Louis Philippe Commodes

LOUIS PHILIPPE COMMODES

The word “commode” comes from the French, & can mean “convenient” or “agreeable,” or it can mean a piece of furniture with drawers.  For antique collectors, a commode is typically meant to refer to a chest of drawers.

This style of furniture was named Louis Philippe–after the last King of France in the mid-19th century.   He was often referred to as the “Citizen King” because of his efforts to reconcile the traditional Kingdom of France with the Revolution that first brought it to ruin.  He made it a point to be quite affable with the beourgeois (middle class individuals)  and based his monarchy on the support of the people.

KING LOUIS PHILIPPE

Part of Louis Philippe’s project as King of France, which he ruled from 1830 to 1848, was to not court an aesthetic that was not suitable for the middle class. He very much supported the new rising social class.

In that period, the bourgeoisie was becoming more numerous, rich, and powerful. Suddenly, large numbers of people were able to buy furniture, which was previously only possible for royalty and aristocracy. The Louis Philippe style was a very practical and comfortable approach to furniture making, designed to suit a larger subset of the population, rather than only the wealthy.

Nice examples of Louis Philippe Commodes in walnut…  

Both of these chests have drawer pulls, but more typically, the Louis Philippe commodes only have key holes with escutcheons (a flat piece of metal for protection and often ornamentation around a keyhole) from which you place a key and open the drawer.

Chests purchased in pairs (when available) add importance and glamour to the room when flanking a fireplace or a bed.  Even if not identical in look, shape and height – a pair of Louis Philippe commodes look stunning in a room.

As these chests have become more popular because of their sturdy appearance and functional service, they have also now become available in a variety of wood finishes.  The bleaching of the wood on one of these antique commodes bring a modern “twist” to a traditional chest.

These chests are always very simple in style – not ornate in any way.  Louis Philippe exemplifies clean lines without decoration.

The two chests below are very nice examples of  “bleached wood” Louis Philppe Commodes.  The difference in these two pieces is the facade.

In the chest below, the craftsman added more of a picture frame look around the drawers to give the chest depth and more definition, but again, it is very uncomplicated and simple in nature.

There are many beautiful wood variations in the “bleached” wood pieces we purchase in France.  You can see this in the commode below – Once the coloring is bleached out, the grain of the wood shows through in a different way than what you would see in an unbleached commode.  These pieces are, of course, just personal preference.  Beauty does lie in the eye of the beholder and that alone dictates if you purchase a bleached commode or unbleached.

The great thing about this type of furniture is that it is so versatile.  First – it compliments any decor whether traditional or contemporary, Second – it can be used in literally any room in your home, and Third – its simple lines allow it to mix in with other period pieces and not steal anybody’s thunder!  It’s just a great, all around foundation piece to own.

This furniture style is utilitarian AND beautiful!  Here it’s shown being used in a dressing room.

These chests look stunning when a Louis Philippe Mirror is added – This compliments the style and adds just that bit of added charm to the room.

We carry an abundance of this style mirror!  The mirror shown is quintessential Louis Philippe in style! Please view our website for all of the options available to our customers.  

Crown and Colony Antiques carries the Louis Philippe style commode in all varying sizes and color variations.  Beautiful pieces and great price points!  We have several nice chests in beautiful walnut as well as commodes that are bleached.

We welcome you to view our website to see what is currently in stock.

COMMODES AND CHESTS

MIRRORS

https://www.crownandcolony.com

Need it shipped?  We can ship anywhere in the United States.  We use trusted and reliable service with transport companies that are tried and true.  We pride ourselves on using companies that offer excellent service with nominal charges for delivery.

If you reside in the Fairhope or Daphne area, Crown and Colony offers complimentary in house delivery!

Au Revoir!  A La Prochaine!!