THE DRESSER

Offering eye-catching architectural appeal, invaluable storage and a stunning place to display possessions, it’s easy to see why dressers take centre stage in so many interiors. ‘They’re an iconic piece of English furniture, but every country in Europe has their own versions too,’ says Glenn Ginger of GD Ginger Antiques.

Today, the very, as it was termed, stood in the grandest halls. Sometimes painted and gilded, sometimes ornately carved and draped in sumptuous textiles, this was an imposing, high-status object on which silver, plate, flagons of wine, spices and food were laid out. In France, the number of shelves a had reflected the status of the owner. In the most stately houses steps were needed to reach the upper levels.