Any Furniture Experts? What is this Piece Called?

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LoneRanger

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This was a piece my late mother got from a 2nd hand store when I was very young, around 1971 perhaps, and she stripped and refinished it. It was originally antique white with greenish highlights -- rather hideous, so she refinished it to what it looks like now.

I am trying to identify what this is. Is it a lowboy chest? Lowboy buffet? I want to identify what it's called so I can attempt to determine if it is worth anything. I'm moving and on the fence as to whether to keep it or let it go, but if it has any value as an antique even a few hundred bucks I'd like to find out.

I've had it sitting in upstairs storage room for five yrs.

[Linked Image]
 
My Parents had a similar set, with 6 chairs a table and a china cabinet. I was once told the set was worth about $3,000 and that was in about 1980. The "Buffet" or whatever you want to call it was up on legs, unlike yours.
 
Could be a mahogany reproduction of late 17th/early 18th century style made in the 1920's/30's. Because you mention that it was originally green/white and hideous when new, it probably wasn't a high end piece. More of a folk art piece? Having been refinished, whatever it was, it's worth a fraction of the original value had it been left untouched. It's an attractive piece and probably worth a few hundred bucks. Whether it's a scarcer piece....I have no idea.
 
It wasn't new when she got it. She got it from a 2nd hand store, it was a used piece at the time. It was an antiqued or distressed white with grass green colored smears or highlights or whatever. We had it like that in the old family house for a number of years before she refinished it to the current look. Far as I can tell it might be maple, but I don't know my woods.
 
Those two middle drawers open separately, yet apparently their face pieces were from the same slab of wood since if you notice how the wood grain on them sync's up perfectly with each other. This is why I think it was not a junk piece back in it's day. Looks like some craftsmanship went into it.
 
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Those two middle drawers open separately, yet apparently their face pieces were from the same slab of wood since if you notice how the wood grain on them sync's up perfectly with each other. This is why I think it was not a junk piece back in it's day. Looks like some craftsmanship went into it.


I'm no furniture [expert] but my dad was a kitchen cabinetmaker when I was a kid. Never really tried, but I DID learn some things about woodworking. I have no idea what your piece is, but I do know that those drawers with matching wood grain are veneered; the ONLY type of wood construction capable of that appearance...It is NOT a "second hand store" or "discount quality" piece. My guess is that "It was originally antique white with greenish highlights -- rather hideous, so she refinished it to what it looks like now." The "hideous" appearance you thought was "original" was a murderous "1970's update" of the original finish...NO ONE in their right mind covers with paint over such craftsmanship. The piece may be worthless, like GTX said above, due to the refinishing, but it is NOT a low quality piece.
I would lay the piece over (removing the drawers and protecting the front) with some blankets. I would want to see the BACK of the piece; is it thin wood or cardboard? Quality pieces have real wood backs (inexpensive hardwood, like birch, but WOOD, not cardboard or Masonite). Are the bottoms of the legs sawn off? Are the drawer sides dovetailed? It certainly looks like a quality piece. Maybe it had long legs and was once a linen highboy buffet meant to compliment a nice dining room table. It is no longer part of a high end set, and it is worth a fraction of original value due to refinishing it, and maybe more butchering of the legs, but quality is still quality. It is beautiful.
Someone butchered it by "antiquing" it off white..How else was this prize mutilated? Keep in mind my opinion is worth what you've paid for it.
 
it looks like a server/buffet with what appears 6 legs sawed off...perhaps an accident and someone wanted to keep the body.

I have one exactly like it in my store, with legs of course...
 
Originally Posted by sloinker
Credenza


This.

You can call it a lowboy or buffet, but it's more accurately called a credenza. The central drawers with flanking compartments are the current "standard" for that piece, though it has varied. I would call the style "conservative Art Nouveau" and the 30's +/- a decade would be peak for that. It's not a reproduction of any prior style; that's a contemporary style for that period. I would think it's a walnut veneer but can't see enough detail to say.

Nice refinish job if it was originally painted! Kudos to her.
 
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Ihatetochangeoil, QuadDriver, and Kestas you all nailed it.

I talked with my brother last night. He's 7 yrs older than me and told me mom recruited him to help out with unloading it and taking it to basement for her to "fix" after she got it for next to nothing at the 2nd hand place. We were a blue collar family of five, dad worked in HVAC, mom stayed home. She had to stretch the dollars. My brother said it had longer legs on it when she got it but they were damaged, possibly dog chewed, he wasn't sure. She sawed them off, installed the stub legs in order to make it ideal height to sit under a double window in living room as a long "side table" Also, it was not the antiqued painted white when mom got it, it was an original wood finish but the finish was also needing work so she ... murdered it out in 1970's antique white with the grass green distressing or whatever.

The backing and bottom is wood, no masonite discovered.
 
Originally Posted by JamesBond
That's a tv stand man.


+1, I saw one the other day on Craigs List called that and it makes sense due to it's dimensions.

Whimsey
 
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