Tansus step in - includes related article on purchasing a tansu - Japanese chests and cabinets

Sunset, Jan, 1999 by Kristine M. Carber, Chadine Flood Gong

These Japanese chests and cabinets adapt to almost any room, from kitchen to dining room to bath

We see them in bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and baths - Japanese storage chests and cabinets called tansus. Once found mostly in the homes of connoisseurs of Asian art, the wood chests are rapidly finding a broader market. "Tansus adapt well to the Western home because they blend effectively with contemporary and traditional designs," says Seattle designer Kristine Donovick.

San Jose design partners Patricia McDonald and Marcia Moore agree. "We've been using them for years, but now more clients are asking for them because they are so beautiful and versatile," says Moore.

Most tansus are square or rectangular, but some, originally used as freestanding staircases, have interesting stepped shapes. They began appearing in Japan in the latter half of the 17th century and were used in houses, for storing clothes and cooking equipment, and on merchant ships, to store documents for safekeeping. By the 1800s, they had become familiar furnishings in Japanese homes. Highly lacquered pieces graced the houses of the nobility; simple wood chests were found in country homes.

Tansus are available in a wide variety of sizes and prices. A small one suitable for use as a bedside table or bathroom cabinet may sell for $600 or so, but larger, heavily lacquered ones often sell for thousands of dollars. Small tansus, such as the portable ones used by ship captains, are usually about 20 inches high and equally wide. Large kitchen chests, used for stowing food and cooking utensils, typically measure 72 inches high, 96 inches wide, and 20 inches deep.

Designers often convert large tansus into separate buffets or entertainment centers. Apothecary chests, with their many narrow drawers, are suited to storing jewelry.

For one home, Moore slipped a television into a stepped tansu. "It's an effective way to disguise appliances and minimize clutter, such as videos and CDs," she says. The design firm of John Wheatman & Associates in San Francisco removed the top of a tansu and replaced it with a granite countertop and drop-in sink. In another innovative installation, McDonald and Moore used two tansus as desk supports, placing a granite slab on top. "I think you can find a tansu to fit just about anywhere," says Moore.

Tansus offer storage in limited space. Small ones on metal stands can serve as end tables. Donovick uses even smaller tansus in the bathroom to hold soaps and toiletries, or in the kitchen for storing cooking utensils and spices.

RELATED ARTICLE: Purchasing pointers

Form versus function

Before purchasing a tansu, consider where and how you want to use it. Deep tansus provide good storage for linens and clothing. If you're buying a tansu to use as an entertainment center, make sure the appliances will fit comfortably inside with enough space for electrical components. If you plan to use a tansu as a bathroom vanity, it should be at least 18 inches deep to accommodate a small sink.

Old versus new

Older tansus might seem like the best investment, but they are not necessarily more expensive than quality reproductions, which can cost thousands of dollars. "It's a question of taste," explains Moore. "We have clients who wouldn't consider anything but an antique tansu; we have others who have spent thousands on a custom-made tansu designed for a specific room. Both look great."

Buying advice

Check the thickness of the wood; the thicker, the better the quality. Metal corners and hardware are upgrades, as are lacquered finishes. As a general rule, antique tansus that are very highly lacquered shouldn't be altered, according to wholesalers Tansu Design Imports in San Francisco. But if a tansu has been modified, its value isn't necessarily diminished, especially if the piece is not ornate.

Mix and match

There's no hard-and-fast rule that says you can't put varied pieces together. In one bedroom, McDonald and Moore used tansus of different designs to create headboards; in another home, they put nonmatching pieces in a dining room. "It's very easy to place tansus on metal stands in order to get the right proportions for a room," says Moore. "Sometimes it's more effective to place two differently styled tansus in the same setting because it makes an unusual design statement."

Resources

* Berkeley Mills, Berkeley (510/549-2854) and Santa Fe (505/982-4584)

* John Wheatman & Associates, San Francisco (415/346-8300)

* Kristine Donovick Interior Design, Seattle (206/270-8919)

* McDonald & Moore, San Jose (408/292-6997)

* Tansu Design Imports, San Francisco (415/255-2204)