Burr Walnut Night Cabinet
A burr walnut night cabinet brings rich, swirling grain and compact bedside storage to a room, spanning the early twentieth century.
Burr Walnut Night Cabinet
A burr walnut night cabinet is a small bedside piece designed to hold evening necessities while displaying the intricate figuring of the wood. When exploring a burr walnut night cabinet, you encounter forms ranging from enclosed cupboards and pot cupboards to drawer chests and open bedside tables.
The pieces on this page originate from the early twentieth century, spanning Edwardian, Art Deco, and revival styles. Many survive as matching pairs, though single cabinets also appear frequently in the listings.
Materials and construction
Construction relies upon timber frameworks finished with burr walnut veneer, celebrated for its complex, knotty patterns. Accents of brass, chrome, and other metals appear on handles and mounts, particularly on Art Deco examples.
Cabinetmakers shaped these pieces using traditional woodwork joined with specific stylistic flourishes. Certain models sit upon cabriole legs, while others display the cleaner geometric lines typical of the period.
Burr Walnut Night Cabinet Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for burr walnut night cabinet among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
The listings span three decades from nineteen-ten to nineteen-thirty, uniting Edwardian, Art Deco, and Queen Anne styles.
Assessing quality and craftsmanship
Quality rests heavily upon the visual impact and symmetry of the burr walnut veneer used across the surfaces. Finer pieces display carefully matched grain patterns that flow seamlessly across drawers and doors.
The integrity of the underlying woodwork and the fidelity of the period style further distinguish the pieces. Enhanced models incorporate complementary details such as glass tops or distinct brass and chrome hardware.
Maple & Co.
The Burr Walnut Night Cabinet Glossary
- Burr walnut
- A specialised wood veneer harvested from the growth warts or burls of walnut trees. This material yields complex, swirling grain patterns highly prized for decorative furniture.
- Night cabinet
- A small bedside storage item often fitted with a cupboard door or drawers. These pieces served to hold chamber pots, books, and night-time essentials.
- Cabriole leg
- A furniture leg featuring a double curve, typically bowing outward at the knee and tapering inward near the foot. This form is common on Queen Anne revival pieces.
- Art Deco
- A design style emerging in the early twentieth century characterised by sleek lines, geometric shapes, and modern materials. Pieces from this era often utilise chrome and streamlined walnut forms.
- Pot cupboard
- A compact bedside cabinet originally designed to house a chamber pot. They generally feature a single enclosed door concealing an interior shelf.
Burr Walnut Night Cabinet: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a night cabinet?
A night cabinet is a small bedside piece designed to hold evening items and conceal storage behind a door or drawers.
These compact items sit beside a bed to provide surface space and enclosed organisation within a bedroom.
How do I date a night cabinet?
Dating relies upon stylistic markers such as cabriole legs for revival pieces or geometric lines for Art Deco designs.
Makers often produced these items across the early twentieth century, incorporating materials like walnut and chrome specific to their decade.
Are these cabinets sold in pairs?
Many listings feature matching pairs of bedside cabinets intended to flank a bed symmetrically.
Single cabinets also appear regularly for those seeking an individual bedside table or occasional surface.
What is burr walnut?
Burr walnut is a decorative wood veneer sourced from the deformed growth knots of walnut trees.
This timber creates swirling, highly figured patterns that define the appearance of high-end twentieth-century cabinets.