Chinese Classical Furniture

Chinese Classical Furniture

Classical Chinese furniture has a timeless appeal that never goes out of style. Our signature range of traditional Chinese furniture is handcrafted from reclaimed elm or poplar wood, and includes reproductions from China's golden age as well as more contemporary designs inspired by the same period. The range includes oriental cabinets, beautifully crafted chairs, Chinese blanket chests and much more.

Blanket Trunk, Warm Elm
£625.00

Blanket Trunk, Warm Elm

TK01N

Finished in warm elm, the grain of the solid reclaimed wood really stands out. Ideal for storing everything from bedding and clothes to toys and ga...

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£625.00
Blanket Trunk, Black Lacquer
£625.00

Blanket Trunk, Black Lacquer

TK01D

Our wooden blanket trunks are great for storing everything from bedding and clothes to toys and games. This black lacquer version is extremely popu...

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£625.00
Blanket Trunk, Light Elm
£625.00

Blanket Trunk, Light Elm

TK01M

The light finish on this particular blanket trunk is simply stunning. Used for storing everything from bedding and clothes to toys and games, our w...

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£625.00
Blanket Trunk, Red Lacquer
£625.00

Blanket Trunk, Red Lacquer

TK01R

This version of our blanket trunk is finished in a lovely deep red lacquer a colour favoured by the Chinese. The inside is finished in a dark wood ...

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£625.00
Blanket Trunk, Cream Lacquer
£625.00

Blanket Trunk, Cream Lacquer

TK01C

Our subtle cream lacquer blanket trunk has a fresh modern look, with aspects of the classical Chinese style in the form of the circular brass locki...

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£625.00
Carved Coffee Table, Warm Elm
£1,445.00

Carved Oriental Coffee Table, Warm Elm

CT05N

This lovely warm colour, solid wood, coffee table is in a contemporary style but still with some classic oriental features, such as the 'horse hoof...

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£1,445.00
Carved Coffee Table, Black Lacquer
£1,445.00

Carved Chinese Coffee Table, Black Lacquer

CT05D

This black lacquer oriental coffee table is made from solid elm wood and has an open lattice shelf at the bottom. Produced in a traditional Chinese...

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£1,445.00
Low Apothecary's Cabinet, Warm Elm
£1,395.00

Low Apothecary's Cabinet, Warm Elm

TK12N

This handsome low cabinet in our warm finish is a wonderfully versatile piece of furniture and although designed by us with the modern home in mind...

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£1,395.00
Low Apothecary's Cabinet, Black Lacquer
£1,395.00

Low Apothecary's Cabinet, Black Lacquer

TK12D

With a strong oriental style our black lacquer low cabinet is a stunning and versatile piece of furniture designed to fit into a modern home. The c...

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£1,395.00
Wave Trunk, Warm Elm
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Warm Elm

TK06N

The largest of our oriental trunks and chests, this elegant warm elm blanket box looks beautiful at the end of a bed and is strong enough to provid...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Black Lacquer
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Black Lacquer

TK06D

The subtly curved lid gives this black lacquer trunk its name as well as its graceful lines, while the large brass circular hardware adds some clas...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Light Elm
£945.00

Chinese Wave Trunk, Light Elm

TK06M

The wave trunk, here in light elm, is the largest in our oriental trunks and chests range. The subtly curved lid gives the trunk its name as well a...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Red Lacquer
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Red Lacquer

TK06R

Made from solid reclaimed elm with dovetail joints and finished on the inside in a dark wood stain our red lacquer wave trunk is the largest within...

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£945.00
Wave Trunk, Cream Lacquer
£945.00

Wave Trunk, Cream Lacquer

TK06C

This elegant blanket box, seen here in a lovely pale cream lacquer, looks beautiful at the end of a bed and is strong enough to provide additional ...

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£945.00
Square Trunk, Warm Elm
£395.00

Chinese Trunk Square, Warm Elm

TK02N

Made from solid reclaimed elm wood this smaller, cube shaped Chinese blanket chest. Great as a side table next to a sofa, for storing towels in a b...

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Black Lacquer
£395.00

Chinese Black Lacquer Trunk, Square

TK02D

Like our other chests this black lacquer version is made from solid reclaimed elm wood using proper dovetail joints and is strong enough to sit on....

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Light Elm
£395.00

Square Trunk, Light Elm

TK02M

The handles on the sides and circular lock plate on the front of this light elm square trunk are in brass and give the chest its classic Chinese st...

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Red Lacquer
£395.00

Square Trunk, Red Lacquer

TK02R

Our red lacquer, cube shaped blanket chest is great for storing towels in a bathroom, as a side table next to a sofa or as a bedside table. Like ou...

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£395.00
Square Trunk, Cream Lacquer
£395.00

Square Trunk, Cream Lacquer

TK02C

With a modern cream lacquer finish this smaller, cube shaped blanket chest has brass handles and circular lock plate on the front giving the trunk ...

