Antique Oak Linen Cupboard

We acquired this beautiful cupboard from a local lady who was downsizing and didn’t have space for it in her new home. She bought it as a retirement present to herself from an antique shop in Devon, where she was living at the time, and was told by the seller that it was Irish. I am inclined to agree, though I have also seen similar Welsh examples. She was very sad to have to sell it, though I must admit I was very pleased when I walked into her house and she said this was one of the pieces she needed to sell, as I fell in love with it straight away. I promised to find it a good home!

The cupboard, which I believe dates from around 1820, is very well proportioned and is just a great piece of furniture. The wood is beautiful, especially on the drawer fronts, and has a lovely rich colour. The simulated rosewood handles and turned feet sit nicely against the chunkiness of the drawers (which are very generously sized), and the rope twist moulding to the corners of the top section stops it feeling too utilitarian. Although it was probably designed as a linen cupboard or linen press, I think it would be a very useful addition to a kitchen. We have done a small amount of work to the drawers as the runners had worn and they weren’t running very well, but they now operate as they should.

Condition: Overall this is in very good condition, but other than some surface wear in accordance with age and use there are a few minor flaws to point out, as follows: the knobs on the cupboard doors and the right hand knob on the lowest drawer are missing their mother of pearl inserts; the bottom left drawer knob has been damaged and repaired; there is a split in one of the knobs on the smaller drawers in the top section; there are some woodworm holes in the feet and in the internal structure, mainly in the drawer runners - this appears to be old and inactive, but we have treated it as a precaution; there are two holes drilled in the bottom left hand side near the corner, purpose unknown; there are some filled expansion splits to the sides of the base, but these are stable; the lock has been removed from the door, so while there is a key there is nothing behind the keyhole for it to fit into; we have added a catch to the lead door as there was no means of holding it closed (this could easily be removed if it was not required); the cupboard has at some point in its life been finished with shellac and in places this has been applied a little too heavily and there are a couple of small runs - we didn’t want to risk altering the appearance of the cupboard by removing this, especially as it is hard to spot unless under very bright lights, so have decided to leave it as it is.

Dimensions:

Width - 116.5cm

Depth - 50.5cm

Height - 204.5cm

Mainland UK delivery (excluding the Scottish highlands) is included in the price - if you would like a quote for delivery elsewhere, or if you would like to collect the item yourself, please get in touch. Delivery of furniture usually takes between 7 and 21 days from order, though can sometimes take longer. If you need an item by a certain date please speak to us prior to ordering and we’ll try to help. Please see our ‘How to Buy’ page for more information regarding delivery.

This is an antique item and as such may have signs of wear in accordance with its age. Anything that we think is of note will have been mentioned above, but please study the photos carefully to satisfy yourself as to its condition as it is not possible to list every little mark or flaw. We are happy to provide high resolution photographs or videos if required, and answer any questions you may have - just get in touch!