{"product_id":"vintage-enham-eight-drawer-school-drawers-cabinet-0309de","title":"Vintage Enham Eight-Drawer School Drawers Cabinet 0309de","description":"\u003cp\u003eA wonderfully understated piece of British institutional furniture, manufactured by Enham and dated 1974, with a particularly appealing combination of clean Modernist design and practical construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally produced for an educational or institutional setting, the cabinet comprises eight unusually shallow drawers within a compact rectangular carcass. The drawer fronts feature beautifully simple recessed pulls, eliminating the need for applied handles and giving the piece its distinctive, almost architectural appearance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe timber appears to be predominantly Sapele, a mahogany-family hardwood widely used in British furniture and joinery during the period. It has a rich warm tone with attractive ribboned and figured grain, particularly noticeable across the drawer fronts and top. Contrasting lighter secondary timbers have been used internally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most interesting features is the cabinet's original central locking system. The upper drawer is fitted with a lock and must first be unlocked and opened before the remaining seven drawers are released — a clever piece of institutional design intended to secure the entire contents of the cabinet with a single lock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shallow 5cm-deep drawers suggest the cabinet was originally intended for the organised storage of papers, drawings, artwork or other teaching materials. Its proportions are reminiscent of a small plan chest, but at only 51cm wide it is considerably more compact and versatile than a conventional architect's chest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe back retains its original stencilled ENHAM 1974 marking, providing unusually good provenance and an exact date. Enham operated furniture and woodworking workshops and supplied furniture for institutional and government use during the 20th century, including school furniture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are some particularly pleasing construction details, including the exposed joinery to the plinth and the straightforward, functional treatment of the drawer fronts. Although designed as practical institutional furniture, its simplicity gives it a distinctly British Modernist character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday it would work beautifully as an unusual bedside cabinet, side table or compact storage chest, with the numerous shallow drawers particularly useful for jewellery, stationery, artwork, documents or collections.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn excellent restored condition, the cabinet retains the knocks, marks, variations in colour and general wear associated with its previous institutional life, all of which contribute to its character rather than detract from it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOverall Width: 51cm\u003cbr\u003eOverall Depth: 44cm\u003cbr\u003eOverall Height: 75cm  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawers (internal):\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWidth: 44cm\u003cbr\u003eDepth: 43cm\u003cbr\u003eHeight: 5cm\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Enham","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56960725320066,"sku":null,"price":495.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0228\/1503\/files\/vintage_school_drawers_iroko_plan_chest_map_drawers.1.jpg?v=1791051419","url":"https:\/\/www.mustardvintage.com\/products\/vintage-enham-eight-drawer-school-drawers-cabinet-0309de","provider":"Mustard Vintage","version":"1.0","type":"link"}