by Chris Harris
I haven’t bought a music chest for at least two years, but last week I bought three. There are pieces of furniture that were made during a specific period of time 1880-1920 and are regarded as redundant, not because they are outdated, but because they embody a way of living that has quietly slipped out of our hands. Tall, slim, finely made and wonderfully practical, these cabinets were once a staple in middle class and aspirational homes. Their purpose was simple, to store sheet music when practically every middling to large home had a piano.
Before radio, before streaming, before a bloody device could produce an orchestra at the touch of a button, the piano was the beating heart of the home. Families gathered around it. Children learned on it. Guests sang at it. With the piano came piles upon piles of sheet music, scores, hymns, popular songs, salon pieces, sonatas, the latest music hall tunes. A dedicated cabinet made perfect sense. Drawers were sized to fit folios; brass supports allowed the drawer fronts to drop down; each sheet could be stored flat to stop it creasing or warping. It was the height of genteel domestic organisation.
They are beautifully made as trust me, when they are full of music sheets they bare a fairly hefty weight for a piece of furniture so delicate in appearance.
But as the 20th century marched on fewer people learned the piano. Sheet music became a niche rather than a necessity. The music chest, once a symbol of quiet refinement, became something many households handed down, and then handed on, and then quietly abandoned.
Even so, these cabinets survive. For those who love antiques, they survive as one of the most beautifully usable pieces of furniture you can still buy. Their proportions, craftsmanship and subtle elegance make them perfect for repurposing. Once you free them from the narrow expectation of holding sheet music, you realise just how incredibly adaptable they are.
Here are some of the best modern uses for a music chest, each one practical, attractive, and perfectly suited to the furniture’s original design.
A Lingerie or Hosiery Chest
The shallow drawers are ideal for smaller garments. Instead of being crammed into a single deep drawer, each category can have its own space, stockings in one, camisoles in another, silk scarves or nightwear in a third. A music chest makes dressing feel organised, deliberate and a touch luxurious.
A Bedroom or Dressing Room Organiser
If you’ve ever wrestled with tangled belts or missing gloves, this solves it. Jewellery trays slip perfectly into the drawers; watches, ties, hair accessories, silk squares or make up palettes all sit neatly without piling on top of each other. It turns a chaotic dressing area into a calm, orderly one.
Craft or Sewing Storage
This is arguably the best modern use. Threads, cotton reels, thimbles, scissors, buttons, ribbons, bobbins and rotary cutters each get their own space. Larger drawers hold fabric squares, patterns or hoop work. Because the drawers open fully and lie flat, nothing gets lost. It’s like owning a miniature haberdashery.
Art Supplies Cabinet
Shallow drawers are a dream for artists. Pastels, inks, brushes, sketchbooks, watercolour pads, graphite sets, pens, nibs and charcoals sit safely separated. The top works beautifully as a display surface, or for keeping an easel or lamp. It feels almost purpose-built for a studio.
Home Office or Study Chest
In an age of working from home, this is an elegant alternative to plastic drawers or metal filing cabinets. Letter paper, envelopes, notebooks, diaries, stamps, receipts or tablets all have their place. It’s a way of keeping a workspace calm and anchored amongst the visual noise of modern tech.
Hallway Cabinet
Keys, sunglasses, dog leads, gloves, hats, reusable bags all the everyday items that normally clutter a hallway suddenly have a home. The cabinet’s slim profile means it fits where nothing else does, and the top makes a great platform for a lamp, vase or small piece of art. Declutter your hallway!
Bathroom Storage
Rolled hand towels, toiletries, face cloths, grooming tools and spare soaps all sit neatly inside. Because the drawers are shallow, nothing disappears into the back a rare miracle in a bathroom. Is your bathroom crying out for organisation?
Collectors’ Cabinet
For stamps, coins, postcards, old maps, ephemera, fossils or curios, it’s perfect. The drawers protect delicate items, and the flat, broad layout allows you to arrange pieces without stacking them. It becomes almost like a miniature museum.
Needlework or Quilting Chest
Fat quarters, templates, rotary blades, bobbins, patterns and threads all find a natural place. Quilters often say the furniture seems designed for their craft and it genuinely feels that way.
Board Game or Puzzle Chest
Smaller games, card packs, jigsaws, dice sets or puzzle books slot in effortlessly. It becomes a family treasure trove, and the furniture adds a sense of nostalgia to a pastime already built on tradition.
Kitchen or Dining Storage
Napkins, placemats, tea towels, recipe cards, cutlery trays or candle sets store beautifully. In a cottage kitchen, a music chest looks absolutely at home.
Why a Music Chest Matters Today
In an age where ugly flat pack cupboards warp in a few years and plastic storage looks tired almost instantly, a music chest, 100 years old and still going strong, feels quietly defiant. It’s a small piece of heritage you can use every single day
.
#Vintage Music Cabinet #Vintage Music Drawers #Vintage Piano #Vintage Music Sheets Antique Music Sheet Storage
The Rights of Fans. 