Posts Tagged ‘drawers’

First Impression, Placement and Unlimited Options For Your Chest Of Drawers

February 10th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Buying, Styles & Types

Placing a chest of drawers in a unique place in the home can say a lot about a person and who they are. An ordinary boring room can instantly be transformed with the right piece added to it. If there ever was a multi-purpose piece of furniture, a chest of drawers is it! Take the time and look over your home to see where you may be able to add a little extra storage or to class up a room.  These units always add style while being practical at the same time.

Never limit your options on the placement of your dresser because they are very versatile. It can be moved from home to home and from room to room, useful in every place you put it . Placed in a hall or foyer it can give personality and can make the room feel welcoming. An empty living room corner can become the home of the perfect dresser. By adding photo’s to the top it can make for the perfect look or add a lamp for more lighting. Bathrooms of decent size that house a dresser can be appealing and very convenient. Storage of towels and other bathroom items has never been more convenient.

It can also be used in the kids room and playrooms to store non clothing items like books , toys, and puzzles. This will help keep what seems to be the hardest room clean and in a very organized order. This also allows the items to still be handy when the children are using them, while also teaching them proper pickup.  Of course don’t forget about safety features when children are around.  An office or work room can use more storage for hobby or work related stuff that is messy if left out in the open. In the dinning room special dishware can be stored for special evenings. Using your dresser in large rooms can help break up space and give it a warmer feeling. Regardless of its use or placement it can say a great deal about it your home and the appearance you want to project.

As always preference and style is the ultimate factor in all things when it comes to projecting your own personality. Whether antique, classy, modern of whatever style that you choose – you may find that you use a chest of drawers in every room once you realize all the uses and find that its convenience can be a life saver!

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Safety Features For Your Drawer Chests

February 10th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Features, Safety features

Chest of Drawers can be bought with certain safety features and should not be neglected. Childhood injuries and deaths from tipping furniture are a growing problem, according to Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics (ConsumerReports.org, 2010 ). When purchasing any type of furniture you should check the manual for safety features and hazards.

Think about safety for your kids

Some safety features are apparent such as safety straps or safety stops. While others may not, such as materials or accessories used. Glass drawer knobs if broken or chipped can become a safety hazard and can cause cuts or lacerations to anyone. Small pieces that are easily removed should not be placed in a child’s room where it can be swallowed. Safety straps on chest of drawers will help prevent tip-over of the full piece, but safety stops can prevent the drawers of the chest from being pulled completely out falling on to a little one’s toes. Items with rounded edges can prevent injury to children who are running full speed without any brakes.

Some manufactures will build with safety in mind and can still be bought at a decent cost. If certain safety features are not available on a brand you may be able to purchase them separately. Research is a must when making these type of decisions. When piecing together your chest of drawer follow by the instructions and adhere to the safety features available. Some safety features such as drawer stops can be removed, read the manual to know if this is a possibility.

A beautiful chest of drawer for a child’s room doesn’t have to be a scary purchase! IKEA’s Mammut 3 drawer chest can be purchased with the drawer stops and has an enclosed storage strap with purchase. IKEA is not the only brand, but one example of what can be purchased with the item.

To further the safety of your dresser be wise on how you use it. Do not place heavy items or pull away covers on top and place heavier items in the lower drawers. One issue that may not have a solution is finding ways to keep those little ones fingers getting smashed in drawers.  We all know how important it is to protect our little ones, so keep safety in mind.

To find brands that have passed certain test you can check ConsumerReports.org. This website can give you information on what chest of drawers are more likely to tip or break or cause hazardous issues.

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A Brief History of Chest of Drawers

February 10th, 2010 by admin | No Comments | Filed in History, Styles & Types

We thought it’d be useful to go over the history of the chest of drawers, before you gather your questions and go looking for the unit that suits you.  A descendant of the original box with a hinged lid known as a coffer or coffers, dressers can be dated back as early as the 16th century. According to an article written by Thomas Hamilton Ormsbe, “the first chest of drawers were made between 1675 and 1700” (The Collectors Weekly, 2010). Taking a look into why, when, how, and even where the beginnings of this unique household item began its journey into what it is known as today.

Before the time of closets or appropriate shelving, a need had to be fulfilled for the storage of certain household items. These items needed storage for privacy, safekeeping, and even organization. As early as the middle ages this need can be seen as a wooden box with a lid, also known as a coffer. Not to be confused with a coffin although it shares similarities. Those of higher ranking in society were most likely to own a coffer. In this time coffers served multiple purposes including moonlighting as seating or for storing items for traveling, and even a crib. With time and change throughout history just like most things, the coffer began getting facelifts and updates.

During the Renaissance, this type of furniture became a very popular wedding gift from the parents of the bride to be placed in the home of the newlyweds. These coffers became known as cassone’s. Cassone’s were decorated to commemorate the marriage with rich colors and designs. Still a far cry from being what we know it as today. Eventually around the late 17th century one single drawer was added to coffers on the bottom. This allowed for more storage space in one piece of furniture. This type of chest was known as a mule chest.

Eventually more drawers were added and the hinged top was became a regular stationary top. This concept looks more like what we know as a dresser. Highboys were usually waste high and lowboys were similar to side tables. Many concepts and changes have been made to these pieces giving a more variety to chose from, bureaus were also concocted from the basic coffer.It’s always interesting to come across different types of antique chest furniture when looking around for a dresser or chest.  Still with all the facelifts and updates some modern coffers, cassone’s, and highboys and lowboys can be purchased today as well as the chest of drawers.

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