Chest of drawers

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A dresser

A chest of drawers, also known (especially in North American English) as dresser or bureau, is a piece of furniture which has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above each other. A chifforobe (from chiffonier + wardrobe) is a combination of a wardrobe and chest of drawers.

Dressers have traditionally been made and used for storing clothing, especially underwear, socks, and other items not normally hung in or otherwise stored in a closet. Dressers are often placed in a bedroom for this purpose, but can actually be used to store anything that will fit inside and can be placed anywhere in a house or another place. Various personal sundry items are also often stored in a dresser. It has a long history as one of the stand-bys of a carpenter's workshop. A typical dresser is approximately rectangular in overall shape and often has short legs at the bottom corners for placement on the floor.

Chests of drawers often come in 5-, 6-, and 7-drawer varieties, with either a single or a split top drawer. Dressers are commonly made of wood, similar to many other kinds of furniture, but of course can be made of other materials. The inside of the drawers can be accessed by pulling them out at the front side of the dresser. A dresser is often placed so that the back side faces a wall since access to the back is not necessary. The lateral sides of the dressers are also usually made such that they can be placed against a wall; for example, for placement in a room corner. Although dressers can be made plain in appearance, they can also be made with a fancy or ornamental appearance, including finishes and various external color tones.

Most dressers fall into one of two types: those which are about waist-high or bench-high and dressers (usually with more drawers) which are about shoulder-high. Both types typically have a flat surface on top; of course, items can be placed on top. Waist-high dressers often have a mirror placed vertically on top; the mirror is often bought with the dresser. While a user is getting dressed or otherwise preparing their grooming, he/she can look at themselves in the mirror to check their appearance. Some users may keep lamps for lighting on top of either kind of dresser, and decorative items or photos are sometimes added for appearance.

[edit] History

A predecessor to the chest of drawers, an early 19th Century American painted pine blanket chest

In late medieval Europe the dresser came into widespread use, especially in homes of the nobility. A number of early pieces from the seventeenth century are extant from oak manufacture deriving from England, and a corresponding seventeenth century occurrence of French walnut pieces have survived. Some of the early surviving English specimens are from the Charles I period.