At the age of 19, Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort, commissioned the Badminton Cabinet, or Badminton Chest, in 1726. It took thirty experts six years to create and was named after the Duke of Badminton's country residence, Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England, where it remained until his family auctioned it off in the late twentieth century. It is regarded as one of the finest pieces of French furniture. This 12-foot-tall cabinet also houses a clock with digits shaped like fleurs-de-lis.

At a 2004 Christie's auction, this 18th century Florentine ebony chest carved with amethyst quartz, agate, lapis lazuli, and other stones sold for $36 million, breaking its own record as the most expensive furniture ever sold at auction. The previous record had been set in 1990, when Christie's sold the Badminton Cabinet to millionaire Barbara Piasecka Johnson for $16.59 million. In 2004, Johnson placed it up for sale, and Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein spent $36 million and presented it to the Liechtenstein Museum in Austria.

Price: $36 million

The "Dragons" armchair (French: "Fauteuil aux Dragons") was created between 1917 and 1919 by the Irish architect and designer Eileen Gray. The armchair is made of wood and features two stylised lacquered dragons. It is 61 by 91 centimeters in size.

Christie's auctioneers described the chair as follows: “"In the form of unfurling petals, upholstered in brown leather, the frame in sculpted wood, lacquered brownish orange and silver and modeled as the serpentine, intertwined bodies of two dragons, their eyes in black lacquer on a white ground, their bodies decorated in low relief with stylised clouds.” The chair's dragon imagery and clouds have been compared to classic Chinese art iconography, and the flowing form of the ornately carved armrests has been compared to a "sea monster," earning the chair the moniker "Dragons."

Suzanne Talbot, Gray's patron, was the Dragon chair's initial owner. Cheska Vallois, a Parisian art dealer, bought it for $2,700 in 1971 and sold it to Yves Saint Laurent, a French fashion designer, in 1973. In February 2009, the chair was auctioned off as part of the Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé collection at Christie's in Paris. It sold for €21,905,000 ($26.6 million) against a pre-sale estimate of €2-3 million, setting a new record for a work of decorative art from the twentieth century. Cheska Vallois, the chair's 2009 purchaser, later stated that the expense of acquiring it was "the price of desire."

Price: $26,6 million

During the 1760s, Goddard and Townsend created this secretary desk. Those who purchased such an item we're searching for a practical item as well as a decorative piece for their home. Only 9 of these desks were ever produced, making them extremely rare and expensive to acquire. One of these desks sold for a stunning $11,480,675 at Christie's in 1989. It was the most expensive American-made furniture ever sold at that time.

A number of distinguishing characteristics identify the furniture linked with the Goddard and Townsend families. One of the important aspects is the so-called Block-and-shell motif, which consists of a block front topped by a carved shell in an alternating concave and convex pattern. Recently unearthed cabinetmakers such as Benjamin Baker (1734–1822) of Newport and Grindal Rawson (1719–1803) of Providence are also known to have employed the carved shell motif while making case furniture. This school's furniture is also known for having a distinctive ball and claw foot with an open area carved between the talon and ball. It is thought that such a form is peculiar to Newport, though not to the Goddard or Townsend families.

Price: $11,480,675

The Harrington Commode was a piece of 18th-century English furniture designed by Thomas Chippendale, a well-known craftsman. It is considered one of the most valuable pieces of English furniture in the world. The commode's design is rather interesting since it has a serpentine shape that is not very prevalent in the traditional style. It's a commode with a lot of character and versatility, making it a really useful piece of furniture to have around the house.

One of the most appealing qualities of an amazing piece of furniture is that it has its own unique narrative to tell. This object has been identified as a valuable George III gilding composed of rosewood, tulipwood, and marquetry. The commode dates from circa 1770 and was once owned by the legendary Thomas Chippendale, giving it a great lot of authenticity, history, and taste.

This piece sold for £3,793,250 at Sotheby's in 2010. At current currency rates, this is more than $5 million. And it's one of the most expensive pieces of furniture ever sold.

Price: $5 million

The George II Parcel-Gilt Padouk Cabinet, made in 1760, is another piece of antique furniture attributed to Thomas Chippendale. Two curved padouk-veneered shelves and three mahogany-lined drawers are contained within the highly detailed piece, which measures over 3 meters tall. Beautifully designed furniture from a reputable designer will only appreciate in value. The cabinet incorporates components from several of Chippendale's patterns published in his Gentleman and Cabinet-Director, Maker's 1st edition 1754, as well as the 2nd edition 1755, which only had minor alterations.

The George II Parcel Gilt Padouk Cabinet sold for £2,729,250 ($3.9 million) at Christie's in 2008, firmly establishing it as one of the most expensive pieces of furniture ever sold at auction. The price, according to Christie's head of furniture, reflects the high demand for high-quality goods.

Price: $3.9 million