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Dresser

(31 Posts)
grannyrebel7 Thu 22-Sep-22 18:13:03

I don't know why but I have the urge to buy a dresser. I want one that is old and is preferably already upcycled. I just love the craftsmanship of older furniture, not that I have any yet. I have a sideboard from Wayfair that is cheap and nasty and I hate it with a passion! Anyone know where this type of furniture can be sourced?

B9exchange Thu 22-Sep-22 18:26:35

Something like this? www.sellingantiques.co.uk/antique-dressers/antique-pine-dressers/ or there is always eBay for better value? grin

MrsKen33 Thu 22-Sep-22 18:27:04

Do you mean old ones with cupboards at the bottom and shelves on top? We have a Victorian one we found in an antique shop. And when we were looking five or so years ago we had plenty to choose from .

CraftyGranny Thu 22-Sep-22 18:32:25

We bought a Welsh dresser from Ebay about 10 years ago, stripped it and up-cycled it. I still love it.

CraftyGranny Thu 22-Sep-22 18:33:24

I meant to add, you can't beat the craftmanship of old furniture

MissAdventure Thu 22-Sep-22 18:55:43

Etsy sell upcycled furniture.

Cabbie21 Thu 22-Sep-22 19:00:00

Antique shop/ centre or antique fair. Brown furniture has dropped in price, so you may not have to pay too much now.

M0nica Thu 22-Sep-22 19:29:31

ebay or your local auction house.

grannyrebel7 Thu 22-Sep-22 21:19:09

Thanks everyone. I hadn't thought of ebay or Etsy. Will take a look.

Rosina Thu 22-Sep-22 21:52:53

Old furniture is by far the best - if you look at the way it is put together, there is no comparison with today's glued and stapled offerings. Most of my furniture is second hand, bought from ebay, small ads, or antique shops. The grain and patina of the wood are a pleasure to behold. Good luck with your search!

annodomini Thu 22-Sep-22 22:12:13

Some larger charity shops stock furniture. It's always worth it to have a quick look if you're passing! From Ebay I have had a bureau, a small coffee table and a nest of tables. In total, only about £50.

CanadianGran Thu 22-Sep-22 22:43:44

I had a look at the link provided B9Exchange, and have discovered another word used differently in Uk than Canada.

What you call a dresser we would call a china hutch or cabinet (although cabinets usually have glass doors). A dresser to us is a bedroom furniture to store clothing (a chest of drawers I think you would call it.

Why would you have dining furniture called a dresser? It is not used for dressing, is it? Curious.

MrsKen33 Fri 23-Sep-22 06:11:30

Dressing the table?

LOUISA1523 Fri 23-Sep-22 07:55:14

Etsy, ebay or if looking to upcycle yourself gumtree, Facebook market place, pre loved..... all our furniture is from these sites lately as I love mid century furniture

Witzend Fri 23-Sep-22 10:13:45

I’d look for 2nd hand, either online or in charity or junk/antique shops.

Canadiangran, they’re often put in kitchens, too.
There’s a Kitchen Dresser company here - beautiful ones in a choice of painted colours/woods - pricey though!

JaneJudge Fri 23-Sep-22 10:15:26

If you want new the cotswold company do some really nice stuff and you can pay extra for someone to assemble it and put it in its correct place.

JaneJudge Fri 23-Sep-22 10:17:40

They aren't cheap but they are extremely well made

www.cotswoldco.com/dining-room-furniture/dressers/

I wish i hadn't logged on there though as I now want to buy one of their bedspreads

Barmeyoldbat Fri 23-Sep-22 10:26:43

Try Facebook market place seen a few for sale

AreWeThereYet Fri 23-Sep-22 14:04:04

Why would you have dining furniture called a dresser? It is not used for dressing, is it? Curious.

The word 'dresser' for table is an old French word I think from C15 or thereabouts, for a place to prepare food. Although it's a long time since they were used for anything except display (as in Welsh dresser). I think the 'dresser' meaning to dress is later.

Elegran Fri 23-Sep-22 14:51:36

There is a cooking expresion, to "dress" meat or poultry to get it ready for cooking. Perhaps a dresser was where you stood to do this?

Elegran Fri 23-Sep-22 14:57:33

I think a dresser was originally furniture for the kitchen, not for the dining-room. After the meat was cooked, it would be brought into the diningroom to sit on the shelf to the side of the table (the sideboard) to be carved and served up onto plates.

Elegran Fri 23-Sep-22 15:03:25

There must be a connection between the dresser, where the meat was dressed for cooking, and the expression "mutton dressed as lamb". It is not that the wrinkly old mutton is wearing clothes more suitable to a slim and beautiful young woman, but that the tough stringy meat has been made to look and (hopefully) taste like tender spring lamb flesh. The diners won't be fooled for long.

M0nica Fri 23-Sep-22 15:04:48

The word 'dresser' is derived from the French word 'dressoir' described in a number of sources as: French Furniture: a cabinet of the 18th century, having a number of shallow shelves for dishes over a base with drawers and closed cupboards.

'In medieval times the dressoir, as it was termed, stood in the grandest halls. Sometimes painted and gilded, sometimes ornately carved and draped in sumptuous textiles, this was an imposing, high-status object on which silver, plate, flagons of wine, spices and food were laid out.'

'In France, the number of shelves a dressoir had reflected the status of the owner. In the most stately houses steps were needed to reach the upper level' www.homesandantiques.com/antiques/the-history-of-the-dresser/

Kalu Fri 23-Sep-22 15:26:48

We had a yew wood dresser years ago in the dining room for the sole purpose of storing silverware, crockery, candles, napkins which, I suppose were used to dress the table. This could be where the name came from CanadianGran

Now we have a less formal set up of a dining kitchen with no need for a kitchen dresser. ?

NotSpaghetti Fri 23-Sep-22 15:35:08

The "Welsh" type dresser was known in the 1600s I believe.
I have a dresser in my sitting room of that age.
In my kitchen (just to be awkward) I have a Scottish linen cupboard and an English school cupboards.

I suppose we put things where we like them these days!
smile