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Large open-shelf kitchen étagère, Central Italy, mid-19th century
This isn’t a noble piece of furniture, but it tells the story of everyday life in its time. This large open-shelf étagère comes from a 19th-century kitchen in central Italy—or perhaps from a pantry or storeroom: hardworking spaces where everything had to stay within easy reach and in plain sight.
Made from walnut and fir wood, it’s a sturdy, stable piece, built to carry the weight of everyday objects—bowls, pots, jugs, sacks of legumes, bottles, utensils, loaves of bread, or storage containers. Each shelf had its purpose: one for clean dishes, one for supplies, one for the tools used daily.
The turned columns rhythmically divide the shelves, giving structure and breathing room to the whole.
It has a beautiful, lived-in patina, shaped by time and use. It’s been reinforced, cleaned, and revived with wax—nothing invasive, just enough to bring it back to life.
Today, it can fit into a kitchen, a utility wall, or a more casual living space. It’s rare to find pieces of this size, still intact: open furniture, made to store and display at once, capable of creating authentic corners of domestic life. They’re appreciated again today because they suit a simpler, more honest way of living—where things are visible, used, and shared. A kind of furnishing that speaks, that makes spaces feel real.
- Condition: Restored
- Period: First half of the 19th century
- Style: Louis Philippe
- State: Optimal conditions
