Classic Hardwood

Seldom seen in England, a lowboy is a small table with long legs and one or more rows of drawers. The name is a contradiction of the name of a tallboy, which is a tall, thin chest of drawers.

Traditionally they were most often used as dressing tables and as such many antique lowboys came fitted with mirrors. Care should be taken when purchasing an antique lowboy with a mirror as they may have been retro-fitted. As such the value would be seriously affected. The design, however, is so versatile that they can be used in a multitude of situations, these days you can even buy modern lowboys that are designed especially as television and media units. In my opinion a fifty inch plasma TV on top of a mock antique lowboy looks pretty ridiculous, but if that’s what floats your boat, go for it. I think you’re better off getting yourself some modern furniture such as contemporary oak TV cabinets.

Lowboys were favourite pieces of furniture in the 18th century, both in England and in America. Traditionally they were made of oak, but walnut and mahogany were also used. The drawer fronts tended to be adorned with brass pulls and escutcheons. Being a small item, a lot of the time lowboys were quite plain, but some elegant examples in the Queen Anne and Chippendale styles often have cabriole legs with carved knees, and claw-and-ball feet. Sculpting was sometimes used on the front.

On the whole, designs changed very little until the end of the 19th century when walnut became the prominent wood used and the legs got longer and thinner. These examples started to look more like desks than the original lowboy design.

In general, it was normal to have three drawers. However, on colonial examples (for some reason) it was de rigour to only have two! They also evolved into a taller table than their name suggests. Rather than being desk-like, though, these became a for of console or hall table.

The highly featured examples are of interest to the collector, but nine times out of ten you will find that they have undergone repairs which devalue them significantly. For that reason the more plain examples are a better bet if you’re looking for an original piece.

The lowboy is a much overlooked piece of furniture today (if you pardon the pun!), but the right example in the right setting will provide interest. Also, due to this lack of popularity, you can pick up very nice antique examples at bargain prices at a furniture sale.