Maybe I’m biased due to the nostalgia of this one, but I believe a good wood chest is a timeless piece for the home. Since this site is about everything wood, no piece of furniture shows off the natural beauty of wood better than this simple storage device. I’m particularly fond of the antiques. When we were cleaning out my father’s old barn hay mow, we found many treasures, it was almost like a giant wood treasure chest in itself. We pulled down a phonograph with a crate of the cylindrical records it played, a vase collection (no one knows who it belongs to) and a incredible rich cherry wood chest. When we opened the lid, it was like opening a time capsule. The thing was absolutely stuffed to the rim with photos, vintage post cards and letters from World War II. What a find!
It turns out this is not an uncommon occurrence. I did a little research and found that it was the norm for European immigrants to have a family wood storage chest to pack all their belongings in for the long boat ride across the Atlantic. Of course like many heirlooms, the more intricate the wooden chest, the more well-off the family was. Those families with the really a nice solid wood chest, probably had more than one for the entire family. My Grandfather was a farmer from Holland, so this chest was nothing extraordinary, but craftsman ship and the quality of the materials even for modest items are something special.
This is one of those pieces of furniture that seems to have no real official origin. Or to put it more accurately, wood chests have several origins. If you enjoy antiques, you have probably seen what a large design scope a wood chest can have. I have seen beautify crafted pieces from China. The ones I saw were painted red and had heavy black iron reinforcements that created open panels for script and symbols. I have also seen a wood chest of drawers from Pakistan from the 1400s. It also displays intricacies to be appreciated. My mother’s side of the family is German. I know one of her elders has a massive oak chest with a cool hidden compartment in the ceiling of the lid. This was also a chest used to immigrate to the US. Apparently, back in the day, the ship staff and sometimes immigration officials seemed to have “sticky hands.” These compartments were used to hide things like jewelery and timepieces in their storage chest.
Let’s not forget the famous hope chest. These were an import item in history dating back further than the Renaissance period. Basically the hope chest was anywhere from a simple wood chest to a lavish gold plated and oil painted piece of art. These chests were for young woman prior to getting married. They would fill these wood chests with special clothing, linens and other textiles in anticipation for their marriage. These ended up being a perfect family heirloom to pass through the women of a family.
Not all wood chests are stuck in the past. If you aren’t into the old stuff, there are some great contemporary chests out there. These will tend to have very clean lines, sometimes looking more sculptural than anything. I have even seen one with such workmanship and lack of details it appeared to be a simple lacquered chocolate brown rectangle. Once you lift the lid, it revealed a beautiful Chinese silk lining. I love hidden details like this, it was really well done. If you’d like to make your own creation, there is also the unfinished wood chest option. There are many furniture dealers that specialize in unfinished products. You can save some money if you have the time to do it yourself. You can also be the decision maker on how tedious you want to be, do you want the perfect wood chest? Or do you simply want something to stick in the garage, both are useful!
Let’s not forget about the kids. I have to attribute my kids’ wood toy chest to saving me from a disastrous fall down the stairway. Throughout the years this thing has successfully corralled all the train parts, Legos, wood toys, blocks, action figures and stuffed animals. Not that I haven’t tripped over a Tanka truck or two, but this pretty wood chest has kept the living room floor much more clutter free.
If you’re looking for a statement piece in your home, a wood chest is the way to go. As I stated above, you have a great deal of options, different time periods, different aesthetics and different price ranges. As far as quality, this seems to be an item where you can be a real aficionado if you want to be. It is common to find a solid wood chest made from rare and exotic hardwoods, or antique chests of luscious mahogany. I would have to say, if you don’t have one yet, you should put a wood chest on your wish list.
