Relevant categories: Dressers and Sideboards,Cabinets and Chests
( Above Photo: Queen Anne Lowboy Mahogany Side Table )
It is called a lowboy because it’s a short chest. The lowboy has up to three drawers with long legs. Its opposite is the highboy, a tall two-piece chest of drawers. So, while the lowboy is one piece, the highboy consists of two parts.
In essence, the highboy features a lowboy as its bottom piece. However, thanks to its versatility, a lowboy serves many functions, including a desk or table.
Besides, some antique lowboys had mirror attachments. The mirror frame was often a long, carved piece of wood. The mirror would be oval or round.
( Above Photo: Queen Anne Lowboy - Mahogany Chest Sideboard 1880 )
Designers first created antique lowboys in the 18th century to serve as dressing tables. Therefore, many of the original pieces feature an oval or round mirror. Later on, the lowboy served as a side table.
It could have been called a side table. However, it was called a lowboy because of its form as a small table. The original material for antique lowboys was oak. Later on, furniture makers used walnut and fruitwood.
Initially, the lowboy has one or two front drawers and solid brass handles. The earliest antique lowboys were made during the Queen Anne period and stood on cabriole legs. In addition to the base walnut material, they had standout figured oyster veneers.
During the Georgian period, lowboys had simple designs and featured turned legs. Instead of the two drawers from the Queen Anne era, furniture makers produced lowboys with three drawers. The drawers had curved or straight fronts, depending on the designer. Preferred materials included oak, mahogany, walnut zebrawood, and ebony.
Edwardian designers made lowboys mainly from walnut. However, exotic woods like mahogany, ebony, and zebrawood formed the base or embellishing elements. As a result, the minimalist lowboys looked less like chests of drawers but more like desks or tables. Unlike Queen Anne and the Georgian era, Edwardian lowboys have long legs.
In the Victorian era, designers reproduced the elegant pieces created during the Georgian period while varying the woods used. One of the major influences comes from Chippendale, a Georgian designer. Thus, it’s not uncommon to find Victorian antique lowboys with many decorative handles and blind fretwork carvings.
( Above Photo: Walnut Queen Anne Style Lowboy Chest )
Designers went out of their way to create the best possible furniture pieces when making antique lowboys. They paid attention to detail, producing lowboys that would fit in with any interior décor style. For example, a Georgian lowboy would today have a beautiful patina perfected over the years.
So, you can purchase such a lowboy purely because of its sentimental value. But, you may also want to use it as part of your interior décor. It will alter your space and create an attractive centerpiece.
However, antique lowboys can also act as TV stands. You may display a TV on the tabletop and keep the accompanying accessories – remote controls, etc. in the drawers. Or use it as a desk or table.
Did you know that antique lowboys are still available for sale? Our antique store stocks many of them from different eras. Contact us today for a deal!
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