Wooden Night Cabinet
A wooden night cabinet brings practical bedside storage and period character to a bedroom.
Wooden Night Cabinet
A wooden night cabinet serves as a bedside piece for storage and display, appearing frequently across this selection in 19th Century, Georgian, and 1930 variants. Buyers searching this phrase look for compact tables and cupboards designed to sit beside a bed.
The forms range from simple bedside tables and night stands to enclosed pedestal cabinets and tray-top commodes. Many examples date from the 19th Century and the Georgian period, often constructed in mahogany.
Victorian and Edwardian versions join later Art Deco pieces to provide various storage configurations, including cupboards with doors, open shelves, and tambour fronts.
Construction and Materials
Cabinet makers utilised solid timber and veneers, with mahogany dominating the selection alongside walnut, satinwood, oak, and birch. Surfaces often incorporate flame mahogany veneer, satinwood inlay, or marquetry details.
Functional hardware such as brass handles and pulls complement the timber construction. Some pieces feature inset marble tops or glass elements for added utility and decoration.
Wooden Night Cabinet Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for wooden 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.
Mahogany is the dominant timber across these listings, accompanied by walnut, oak, satinwood, and marble.
Craftsmanship and Proportion
Quality rests in the choice of timber and veneer work, such as figured walnut, burr elm, or flame mahogany, matched with precise cabinet joinery. Finer pieces display thoughtful proportions, such as tapered legs or serpentine tray tops.
Original hardware, sound door mechanisms, and intact tambour slides separate standard examples from finer works produced by established cabinet makers.
Holland & Sons
The Wooden Night Cabinet Glossary
- Tambour
- A flexible sliding shutter formed of narrow strips of wood glued to canvas, allowing smooth access to a cupboard interior without swinging doors.
- Tray-top
- A tabletop finished with a raised moulded rim designed to prevent items from rolling off the surface.
- Commode
- A low enclosed cabinet or chest, often housing a cupboard space or drawer arrangement beside the bed.
- Pedestal cabinet
- A freestanding vertical storage unit designed to stand on the floor with a cupboard or drawer space.
- Marquetry
- Decorative patterns formed by fitting together thin veneers of various wood types on a solid ground.
Wooden Night Cabinet: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wooden night cabinet used for?
These cabinets provide surface space for lamps and bedside items alongside enclosed storage for books or personal belongings.
They sit neatly beside a bed to keep everyday necessities close at hand while adding traditional wood tones to the room.
How do I identify a Georgian night table?
Georgian pieces typically feature solid mahogany construction, elegant proportions, and distinctive elements like tray tops or tambour doors.
Cabinet work from this era emphasises clean lines and functional design suited for domestic bedchambers.
Are pairs common for these cabinets?
Matching pairs appear frequently alongside single items, offering symmetrical placement on both sides of a bed.
Pairs often share identical timber grains, hardware, and structural dimensions from their period of origin.
What wood types should I expect?
Mahogany is the most prevalent timber, seen in both plain and figured veneers like flame mahogany.
Other examples incorporate walnut, satinwood, oak, birch, and marble tops for varied decorative effects.