Up until the late 17th century, the chest of drawers had not developed. Before then, people were using buffets and court cupboards for food; coffers for storing blankets, and large cupboards for clothes – invariably of panel construction.

With the development of the chest of drawers in the late 17th century, out of which grew ‘tallboys’ (chest on chests or stands) came a new era in construction – dove-tailed joints as opposed to peg and tenon, which allowed flat surfaces that could then be veneered and this affected the design of all cabinet furniture in the 18th century and after. Therefore what evolved was a range of veneered furniture, which inspired all sorts of decorative styles ranging from marquetry (fretted layers of veneer to create patterns and pictures on wood), to cross banded and feather banded surfaces. This also allowed for a use of exotic timbers from the colonies, which meant that furniture got much more colourful and decorative in its appearance.

In the case of oak and country furniture, dressers developed, as means of storing food and crockery. With the Age of Elegance in the 18th century, they became much more refined and developed a range of district styles.