Enfilade
Enfilade is one term that has several meanings and has been interpreted in a number of different ways. Look it up on Google and you will see that Enfilade can actually mean so many things. Pertaining to the military, Enfilade in military tactics is used to describe a military formation’s exposure to enemy fire. It basically defines the position of works, troops, etc., where fire can be directed along the length of a line of troops.
In architectural terms, Enfilade is a suite of rooms formally aligned with each other or an axial arrangement of doorways connecting rooms or of mirrors which basically gives an illusion of a long vista.

And finally coming down to the world of antiques, where our interest solely lies, Enfilade refers to a piece of furniture, usually a buffet, in which the cabinet doors reveal connected compartments in a row. The word enfilade is derived from the French word “enfiler” which means “to thread.” The very versatile word Enfilade pronounced "ON-FEE-LAHD" is quite interesting since it has distinct meanings in the world of antiques too. It is a low and quite elongated French buffet which to be categorized as Enfilade needs to have four or more cupboard doors at least. If not it falls into the category of a buffet.

At Arcadia Antiques we have a an elegant 19th century French bleached oak enfilade which is quite a rare find. This one is a buffet, with a minimum of four cabinet doors opening to reveal connected compartments in a row and is considered ideal as a buffet or dresser in a dining or living area. This beautiful piece offers plenty of storage along with a practical worktop that is useful for display or even serving.

Another example of a buffet / enfilades is this French Enfilade that is Early 19th C French painted enfilade. 1820

If you are looking for a good dresser/enfilade browse our antiques site