Choose a chest to complement home's style
 | | Nancy Lindemeyer was a groundbreaking editor for over twenty years with home magazines Better Homes & Gardens and Victoria. Today she is a consultant for leading home products companies, and is gifted with unique insight into the home-related aspirations of women of all ages. |
A decorative chest is our good old standby - there to give us tons of service and usually doing it with practical dignity, but not much pomp and circumstance. But decorative chests also can be a dramatic addition to your home, expressing your style the minute they move in. Here are a few examples of chests that add a touch of drama in your chosen style. And don't forget to search the accents section of our website for a wonderful selection perfect for your home.
 | | Wood and mirror chest |
For a metropolitan flair with its understatement and chic lines, choose the wood and mirror chest, an accent piece that is quiet and sensational at the same time, just like the tempo of a city. Mirror not only adds sparkle, but in smaller spaces like city homes and apartments, it makes things seem more spacious.
Place a favorite print, photograph, or painting above it to "nail" your look. And the top surface is the ideal place for a contemporary lamp, a collection or just a single well-loved object. The drawers, of course, do the practical work when space is at a premium.
 | | Chateau Philippe
drawer chest |
Classic lines should never be taken for granted. And many of us love things with timeless quality. Select a slender chest of drawers with a treasured antique finish and two tasteful columns, and you have a piece of furniture that will bring European gracefulness to even the smallest spaces, like a hall or entryway. What was once a "pass by" is now a "stop and admire," as well as a practical place to store hats, scarves and the like.
Above this wooden chest, place a mirror in a great frame - maybe a gilt one. For the top, get out a silver wedding present tray that's been packed away or in a cupboard, and use it to collect keys and mail. Of course, this great eye-catching piece can function in lots of places, often serving as an instant buffet or bar.
 | | Two-drawer
penshell chest |
For the Naturalist, here's the intrigue of a two-drawer penshell chest. There'll be many a conversation started about where these distinctive shells come from and how they are used.
On the days when you're not showing off your natural wonder, you'll love its distinctive look in your home. Penshells come from the South Pacific, but they'll add to a home on any coast or inland with their phenomenal beauty. Rough like an oyster on the outside, they show a smooth rainbow of colors inside. Because you love natural things, you'll also appreciate how unique the coloring of each shell can be. Such chests, interestingly, not only find welcoming homes with folks seeking authenticity in their furnishings, but with vintage seekers of a Victorian bent - the Victorians loved bringing nature inside.
 | | Three-drawer
sugarcane chest |
Arts and Crafts is a term often applied to a particular style of furniture, but it also means investing a piece, like this sugarcane chest, with a good deal of both. The drama in this chest is how distinctive it is and how architectural.
Contemporary interiors where shape and movement reside will embrace this sculpted decorative chest. It's the use of sugarcane and Lokinai veneers that provide both the art and craft. Unusual accents like the sugarcane chest area standout in many decors - it's what you surround it with that will express your own style. Hand thrown pots - maybe ones you've done yourself - a plaster of Paris bust, a stack of books on architecture or design, next to a wooden bowl of fresh fruit.
FOR MORE DECORATIVE CHESTS TO SUIT YOUR STYLE, CLICK HERE
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Bathroom Furniture
