If you’re looking for a piece of keepsake furniture to pass down to generation to generation, than antique lingerie chests might be what you’re looking for.  Passing on a personal piece of furniture that has so many memories and meanings can really send a message to the loved one you choose to give it to.

Antique lingerie chests are a prized possession that any young lady would love to receive from their mother or grandmother.

Typically when a young women goes out to purchase a lingerie chest it’s more likely right before their wedding. The standard antique lingerie chest will be a 4 drawer chest or a 6 drawer chest depending on what height and storage space you want to achieve. These chests also serve another purpose than just jewelry; they can hold more personal possessions like diaries, archived photos, and any other personal trinkets that you may not want anyone to get a hold of or be seen in the open. Lingerie chest furniture is a good substitute to hope chests.

Probably the most popular type of wood used on lingerie chests is cedar.  This type of wood is a bug deterrent specifically moths that like to eat fabric as I mentioned in an earlier article.  More of the older chests that you will find will be made from this wood as opposed to newer chests that will be made from oak, ash and cherry. Another feature that gives antique lingerie chests a old look is the accent hardware that comes on the drawers.  Old gold colored handles with a tarnish look is what you would want to see in a true antique lingerie chest. That along with a marble top truly makes for a renaissance piece.

The true concept of antique lingerie chests is them being…well, old.  You can go out and buy a antique replica, but those truly don’t hold a candle to the older lingerie chests that you might find at a antique store or even at a yard sale.  There really is not set time date that a lingerie chest needed to be made in order for it to be considered “Antique”.  I think old is relative and you should consider that before you go out and start shopping for a chest.

Without a doubt garage sales and antique stores is where you will find these antique lingerie chests.  Although online is always an option, I find some novelty in finding a chest that has been stored in the bottom of someone’s basement.  It’s not always the prize, but the adventure!

Whatever antique lingerie chest you decide to buy, no doubt you are on your way to adding a treasured family heirloom that will be enjoyed and loved until the next generation comes along.