A tall chest of drawers sometimes called a tallboy is the most space-efficient drawer storage format available for a bedroom with limited wall width. By stacking drawers vertically rather than spreading them horizontally, a tall chest delivers five, six, or seven drawers of storage within a footprint as narrow as 45–55cm wide, leaving the rest of the wall available for a wardrobe, a dressing table, or simply clear space. For a compact primary bedroom, a box room, or any room where every centimetre of wall width is accounted for, a tall chest of drawers consistently provides more storage per square metre of floor space than any other freestanding bedroom furniture option. At Airedale Living, our tall chest of drawers collection spans slim, narrow, and wide configurations across multiple finishes and drawer counts. Browse the full collection above and use the filters to find the right height, width, and finish for your bedroom. Free UK delivery is included on every order.

8 products

Marlborough 7 Drawer Chest

£432.00

Mallory 7 Drawer Narrow Chest

£431.99

Maine 5 Drawer Tall Chest - Surf White

£303.99

Maine 5 Drawer Tall Chest - Dove Grey

£324.00

Cameo 7 Drawer Narrow Chest

£337.00

Alba 5 Drawer Narrow Chest - White/Oak

£263.99

Alba 5 Drawer Narrow Chest - Walnut/Black

£263.00

Alba 5 Drawer Narrow Chest - Silk Grey

£263.00

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Tall Chest of Drawers: Choosing the Right Configuration for Your Room

A tall chest of drawers purchase involves three decisions in the right order: the width configuration (slim or wide), the drawer count, and the finish. The width decision is the most important and is almost entirely determined by the available wall space.

Slim and narrow tall chests. A slim tall chest — typically 40–55cm wide — is the configuration most buyers picture when searching "tall chest of drawers." The narrow footprint allows it to fit into spaces where a standard-width chest simply won't — beside a doorframe, in a shallow alcove, between a wardrobe and a window. Slim tall chests typically provide 5 to 7 drawers within the narrow frame, with individual drawers of reduced width — adequate for folded clothing organised by category, accessories, and bedroom essentials, but not as generous per drawer as a wider configuration.

Tall and slim — the distinction. "Tall and slim" describes a chest that is both tall (high drawer count, vertically stacked) and narrow in width and depth — the most compact configuration in the tall chest range. Depth as well as width matters: a standard chest of drawers is 45–50cm deep; a slim-depth tall chest at 35–40cm deep occupies meaningfully less floor space and suits alcoves and narrow corridors as well as bedrooms. Always check both width and depth dimensions on individual product pages.

Wide tall chests. A tall wide chest combines the vertical drawer count of a tallboy with a more generous internal drawer width — typically 70–90cm wide. This suits rooms where wall width isn't the constraint but drawer capacity per compartment matters — a larger bedroom where the tall format is preferred over a low, wide profile, but individual drawers need to be wide enough for full-size clothing categories without folding tightly. A tall wide chest in a master bedroom provides exceptional drawer storage capacity — seven or more drawers across a wider frame covers two adults' complete folded clothing needs in a single piece.

Tall Chest of Drawers Dimensions: What to Measure Before Ordering

Available wall width. Measure the wall width where the tall chest will stand, subtract 5cm on each side for fitting clearance, and that gives your maximum chest width. If the chest is going into an alcove, measure the alcove opening width at multiple heights — alcoves are rarely perfectly parallel and the narrowest point is the constraint.

Available floor depth. A standard tall chest is 45–50cm deep. A slim-depth tall chest is 35–40cm deep. Measure the available floor depth from the wall to the nearest obstruction — a door swing arc, a radiator, or adjacent furniture. Allow at least 50–60cm of clear floor space in front of the chest for drawers to open fully and items to be retrieved comfortably.

Ceiling height and total chest height. A tall chest of drawers ranges from approximately 100cm to 140cm in height — significantly taller than a standard chest (75–90cm). Measure from the floor to any overhead constraint — a window sill, a picture rail, or a sloped ceiling — at the position the chest will stand. An extra tall chest of 130–140cm suits rooms with standard 240cm ceilings comfortably; in a room with low beams or a sloped ceiling, confirm the specific height on the product page before ordering.

Drawer count and individual drawer height. A 5-drawer tall chest distributes the total interior height across five drawers — each drawer is typically 15–20cm internal height. A 7-drawer chest distributes the same or greater height across seven compartments — individual drawers are shallower (typically 12–16cm internal height) but more numerous. Seven drawers is the most organised configuration for buyers who want one drawer per clothing category; five or six drawers provides more generous individual drawer height per compartment. Check individual product pages for internal drawer dimensions.

How to Style a Tall Chest of Drawers: Making It Work in the Room

A tall chest of drawers is a more visually prominent piece than a standard low chest — its height draws the eye upward and, in a smaller room, it can feel imposing if not positioned and styled with some thought.

Position it on the longest available wall. A tall chest of drawers reads as a considered furniture piece when it has adequate wall above and beside it — when it's not squeezed against a doorframe or wedged into a corner with no breathing room. If the room allows a choice of wall, position the tall chest where it has at least 20–30cm of clear wall space on each side.

