I inherited this chest and another dresser. This one came with a mirror that has since been lost. There was also a head and foot board, fullsize that match--also gone.
I was always told this was French Provincial but in my searches I cannot find a design like this one, with the very basic straight line and simple curl. I do have all the handles, I had removed them for cleaning.
Anything at all you can tell me about this furniture would be valued! Thanks!
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The design is French Provincial but you may never find an identical designed piece. There are hundreds of designs so it is not unusual to not be able to find an exact match.
This type of furniture was made by hundreds of companies - some brand name companies but many smaller furniture companies that sold to furniture stores without a name and some companies add their own names.
Furniture still occasionally sells but listed as 'pick up only' so the area you where you live will have a lot to do with the value.
Here is a link to eBay's sold listings so you can check out what some are selling for and where they were located.
www.ebay.com/
Be sure to look for any names or numbers as this would make a difference in doing research. Check all over each drawer (may not be stamped on every drawer) and the back for sure.
You can post your question on these sites and probably get some answers. You will have to join before posting.
Cybergrannie gave you the most comprehensive answer. If I may add a few things...I think your piece was probably painted and may have been an almond or even brown in color to start.
You see paint shadows on the drawer. That may devalue it if someone is looking for an original piece. That it was most likely painted will make it even harder to identify because you don't know if they removed the original extra gingerbread and painted in the design or if the design is original.
French providential was super hot in the 1950s-1960s and when it became passe, people started tweaking it to make it more in with whatever the next trends were where they were located. This makes it hard to ID pieces.
Now that it has dovetail drawers--machine done--but still higher craftsmanship...it may be a better brand to start with...although the brands like Dixie and Drexel and Metz are usually marked, but sometimes again, marks can be buffed out or painted over. Check the underside of the drawers and the corners of the drawers and you may find a mark of the maker.
This style can also be called shabby chic and cottage style, so if you are selling, be sure to use all the right terms to get the right buyers to look. You are going to need to show the hardware up close, and the dovetailing with the paint shadows so the people who want original will not bother you.
Values are hard not knowing where you are and the exact conditions. The dressers can go from $10-$200 depending on where you are located--supply, demand, and condition. The same with the other pieces.
French providential is still hanging on as a popular seller in the east coast of the US from Maine down to FLA--I have seen dressers sell for the high end of the range in those areas.
The style is not so popular in much of the Midwest or out west, but there may be pockets of popularity if people have homes they want to decorate with period pieces.
That yours looks pretty solid, I peg it between 1950 and 1972...after that it seems the quality was lower.
Those will be selling points. If you are not sure if the hardware is original may devalue the pieces also, sadly.
There are some places where the original hardware is actually worth more than the furniture as a whole. If you search French Providential Hardware on eBay you can see what I mean!!
Post back how your sale goes! Thanks for sharing!
French Provincial is a combination of different styles and influences from different periods. This piece looks like one of the many French Provincial. Here is one of my favorite consignment shops with French provincial furniture- www.chairish.com/
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