Compactom Gentleman's Closet - help please

[Mojito]

I know very little about furniture, but when my friend showed me this piece, I thought it was something special. I've undertaken to do some research for her - and of course this was a first stop!

We were talking about my new cocktail cabinet, and she mentioned this closet in the garage - it belonged to her husband's grandmother's third husband (erm...can you follow that?). Apparently a very stylish and quite well to do man.

I was absolutely enthralled by all the labelled compartments - any information, including values, is very welcome!:

The upper left section has a glass door - hard to see in this photo:

 

[Vintage Betty]

Congratulations Mojito, your friend has a very nice standard example of a Gentleman's Compactum, also known by the following names: chiffarobe, chifferobe, wardrobe, armoire, dresserobe, closet and my personal favorite: Gentleman's Butler.

Compactom was most likely the brand name at the time, given from the manufacturer and was a knock off name of the word compactum.

The example shown is a nice veneer from the 1920's.

These types of pieces of furniture were commonly sold as sets with the rest of the bedroom furniture, but could also be purchased individually.

Your example is a common veneer design, which means that the additional bedroom pieces should be easier to find, should your friend want to pursue acquiring them.

I'd venture a guess that this piece was acquired during her grandmother's marriage as newleyweds into a new home during the 1920's.

The phrase Gentleman's Butler was given to this piece as it substituted a live person (butler) for the organization this unit offers the Gentleman of the house.

Surprisingly, these pieces are quite affordable, with the normal price being $200-400 US. Because yours is a double unit, it could even sell for $600. Depending on geographical location, the price could be increased a couple hundred dollars.

Your piece is in good condition, but I'd suggest the veneer being treated with a common oil or wax polish - whatever your local furniture store recommends.

Enjoy!

Vintage Betty

 

[Forgotten Man]

AMAZING!!! That piece is really swell! I'd use it for men's vintage clothes You should find a 30's radio bar for your cocktails! This thing is too cool! I tell you, if I found this it would just be a dream come true! Look at all that storage space... shirts, pants, shoes... WOW!

You know, I'd take it to an expert cabinet man... they could get that whole piece lookin' sharp as a tack without refinishing it! There are tricks to the trade that could blend in all the scratches without refinishing! And look how clean it is inside!!!

Beautiful!

 

[Mojito]

Thank you so much, Vintage Betty! They are going to be thrilled at having that information, as I know that he tried to look into it a few years ago and didn't find much - to have such a comprehensive reply so quickly is going to absolutely delight them.

Forgotten Man, it is a piece they love - I think they're a bit at a loss as to what to do with it. It doesn't fit into their lifestyle - they have a very large walk in closet in the master bedroom, and built-ins in all the others. My friend has looked at utilising it for other purposes. At the moment, though, it lives in the garage - although he has constructed a palatte for it to sit on, to protect it from any potential water leakage. I agree with you on the restoration work. I'd love to find the women's matching piece - thanks to Vintage Betty, I'm now optimistic about doing so!

 

[Vintage Betty]

You're very welcome! The names I gave are designations for other arrangements of the furniture parts, so don't be too tied to matching the names to the piece.

Like Forgotten Man, I'd love one of these, and have been wanting one for 20+ years, hence my interest.

I am not aware of a woman's equivalent to this unit. Has anyone else ever seen a woman's version?

Vintage Betty

 

[Mojito]

Just a quick note to pass on my friend's thanks, Vintage Betty - she was absolutely delighted with what you told us about the piece. She's planning on questioning her husband's sister next weekend for more information on Claude, the original owner, and I've found some more images online. Some are quite elaborate! No woman's version yet - would love information on any that exists. I've seen matching gentleman's and ladies' wardrobes, but haven't seen much on the interiors.

It reminds me a bit of the kitchen pieces that had all sorts of nifty devices and storage units, all labelled - perhaps that was the woman's equivalent, if she was into neat storage and helpful labelling! lol

 

[Vintage Betty]

Glad to be of help! Here's some more reference information, so you know what the terms mean.

 

[Mojito]

Thank you, Vintage Betty! Primary source material - love it.

I'll be meeting the owner's sister today at Easter lunch, and my friend and I are going to see what she remembers of Claude, the original owner.

There's a funny story connected with it that I forgot to mention. There was a running "joke" within my friend's closet that Claude's ghost resides in the closet, as my friend's husband could never keep the doors shut when he used it as a bachelor. He'd wake in the middle of the night and find the doors open. My friend demonstrated how solid they are and how firmly fixed - and mentioned that they never seemed to open when she was around.