Use the top surface deliberately. The top surface of a tall chest of drawers is typically above eye level for most adults — it's seen from below rather than at the same height as a standard chest. This makes it less effective as a display surface for small items (which read as cluttered from below) and more effective for a single statement piece — a lamp, a tall plant, a mirror leaning against the wall above. A floor-standing or wall-mounted mirror above a tall chest creates a cohesive vertical arrangement that makes the most of the wall height the tall chest already occupies.

Balance it with lower furniture. In a bedroom where the tall chest is the highest piece of furniture, it can make the room feel slightly unbalanced — particularly in rooms with lower ceilings. Positioning a wardrobe of similar or greater height on the adjacent wall creates a more balanced arrangement. Alternatively, hanging art or a mirror above a lower bedside table on the opposite wall creates vertical interest that balances the tall chest without requiring another tall piece.

Coordinate the finish with the bed frame and wardrobe. A tall chest in white alongside white wardrobes creates a unified, airy scheme. An oak tall chest alongside oak wardrobes creates a warm, natural bedroom. In a bedroom where the wardrobe and chest of drawers are in different finish families, the tall chest's height makes any mismatch more visible — consistency of finish matters more on a tall piece than on a lower one.

Completing the Bedroom Storage Setup

A tall chest of drawers handles folded clothing storage most efficiently when the surrounding bedroom storage is planned around it. A wardrobe covers hanging clothing; the tall chest covers folded items. In a bedroom where wall space is genuinely limited, a wardrobe with drawers alongside a slim tall chest covers both hanging and folded storage in two pieces rather than three — a more space-efficient arrangement for compact rooms.

Bedside tables on each side of the bed provide nightly-use surface and small storage. A dressing table provides a dedicated getting-ready surface where the tall chest's above-eye-level top surface isn't suitable for daily seated use. A mirror positioned above the tall chest or on the adjacent wall adds depth and light — particularly effective as a tall leaning mirror that echoes the vertical proportion of the chest itself.

Browse the full chest of drawers collection to compare tall configurations alongside standard and wide options. See the white chest of drawers collection and oak chest of drawers collection for tall options by finish. The complete bedroom furniture collection covers all categories for full room planning. Every Airedale Living tall chest of drawers comes with free UK delivery and arrives ready for self-assembly with all fixings and instructions included.

Browse the full tall chest of drawers collection above — and find the vertical storage that makes your bedroom wall work harder.

Frequently Asked Questions

A tall chest of drawers is most commonly called a tallboy in the UK — a term used interchangeably with "tall chest of drawers" across most furniture retailers. The word "tallboy" specifically refers to a tall, narrow chest of drawers with multiple vertically stacked drawers typically five or more. "Highboy" is an older, less common alternative term used occasionally in antique furniture contexts. In contemporary UK furniture retail, "tall chest of drawers," "tallboy," and "tallboy chest of drawers" all describe the same type of piece a vertically stacked multi-drawer chest with a narrow footprint relative to its height.

A wardrobe provides hanging rail storage for items that crease when folded — dresses, suits, shirts, jackets, coats — alongside shelving for folded items and shoes. A chest of drawers provides drawer storage specifically for folded clothing — underwear, socks, knitwear, jeans, t-shirts — and items that suit individual compartment access. Most bedrooms need both: a wardrobe for hanging and a chest of drawers for folded. In rooms where only one piece is viable, a wardrobe with drawers consolidates both functions. If you already have a wardrobe with an integrated drawer section, a standalone chest of drawers may be supplementary rather than essential — assess the actual clothing volume your existing storage handles before purchasing additional drawer storage.

A tall chest of drawers is most effective when positioned on a wall with adequate breathing room on both sides and styled with the above-eye-level top surface in mind. Use the top surface for a single statement item — a tall lamp, a large plant, or a mirror leaning against the wall above — rather than multiple small items that read as cluttered from below. Balance the tall chest's vertical presence with horizontal elements elsewhere in the room — low bedside tables, low-profile bedding, or a wide art piece on the opposite wall. Coordinate the finish consistently with the wardrobe and other main bedroom pieces — a tall chest's height makes any finish mismatch more visible than it would be on a lower piece.

Most tallboy chests of drawers have 5 to 7 drawers, though some models extend to 8 or more. A 5-drawer tallboy provides five generous compartments — each with reasonable internal height for folded clothing by category. A 7-drawer tallboy provides more compartments with slightly shallower individual drawers — the most organised configuration for buyers who want one drawer per specific clothing category (underwear, socks, t-shirts, knitwear, jeans, gym kit, accessories). A chest of drawers with 7 drawers in a tall configuration is one of the most comprehensive drawer storage pieces available in a single freestanding unit — suited to master bedrooms where two adults share drawer storage or any household with a significant folded clothing volume.

Yes a slim tall chest of drawers is one of the most effective storage solutions specifically for smaller bedrooms. By using wall height rather than wall width, a slim tallboy of 45–55cm wide delivers 5 to 7 drawers of storage within a footprint that barely registers in a small room's floor plan. The key consideration in a smaller bedroom is ceiling height — confirm the chest's total height clears any overhead constraints (window sills, sloped ceilings, picture rails) at the specific position it will stand. Also check the available floor depth in front — 50–60cm of clear space is needed for drawers to open fully. In a compact room where a wide chest of drawers would dominate a wall, a slim tall chest consistently provides more storage with less visual and physical impact.