Hope Chests-Tradition Is Back!

  Americans are well known to be innovative thinkers and having the ability to make the most out of every resource available. Hope chests are no exception. Beautifully handcrafted wood chests are used not only to store our grandmother's favorite quilt and other family treasures, but to serve in many functional ways throughout the home. Hope chests also make fabulous focal points in every room.   As you enter your home, what better way to be welcomed than a treasured hope chest? Attractive in design and master crafted, these storage chest create a wonderful atmosphere in your entryway. Hope chests are created in highly varied styles ranging from intricately painted designs on the outside to chests with hand carved designs to chests with deceptively simple design flows. Hope chests serve to hold floral arrangements and the latest mail and of course, great storage for seasonal decorations. In times past, hope chests in front entryways held candles and the family Bible on top. In side, family heirlooms and other important items were stored.  The living room is the area where many Americans have come to really appreciate hope blanket chests. With the many styles and stain choices available, finding the perfect hope chest to serve as a coffee table, an end table or a side table is easy. You are able to find hope chests that can blend in with your furniture decor or you can find ones that can compliment or off set your existing room style. These well crafted storage chests are also highly used as cozy seating areas, especially next to bay windows where the outside vistas can be enjoyed more fully. In these rooms, better storage for games, lap blankets and magazines is an added incentive over the use of conventional coffee tables which normally do not have much in the way of storage space.  The bedroom has always been the conventional spot for hope chests. Newlyweds often placed these blanket chests at the end of the bed, not only for convenient storage of blankets,quilts and clothing, but to house items for safe keeping. Most hope chests in years past were made with lock and key openings. Since most are made with cedar lining now, they house our winter blankets and clothes along with being a wonderful place to sit to put on our shoes.   Moving onto the dining room, you are wondering in what way are could people possibly be using hope chests? Usually people think of hope chests as short furniture, but the reality is that many of the first hope chests created in America were actually tall, just as tall or taller than present day counter tops. So now you are seeing that hope chests of this style and height are easily used as side boards and buffet tables. At holidays and special occasions, these chests hold your favorite desserts and candles decorations to perfection.   If your plan is to have a piece of furniture that has the ability to show case itself and enhance the central area of your home, hope chests fill this desire. Many furniture wood crafters still create these wood chests made with heirloom style joinery, following the same design style used in centuries past. These hope chests are great conversational pieces since every style of chest has its own story to tell. Some hope chests were directly copied from European designs such as the Queen Anne style and the Baroque style. Others were created by German immigrants as a firm traditional statement to their heritage. As time continued, individual wood crafters in America made changes to these designs so that each piece can easily be traced back to the original maker. Since these hope chests have such innovative design styles, they are highly sought after as collector items.Hope chestsattract attention and compliments along with adding the warmth and cozy 'at home' feeling traditional furniture gives to your homes' decor.Blanket Chest Heirlooms .com offers many different styles and sizes of  hope chests all master handcrafted using the best joinery craftsmanship.