I’ve recently bought the last piece of furniture that we need for this house. I say last, because technically we have everything we need now. (Although, maybe a new lounge sofa would be quite nice!?)
Anyhow, I bought a dresser for the kitchen – from eBay too, so we got it for a bargain price. It’s something that I’ve wanted for a little while now, especially with already having all the crockery to go on it – and I believe it finishes the kitchen off perfectly! Want to see?
What is it about a dresser that makes a house a home!? Maybe it’s because part of its history is based around being a present for newly-weds to show off their wedding gifts…and in eventually showing off the home’s finest wares. Either way, I absolutely love it – especially as this one was made from antique reclaimed wood which is full of character and imperfections – which adds completely to it’s unique charm. Little nicks, patterns, indentations and grains have all become part of its story and now journey to our kitchen – and our home. Let’s call it comfort furniture!
I have no idea of the nationality of this dresser – we tend to say ‘Welsh dresser’ regardless of whether it has any connection to Wales or not! I did some research on the internet and came up with the following information:
Dressers were made all over England, Scotland and Wales from the late seventeenth through the nineteenth century. But the term dresser has become synonymous with Wales, probably because of the large number of high quality examples that have come out of there. Welsh craftsmen were known for their skill and individuality, and dressers from Wales tend to have an abundance of decoration and added features like scalloped cornices and pierced aprons, while English dressers are, as a rule, plainer.
Since Wales was a poor country, most of its people were engaged in farming. Welsh farmhouses consisted of one room, serving as kitchen/parlor/dining room, with a loft for sleeping above. As space was at a premium, dressers were made to hold everything needed for both food preparation and service. Hence Welsh dressers are almost uniformly ‘high’ dressers. They have a base with cupboards or shelves for storage of mixing bowls and serving platters, and a superstructure of either wide or narrow shelves to display the family’s best pewter and crockery.
Even late in the twentieth century a dresser was an essential part of a young girl’s dowry in Wales. She would put it in the parlor or kitchen, filling the top shelf with glassware, the next shelf with a tea set backed by large willow ware plates and every hook with as many lusterware jugs as her budget would allow. The top of the dresser base would hold bits of brass, her favorite Staffordshire figures, and all manner of family treasures.
There – it’s official, a house is not a home without a dresser!