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£395.00
Low Scroll Table, Warm Elm
£1,195.00

Low Scroll Table, Warm Elm

CT03N

This beautifully simple low table in warm elm is based on the 'lute tables' used by the Chinese when seated on the floor to play musical instrument...

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£1,195.00
Low Scroll Table, Black Lacquer
£1,195.00

Low Scroll Table, Black Lacquer

CT03D

Great as a coffee table or as a stand for a television, this beautifully simple black lacquer low table is designed on the 'lute tables' used by th...

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£1,195.00
Square Daybed Table, Warm Elm
£765.00

Square Daybed Table, Warm Elm

CT09N

This square shaped warm elm coffee table is based on original Chinese daybeds, but reduced in size to be more practical in a contemporary setting. ...

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£765.00
Square Daybed Table, Black Lacquer
£765.00

Square Daybed Table, Black Lacquer

CT09D

Daybeds like our black lacquer model were used in Chinese homes as seating during the day, often being moved around for different uses, and for sle...

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£765.00
Square Daybed Table, Light Elm
£765.00

Square Daybed Table, Light Elm

CT09M

This light elm square coffee table has been reduced in size to be more practical in a contemporary setting although it is based on original Chinese...

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£765.00
Kang Style Coffee Table, Warm Elm
£995.00

Kang Style Coffee Table, Warm Elm

CT04N

Low level tables and other furniture were used throughout northern China, where they would be placed on the 'kang' - a heated platform of brick or ...

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£995.00
Kang Style Coffee Table, Black Lacquer
£995.00

Chinese Kang Style Coffee Table, Black Lacquer

CT04D

Our black lacquer table is an updated version in the same style as the original kang tables, but made slightly larger to be more practical as a mod...

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£995.00
Apothecary's Chest, Warm Elm
£745.00

Apothecary's Chest, Warm Elm

TK05N

This little warm elm multi-drawer chest provides a beautiful way to store a CD or DVD collection. Each of its eight drawers can hold up 25 CDs and ...

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£745.00
Apothecary's Chest, Black Lacquer
£745.00

Apothecary's Chest, Black Lacquer

TK05D

Our black lacquer chest is the perfect height for use as a stand for a TV or stereo equipment. This little multi-drawer chest provides a beautiful ...

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£745.00
Apothecary's Chest, Light Elm
£745.00

Apothecary's Chest, Light Elm

TK05M

Made from reclaimed elm wood, this model comes in our light finish, each of the drawers feature proper dovetail joints and brass ring pull handles....

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£745.00
Low Kang Chest, Warm Elm
£995.00

Low Kang Chest, Warm Elm

TK14N

Low tables and cabinets were in use from early on in China's history, particularly in the colder northern provinces, where low furniture would be p...

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£995.00
Low Kang Chest, Black Lacquer
£995.00

Low Kang Chest, Black Lacquer

TK14D

This black lacquer low TV unit is one of our own more modern designs, but with Chinese style that harks back to those early pieces. Low cabinets an...

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£995.00
Low Kang Chest, Light Elm
£995.00

Low Chinese Kang Chest, Light Elm

TK14M

Ideal as a TV stand, our light elm low Kang chest has an open shelf for a DVD player or digital box (including a hole at the back for feeding wires...

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£995.00
Three Drawer Kang Table, Warm Elm
£1,295.00

Three Drawer Kang Table, Warm Elm

CT13N

The Chinese did not use coffee tables in the sense that we know them but in colder parts of the country they would use low level tables placed on t...

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£1,295.00
Three Drawer Kang Table, Black Lacquer
£1,295.00

Three Drawer Kang Table, Black Lacquer

CT13D

This particular black lacquer table is larger than the original kang tables to make it more practical as a contemporary coffee table, but the simpl...

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£1,295.00
Square Stool, Warm Elm
£445.00

Square Stool, Warm Elm

CT23N

Our warm elm version is a faithful reproduction of the classic design, and has a rattan top set within the seat. It works well for occasional seati...

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£445.00
Square Stool, Black Lacquer
£445.00

Square Stool, Black Lacquer

CT23D

Unlike in other Asian countries, where people continued to sit on the floor centuries later, the Chinese quickly developed higher level seating and...

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£445.00

The history of Chinese Classical Furniture

Classical Chinese furniture refers to a style and an aesthetic taste, of restraint, balance and grandeur, rather than to a particular period. Plain hardwoods, like the reclaimed woods we use for these reproductions, were always accorded high esteem by Chinese craftsmen from the Qing dynasties onwards. Trade had recently opened, and tropical hardwoods from South-East Asia were beginning to be imported. It was these strong hardwoods which allowed the craftsmen to create austere, slender legged chairs and tables which showed off the beauty of the precious wood, alongside the lacquered furniture which was equally prized. Here at Shimu, we’re very happy to be continuing the tradition of Chinese classical furniture, and to be bringing you these beautiful pieces of furniture to show off in your home.

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