Chests of Drawers

Purchasing a Mahogany Chest of Drawers

When it comes to purchasing a wooden chest of drawers, you have three basic choices. You can purchase a chest of drawers made of pressboard, soft wood, like pine, or you can purchase a chest of drawers made out of a hard wood, such as mahogany. The main difference between the three is durability. A mahogany chest of drawers will outlast both pressboard and softwood furniture many times over.

Mahogany is a gorgeous wood with a beautiful rich reddish-brown color and a straight grain. Over time, the color of your mahogany chest of drawers will deepen to an even more warm, rich brown. Reddish tones in the wood can be brought out by polishing the wood. Another excellent quality of mahogany is that it is rot resistant. The very first handcrafted American wood furniture was made out of Mahogany. Some of it is still usable nearly 300 years later.

When you begin your search for a chest of drawers made out of mahogany, there are several things you need to keep in mind to make sure you get the highest quality furniture for your money.

- Is the chest made out of solid mahogany? Check the drawers. Pull them out of the chest and look to see if the entire drawer is made of the same wood as the outside of the dresser. A solid mahogany chest of drawers should be made of the same wood throughout.

- Are the corners of the chest and the corners of the drawers dovetailed (embedded within each other) or are they simply glued or nailed at the edges? Dovetailing is a good thing. It makes the furniture more sturdy. Top quality furniture is almost always dovetailed.

- Does the chest of drawers have enough storage space to meet your needs? Chests come in various heights and differing numbers of drawers. The more storage space, the taller the chest will be, and the more it will cost.

Purchasing a mahogany chest of drawers for your home is an excellent choice. Mahogany is durable and sturdy, resists rot, and gets more beautiful as it ages. It is very likely to be passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom if it is well cared for.