decorative without becoming fussy, and unmistakably of its period. Fully restored while retaining its original character, hardware, construction, and wonderfully eccentric secret.

It is equally persuasive in a bedroom, dressing room, or guest room, but it is entirely capable of holding court somewhere unexpected—a foyer, dining room, or any space that could use better storage and a little more personality. It’s the sort of piece that quietly improves a room, then rewards you for getting curious: open the right drawer, reveal the secret, and suddenly you’re not just living with an antique—you’re in on it.

Because the best furnishings do more than fill a need—they bring a little character to the room and a little intrigue to the people living with them. This one has both-- in abundance. Six drawers for being sensible, and a secret for making sure you never become too predictable. See less