A 2026 Guide by Sellingantiques
Georgian Mahogany Low Boy, Georgian
Priced at £845 from Philip Hunt Antiques
They first appeared in the late seventeenth century. These small tables answered a growing demand for dedicated dressing furniture among wealthy households.
Look for early examples designed as part of a larger set. Cabinet makers often built antique low boys to sit beneath a matching tallboy.
By the middle of the eighteenth century, the form shifted. Standalone pieces became the norm as bedroom layouts changed.
Regional variations developed across provincial Britain and colonial America. Local joiners adapted metropolitan designs to suit regional tastes.
Documented pieces by specific makers are rare. Most tables left provincial workshops without any maker's stamp or trade label.
American cabinet makers like William Savery produced ornate versions. His mid-eighteenth-century work often features carved shells on the central drawer.
Giles Grendey ran a large London workshop. He sometimes applied his trade label to walnut veneered dressing furniture.
The 2026 retail price guide for Antique Low Boys is drawn from a proprietary archive of over 1.1 million retail prices indexed by Sellingantiques since 2003. This guide relies exclusively on their own internal data; no external sources or auction records are used.
Analysing nearly 25 years of UK antique market history alongside current retail values, the data indicates that typical UK retail prices for Antique Low Boys range between £600 and £2,000. Entry-level prices generally fall under £600 and premium examples upwards of £2,000.
A shaped apron is a defining characteristic of an antique low boy. Most feature a carved profile along the bottom edge.
The drawer arrangement often follows a strict pattern. A single long drawer sits above three smaller ones around a central arch.
Check the leg style. Cabriole legs ending in pad or ball-and-claw feet are the standard support for these tables.
Early construction relied on frame-and-panel techniques. Joiners pinned mortise and tenon joints with wooden pegs to keep the frame rigid.
Dovetail joints became finer as the eighteenth century progressed. The pins on a mahogany piece are thinner than those on early walnut.
Hardware evolved alongside the joinery. Brass teardrop pulls gave way to cast backplates with bail handles.
"They often served a dual purpose in the colonial home. Many families used them as a small writing desk."
"Some pieces hide a secret compartment behind the central drawer. Makers built shallow trays into the void to secure valuables."
"Deep side drawers were proportioned for tall bottles. They held the rosewater and toilet waters favoured for grooming."
Based on almost 25 years of Sellingantiques UK antique market data, Antique Low Boys appeared 354 times (out of 1,100,000 antiques) which gives it a rarity score of 93/100.
This score measures scarcity within the Sellingantiques archive only and is not a survey of the entire antiques market, so these statistics may not be indicative of the general availability of Antique Low Boys elsewhere.
Remove the brasses from the drawer front. You can polish them gently with a mild brass cleaner and a soft cloth to lift the surface dirt.
Never use harsh abrasives on early cast hardware. If the brass has a dark patina, many collectors prefer to leave it alone rather than polishing it back to a bright shine.
Sticking drawers are common when the weather changes. Wood absorbs moisture from the air and swells, causing the drawer sides to bind against the internal carcase.
Try rubbing a block of plain beeswax or a white paraffin candle along the bottom edges of the drawer sides. This lubricates the running surfaces and often gets them moving smoothly without damaging the timber.
If wax does not solve the issue, the wooden runners inside the carcase might be worn down. A cabinet maker can build these up with new timber so the drawer sits level.
The distinction comes down to the drawer arrangement and the intended use. A side table usually has a single frieze drawer and was meant to stand against a wall in a reception room.
An antique low boy features a specific multi-drawer layout grouped around a central kneehole. Cabinet makers designed them as dressing tables for the bedroom, allowing the user to sit close to the mirror.
Rough backboards are normal for period furniture. Cabinet makers spent their time and expensive materials on the surfaces people actually saw.
The back of a dressing table stood against a bedroom wall for its entire working life. Joiners used cheaper secondary timbers like pine or oak and often left the saw marks visible to save labour time.
A smoothly finished back on an early eighteenth-century piece would be unusual. The rough surface is a normal part of how provincial and city workshops managed their resources.
Please note: This Antique Low Boys guide and its associated pricing data are provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute formal financial, investment, or appraisal advice and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any commercial activity, purchasing, or sales decisions. Sellingantiques.co.uk accepts no liability for any actions taken in reliance on this information. Always consult with a qualified professional or independent appraiser.
