How do I clean the brass handles?

Take them off the drawer fronts first if you can. It stops polish marking the wood and saves the surrounding finish from chemical damage. Use a soft cloth and a mild metal polish. Work it into the details gently, then buff the brass back to a dull shine. Don't aim for a bright mirror finish on old metal.

My grandmother left me a large dark wood dresser that takes up a whole wall, and I was wondering if it is safe to remove the top mirrored section so it looks a bit more modern?

Most late Victorian and Edwardian sideboard dressers were built in two pieces. The mirrored back simply rests on the base and is secured by metal brackets or screws behind the carcase. You can detach it easily without harming the structural integrity of the base. Keep the screws and the top section together somewhere dry in case you ever want to reunite them. The base works well as a standalone credenza.

What goes in the deep side drawers?

Wine bottles. The deeper flanking drawers are cellarets, often lined with lead to keep liquids cool and prevent condensation from rotting the timber. Some retain their internal wooden dividers to stop bottles clinking together when the drawer is opened.

There is a gap running right down the middle of the side panel on my piece, is there anything I should do to fix this or stop it getting worse over time?

That gap is shrinkage. Solid timber panels expand and contract with seasonal humidity changes in the room. If central heating dries the air too much, the wood pulls apart along the grain. It is a natural process rather than structural failure. Keep it away from direct heat sources like radiators to stop the split widening. Never fill the gap with modern wood filler. When the seasons change and the wood swells, rigid fillers will force the frame apart and cause damage.

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Antique Sideboard Dressers in East of England

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Evolving from simple serving tables into substantial storage pieces, the antique sideboard dresser combines a flat waist-height surface for carving joints or displaying silver with a configuration of deep drawers and enclosed cupboards below for housing heavy linens and tall wine bottles.