How heavy is a standard mahogany one?

They are heavy pieces of furniture. A solid mahogany or densely veneered press easily needs two strong people to move it safely. You have to handle the top and base separately. Taking the piece apart makes a big difference. Once you lift the cornice off and slide out the interior trays, the upper carcase becomes manageable to manoeuvre up a staircase.

I want to use the top half to hang up clothes on hangers, so can the wooden trays inside be taken out easily?

Yes, you can slide them straight out. The trays just sit on horizontal timber runners screwed to the inner sides of the cupboard. Pulling them out leaves the main carcase empty. Many people fit a brass rail across the top to hang short jackets or shirts. The internal depth varies, so check your hangers will actually fit before drilling any holes. Wide modern hangers often catch on the doors when you close them.

What goes in the bottom drawers?

The deep lower drawers take heavy folded items. Blankets, thick quilts and winter woollens fit well in the graduated chest section. They offer deep storage that the shallow upper trays lack.

Are the doors supposed to warp like that over time, because the right one on this press won't shut flush at the top?

Wide unbraced cabinet doors do warp as humidity changes over the years. Uneven moisture absorption causes the timber on the face to shrink or expand differently from the back. Check the floor levels first. Old floorboards dip, throwing the heavy carcase slightly out of square. Slipping a thin wooden wedge under one of the front feet often squares the frame and brings the doors back into alignment without any carpentry.

Home > Wardrobes > Linen Presses > Page 4

Antique Linen Presses from the 19th Century

← Page 4 of 6 →

Designed to store household textiles flat, an antique linen press consists of a cupboard with sliding trays above a chest of drawers, keeping large sheets and tablecloths pressed crisp and free from creases.