Mid Century Dressers

What makes a dresser mid century?

Four things, and legs are only one of them. The carcass lifts clear of the floor on splayed or tapered legs, the profile is low and horizontal, the drawer fronts are flat with no applied moulding, and the handles are integrated as a routed lip or a slim recessed pull rather than bolted-on hardware. A tapered leg alone does not make a dresser mid century.

Why walnut?

Walnut was the period's defining wood and it still reads as the signature of the style. It is darker than oak with a tighter, more even figure, which suits flat unadorned drawer fronts because there is no busy grain competing with the plain surface. Most of this collection is walnut, with some natural and oak finishes for a lighter version of the same shapes.

Reproduction or vintage?

Both are legitimate and they solve different problems. An original period piece brings real age and genuine veneer work, but arrives with whatever wear sixty years produced, and drawer slides of that era are wooden runners rather than ball bearings. A new piece in the style gives you the proportions with soft-close drawers and no restoration. This collection is the latter.

What size do you need?

These are 30 to 62 inches wide, 16 to 18 inches deep and 30 to 48 inches high. The style favours the low wide end of that range, because horizontal proportions are central to the look, so a 62 inch dresser at 30 inches high is more characteristic than a tall narrow one. Allow three feet of clearance in front for open drawers.

Legs and floor clearance

The raised carcass is not only a visual device. Clear space under a dresser makes a room read larger because the floor runs continuously beneath it, and it makes cleaning under the piece possible in a way a plinth base does not. It also means the legs carry the entire load through four small joints, so check the legs bolt into a reinforced block rather than screwing straight into a panel.

What are they made from?

Solid wood on most models, with engineered wood, particleboard and metal on others. Solid wood matters here because the style leaves everything visible: no moulding, no overhang, nothing to hide an edge that has chipped. Construction: engineered wood and MDF on select models.

What goes with it?

Mid century pieces sit well against plain walls and are overwhelmed by busy ones. Keep the top sparse, since the flat horizontal surface is part of the design, and let one lamp or a single framed piece do the work. A brass or matte black lamp reads correctly against walnut; chrome tends to look later than the style.