Quality Bedroom Storage, Built to Last
A well-chosen chest of drawers or tallboy does more than hold clothes — it anchors the room, keeps everyday essentials within easy reach, and quietly lifts the look of your bedroom. Our range at The A2Z Furniture is curated for Australian homes, combining considered design, solid construction and finishes that wear beautifully over time.
Whether you're outfitting a compact apartment in Brisbane, a family home on the Gold Coast, or a coastal build across South East Queensland, you'll find storage pieces here that balance practicality with understated style. Every chest and tallboy in our collection is chosen for drawer glide quality, sturdy framing, and finishes that hold up to everyday use.
Tallboy, Chest of Drawers, Dresser or Lowboy — What's the Difference?
These terms get used interchangeably, but they're genuinely different pieces. Here's how we define them in our showroom:
How to Choose the Right Size for Your Room
Compact bedrooms & apartments
If floor space is tight, a slim tallboy is almost always the smarter choice. Look for widths between 60–80 cm and prioritise vertical drawer storage. Leave at least 70 cm of clearance in front so drawers can open fully without hitting a bed, door or bedside table.
Standard main bedrooms
A 5- or 6-drawer chest at around 90–110 cm wide gives you generous storage without dominating the room. This is the most popular configuration we sell, and it pairs naturally with a queen or king wooden bed frame.
Master suites & larger rooms
For bigger spaces, consider a wide 6-drawer chest or pair a tallboy with a matching lowboy for a built-in feel. This approach works especially well in a coordinated queen bedroom suite or king bedroom suite.
Materials & Construction: What Actually Matters
Not all chests of drawers are built equally, and the difference usually shows up after a year or two of daily use. When you're comparing pieces, these are the details worth checking:
Solid timber vs engineered wood
Solid timber (oak, acacia, pine, mango, mindi) offers the best long-term durability and ages with character. Quality engineered wood with a veneer finish is lighter, more affordable and can still look excellent — just make sure the carcass is structurally sound and the drawer bases are thick enough not to sag.
Drawer runners
Metal ball-bearing runners or soft-close mechanisms are a clear quality indicator. Wooden runners can work on heritage-style pieces but tend to wear faster under daily use.
Dovetail & box joinery
Dovetail or proper box-joined drawers are a sign the maker has invested in the build. Stapled corners are a shortcut — fine for occasional use, less reliable long-term.
How Many Drawers Do You Actually Need?
A useful rule of thumb: count the categories of things you fold (t-shirts, jumpers, jeans, activewear, underwear, socks, sleepwear) and aim for one drawer per two categories. For most adults, that's 5–6 drawers. Couples sharing a single chest usually want 6–7. Kids' rooms and guest rooms are well-served by a compact 3- or 4-drawer unit.
Measuring, Delivery & Care
Before you buy
Measure the wall width, ceiling height (for taller tallboys), and the clearance needed for drawers to open fully. Also check doorways, stairwells and lift access — a tall chest that won't fit through your front door is a common and avoidable headache.
Delivery across South East Queensland
We deliver across South East Queensland from our Brisbane warehouse — including Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and surrounding suburbs. Local customers are welcome to visit our Rocklea, North Ipswich, Sandgate or Bundall showrooms to see finishes in person before buying.
Caring for your chest of drawers
Dust weekly with a soft dry cloth and avoid placing directly in strong afternoon sun, which can fade timber finishes over time. For timber surfaces, a light application of furniture wax or conditioner every six months keeps the finish even. For upholstered or fabric-topped pieces, see our fabric furniture care guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a tallboy and a chest of drawers?
A tallboy is taller and narrower, with drawers stacked vertically to save floor space. A chest of drawers is typically wider and shorter. Both do the same job — storing folded clothing and bedroom essentials — but a tallboy suits smaller rooms while a chest of drawers works better where you have more wall space.
How tall is a standard tallboy in Australia?
Most Australian tallboys sit between 110 and 140 cm in height, with widths of roughly 60–85 cm. Taller 7-drawer designs can reach around 150 cm, so it's always worth checking the listed dimensions against your ceiling and any artwork you plan to hang above the piece.
Can a chest of drawers be used outside the bedroom?
Absolutely. A well-made chest of drawers works brilliantly in a hallway as a console, in a living room for media and cable storage, in a nursery for clothing and linens, or in a dining space for tableware. Lower-profile lowboys are especially versatile outside the bedroom.
Are your chests of drawers assembled on delivery?
Assembly requirements vary by product — each listing specifies whether the item arrives fully assembled or requires flat-pack assembly. If you'd prefer a pre-assembled option, filter for those or contact our team on 1300 781 990 and we'll point you to the right pieces.
How do I stop a tall chest of drawers from tipping?
Most of our tallboys include a wall-anchor kit, and we strongly recommend using it, especially in homes with children. Wall anchoring takes ten minutes, protects the piece from tipping when drawers are open, and doesn't damage the chest itself.
What's the best timber finish for Australian conditions?
Sealed hardwoods like oak and acacia handle humidity well, which matters in coastal and subtropical parts of Australia. Matte and satin finishes hide minor wear better than high-gloss. Keep any timber piece out of direct sun to prevent uneven fading.
Explore the Rest of Your Bedroom
Build a complete, considered bedroom with our coordinated ranges:
- Shop all bed frames — timber, fabric, PU leather and metal
- Bedside tables — designed to pair with our chests and tallboys
- Dressers with mirror — for getting-ready storage
- Storage bed frames — extra under-bed storage for small rooms
- Queen bedroom suites — coordinated matched sets
- Wooden bed frames — solid timber and engineered wood options