What Do You Put Inside Hope Chests?

Cherry cedar chests are common sights in most historical homes – until as recent as fifty years ago, they were a staple in every household. These beautiful heavy pieces are usually made of solid wood like oak or maple, and were used for storage of delicate items like clothing, important documents, jewelry, and even silverware. When families moved towns or homes, they usually brought their wooden chests along because it protected their possessions from the wear and tear of travel.

Today we have modern and efficient forms of transportation, as well as architecture that already incorporate storage with the interior design of a house – but hope chests can still have a number of indispensible functions in your home. Here are some ideas on what to put inside your cedar chests:

Use it as a place for linens – you can keep your hope chests under your bed or inside your wardrobe, and store your holiday linens inside them. Solid wood has a very sweet natural smell that will be absorbed by the fabrics you store inside them. It also has natural insect repelling properties. So special sheets which you only use during holidays can be stored inside the chest, and will always come out smelling good and well preserved.

Use it inside your den – Cedar chests can be useful storage space for albums or games which are always being brought out by your family. Bringing out or keeping these favorite items will be as easy as opening and closing the chest’s wood lid.
Turn it into a versatile piece of furniture inside the bedroom – Hope chests with flat covers can be used as low chairs, footstools, or even squatting tables. You can place it at the edge or side of your bed and put pillows or throw covers on top to make it more comfortable.

Why Wouldn't You Want Wooden Bedroom Furniture?

Nowadays, people are experimenting with fiberglass, metal and even plastic as materials for furniture around the bedroom. All these, though, as you will see, pale in comparison to a nice and solid bed, dresser, etc. made from wood. There are so many advantages to having most, if not all your bedroom furniture made out of this marvelous material which has time and again withstood the test of time. These advantages range from subtle ones such as aesthetics to more blatant ones such as durability and lifespan.

First of all, wooden bedroom furniture shines in the area of aesthetics. The natural, yet polished look a well crafted bed or dresser is one that is literally timeless, one that transcends movements and periods from historical to stylistic and artistic. This aura of timelessness also makes wooden pieces of furniture go well with virtually everything, from modernist metal lamps to art deco plastic shelves, and even with computer workstations. In short, a solid wood cedar chest in your bedroom or a wooden nightstand may very well be the safest choice you make with regards to the overall aesthetics of the bedroom.

Next, having your bedroom furniture created out of wood, especially solidly constructed hardwood, means that your investment will practically still be around after you are not anymore. Hardwood furniture is known to last well into the next generation, making your wooden beds and dressers very suitable as heirlooms and hand me downs. Who knows, a hundred or so years later, your furniture might even sell for several times its original price, as an antique.

The best assurance for any piece of wooden furniture for the bedroom is to ensure that it is constructed from only the best quality hardwoods and carved by the best craftsmen. This is the best way of ensuring that your investment is well worth it.

Add a Shelf to Your Bedroom Furniture

The bedroom is not just a place for sleeping – for most people, it is also a venue for studying, relaxing, and thinking. When it comes to bedroom furniture, choosing what pieces to bring in is a really personal matter. After all, you will be using these items yourself most of the time. At the same time, the pieces you choose should be of lasting quality and function. This is especially the case for shelves and cabinets in your room.

Clothes and shoes already have their home inside a cedar chest or hope chest. But you should also consider having a tall shelf or cabinet inside your room. Here are some uses that you might have for this versatile bedroom furniture:

A personal library – bring your favorite books and magazines inside your bedroom so that you can peruse them whenever you feel the need for a little intellectual stimulation. At the same time, if you do some work or studying inside your bedroom, it is greatly convenient to have your reference materials neatly lined up in a shelf, rather than piled up haphazardly on top of your hope chest.

Your prized collection – whether you collect figurines, or action figures, or designer bags, your favorite items can have their proverbial home right in your bedroom, where you can see and maintain them more easily. It can become a decorative aspect of your space as well.

Use it as an extension of your wardrobe – if you like shoes, take a leaf from the page of some popular fashion icons - a neat organizing trick would be to line shoes up in an open shelf. It can make choosing what to wear for the day much more easier by being able to see everything in one look. It also makes your dressing space feel like an upscale store.

Before you buy a shelf, make sure that it is made of quality materials used for bedroom furniture, such as solid wood. Solid wood furniture will last for years and will retain a beautiful appearance that increases over time.