Chest of drawers buying guide

The type of chest of drawers you choose will essentially come down to the following:

• the amount of available space;

• the amount of storage space you need;

• the style;

• the material;

• ease of use.

Chest of drawer sizes

In order to pick the right size of chest of drawers, it is important to take measurements of the room and consider where you will place it. The chest of drawers must be easy to get to and allow you to move freely around the room without blocking any other items of furniture. Remember to factor in enough clearance space around the chest of drawers for the drawers to open fully with someone standing in front of the unit.

Here are some examples of chest of drawer formats:

• small, 3-drawer chest of drawers: 70 cm wide x 90 cm high x 35 cm deep;

• large-capacity, 3-drawer chest of drawers: 90 cm wide x 80 cm high x 40 cm deep;

• nappy-changing chest of drawers: 120 cm wide x 98 cm high x 55 cm deep (78 cm with detachable nappy changing surface).

Note that an anti-fall barrier must be added to all chest of drawers used for changing nappies.

It's worth noting that selecting a chest of drawers with drawer sliders will ensure ease of use (drawers can be opened and closed effortlessly). Some models are equipped with a self-closing mechanism to prevent the drawers from slamming shut.

Choosing a chest of drawers to suit your organisational needs

Before deciding on a model simply because you like it, think about how you will fill it, for example:

• underwear in the top drawer;

• T-shirts in the second drawer;

• jumpers and cardigans in the third drawer;

• trousers in the bottom drawer;

• additional drawer: pyjamas and loungewear.

If you are short on space, you will have to think about where you will store any items that you can't fit in the chest of drawers: can it be stored in a wardrobe or in the bathroom, for example?

In order to make sure you don't end up with a unit that doesn't suit your needs, think about these factors before purchase.

If you are furnishing a child's room, safety comes first! A chest of drawers with rounded edges is a better option than a designer chest of drawers with sharp corners and avoid any handle shapes that could injure your child.

Chest of drawers are an essential piece of bedroom furniture. While they allow you to store a significant quantity of clothing and bed linen, they can also be decorative. With this in mind, design will also play a big part in your decision.

Chest of drawer shapes

Traditionally, a chest of drawers consists of several drawers with most models featuring at least three. These drawers come in different sizes:

• wide drawers that extend across the entire width of the chest of drawers;

• two drawers per row;

• three drawers or more per row.

Usually, the top drawers of a chest of drawers are more shallow while the bottom drawers are deeper.

It is now possible to find chest of drawers that combine open shelves on top, with two or three drawers underneath for a modern twist on a timeless essential. Shelves can be supplemented with decorative baskets or boxes to organise items that need to be stored away and to keep them from collecting dust.

Are you looking for a different style of chest of drawers? Why not opt for a semainier chest, which has seven drawers, or a chiffonier? This is the number one choice for small spaces and making the most of the height of the room.

For chest of drawers that are placed directly in walk-in wardrobes, simple models are often preferred as they do not have to match the décor.

The design of a chest of drawers – meaning its materials, shape and colour – will play a key part in your decision.

Here are the most common materials used for a bedroom chest of drawers:

• wood;

• plywood;

• plastic (thick, opaque, coloured, embossed, etc.);

• paper (Japanese-style door panels);

• metal (feet, structure).

Of course, a classic white chest of drawers made of MDF (medium-density fibreboard formed into panels) is easy to find and available in different price ranges. This type of chest of drawers is ideal for matching with existing furniture (bed, bedside table, wardrobe) as well as the colours of the walls and the floor.

The different price ranges for chests of drawers can be explained by:

• the material, thickness and quality of finish;

• the drawer opening system, which can be ball bearing sliders (better stability) or roller runners.

If you are thinking of moving away from the more classic style, chest of drawers come in a wide range of different looks:

• multi-coloured chest of drawers (drawers in different colours, for example);

• patterned drawers, with wood-inlay or carved wood;

• chest of drawers with decorative cornices;

• Scandinavian-style chest of drawers: MDF in light or pastel colours and feet in light-coloured wood (pine);

• vintage-style chest of drawers: with classic 50s to 70s shapes and metal, tapered legs;

• industrial-style chest of drawers (dark metal, unfinished wood and nails);

• traditional chest of drawers (made of solid wood with or without a patina finish, square feet or ball feet).

You will also have to decide how you want your drawers to open and close:

• handles;

• grooves;

• pull cords;

• push-to-open (smooth surface).

Quick interior design tip: avoid combining different styles of furniture. If you decide on a colourful chest of drawers, we recommend choosing one with colours that are similar to the colour of furniture already in the room, or putting it with furniture made of natural materials.

The various parts of chest of drawers can also vary:

As decorative as they are practical, chest of drawers still have an important role to play in modern bedrooms. Multi-coloured, chic or traditional... which style of chest of drawers will you fall for?