There are various kinds of storage alternatives and one of them is the chest.
In the distant past, these were used to move belongings from one place to another.
Nowadays, you can find them being used in the home as storage units.
Many of these chests have come to be family heirlooms and are passed down from one generation to another.
One kind of chest is the hope chest.
It is usually passed down to the daughter from her mother, usually on the event of the daughter's marriage or when the daughter moves out of home to enter college.
Chests can be made of various materials, from oak veneers to wood.
Chests made of wood are durable and look very distinctive.
In fact, if taken care of diligently, wooden chests can last a few lifetimes.
There are antique chests today that are worth a lot and many collectors would be willing to pay top dollar for those that are well preserved.
You can even find wooden chests that are hundreds of years old and those that are in good condition can fetch thousands of dollars.
You can also find relatively inexpensive chests that are great as storage alternatives.
These can be made from oak, walnut, cedar and pine.
Chests made from these woods are very durable and hard-wearing and will remain so for years to come.
These woods give a pleasing scent and help to keep bugs and insects away.
Due to this, insect or bug repellants, deodorizers and mothballs are not necessary.
Chests can be used in a variety of ways and can serve dual functions such as those with padded lids which can act as a seat.
You can store your shoes or magazines or books in the chest and sit on the chest when it's closed.
You can also use chests in the bedroom to store bed linen, pillows, extra sheets or clothes.
There are chests that have drawers and can be used to store clothes or be used as a bed stands if they are short in height.
Chests can be used as side tables in the dining room to store your crockery, extra plates, glasses, etc.
In the living room, they can be used to keep your small cushions, books, various magazines and such.
You can even place your stereo or television on them and use them as a stand.
If you have an aquarium that is not too large, you can place them on an aquarium and give it a unique look.
Chests can be used as coffee tables or even as telephone tables.
You can use chests almost anywhere.
Many people use them in the bathroom, where they keep extra guest towels, cleaning items or guest toiletries in them.
In the shed or outside in the garage you can keep your carpentry or gardening tools in them as well as hammers and nuts and bolts.
Many chests today are mass produced but you can also find handmade chests made from wood.
The ones made from good solid wood are usually made by skilled artisans.
They go the extra mile and craft designs into them to distinguish them from the others.
These kinds of chests are usually passed down from one generation to the next one and these usually are more expensive.
These are looked at as investments and something to treasure for many years.