19th-Century Walnut Chest with Floral Paper Lining

An exquisite 19th-century walnut chest from Chanteduc, Patricia Wells’ Provençal home, from her personal collection. Resting on dainty cabriole feet with a scalloped apron and a hinged lift lid, it charms with facades that are each a little different. Patricia explains, “It is clearly very old and was already in the house, Chanteduc, when we bought it. It has a beautiful paper lining decorated with foliage and flowers. I’ve always loved it and made up a story that it might have been used as a model by a woodworker, although perhaps it was simply a fabric box. It is made from walnut and is very pretty, very sweet, with each side slightly different.” The walnut has a warm nut-brown tone, its surfaces softened by time with small marks and old pinholes. Open the lid to a cheerful surprise of floral paper in faded rose and soft green on a creamy ground. True to a long life, the top and a discreet little side door appear to be later additions, enhancing its practical spirit. Compact and light in a room, it slips beside a chair or at the end of a bed. In Patricia’s world of markets, gardens, and shared tables, it is ideal as a lidded stash for table linens and torchons, or as a petite nightstand with secret storage. A refined, useful companion that carries the Provence of Chanteduc into everyday living.