Joined chests are the hallmark of seventeenth-century work. Oak, frame & panel construction, and decorative carving are the main features. I’ve been making these since 1989. There’s lots of variations; but generally they are about 48″-55″ wide, 26″-36″ high and 20″-24″ deep.
This carved oak chest has a white pine lid and bottom boards. This one is based on a group of period examples I have been studying since the early 1990s. The originals were made by William Savell and his sons John & William in Braintree, Massachusetts, c. 1640-1700. This group is a long-time favorite of mine; I make chests and boxes based on them continually.
H: 27″ W: 52 1/2″ D: 22″
Here is another chest I made, based on examples of another favorite; the carved works of Ipswich, Massachusetts joiner Thomas Dennis.
H: 32″ W: 49″ D: 21″
Prices for wainscot chests start at $6,000.
Additional options include a drawer/drawers below, oak lid instead of pine, etc. The one below is a chest with drawers; two full-width drawers suspended below the chest compartment.
Another variation is a chest of drawers. No lid, just four to six drawers in front. The first one is a four-drawer example, in oak, pine and maple.
The one below is the cream of the crop. Two cases, six drawers in all. Oak, cedar, rosewood and more.
