Empire Chest-of-Drawers

This take on the classic Empire chest of drawers is a modern rendition. It offers updated construction techniques while staying true to the design of Empire furniture.

The Empire design movement falls between the more popular Federal and Victorian styles (early to mid-19th century). The design was inspired by the Napolean-era style from France, and the furniture reflects this elegant and luxurious style. Some of the traditional Empire design features can be found in this chest of drawers. This starts with the heavy proportions, and a top drawer that’s larger than the rest of the drawers. As you work down the chest, the drawers are graduated. Another feature indicative of Empire furniture is scrollwork or turnings, often sitting below the top drawer. Here, we’ve featured a pair of split turnings that mirror the feet. Don’t worry, they’re straightforward to make.

SELECT YOUR PLAN PACKAGE

Unit
Tier

What You Get:

  • 11 pages of step-by-step instructions
  • Over 49 full-color photos and illustrations and exploded views
  • Hardware sources and materials list

Product Recommendations

We don't have any links to project supplies and hardware for this particular project yet, but here are some other products that might be of interest to you. (We may receive commission when you use our affiliate links. However, this does not impact our recommendations.)

1/8" Roundover Bit

Titebond CA Glue

Safety Glasses

Titebond Molding Glue