A commode is a decorative chest of drawers designed with short legs and ornate mounts. They emerged as prominent reception room furniture in eighteenth-century France. These pieces typically feature marble tops and sophisticated veneer work, serving both storage and display functions in formal interiors.

How do I style these chests?

These pieces anchor a room when placed against a plain wall where their gilt bronze mounts and timber grains can stand out. Use the marble top to display lamps or decorative objects without cluttering the surface. Keep surrounding furniture restrained in style to let the intricate marquetry and curved bombe shapes remain the visual focus of the space.

How do I tell Louis XV from Louis XVI?

Louis XV furniture relies on asymmetrical curves, bombe silhouettes, and exuberant Rococo mounts. The overall lines feel fluid and organic. Louis XVI pieces introduce strict symmetry, straight fluted legs, and neoclassical proportions inspired by archaeological discoveries. The decoration shifts toward geometric parquetry and urn motifs.

What woods were used?

Cabinetmakers employed a foundation of oak or pine before applying decorative surface veneers. Exotic timbers such as kingwood, satinwood, and walnut provided rich contrasting colours for geometric parquetry. Maple and mahogany also appear frequently, alongside specialised finishes like Japanned lacquer and tortoiseshell on specific cabinet forms.