How can I raise a hope chest?

Hello Ginny! I don't think I would put a wood hope chest in front of the baseboard heat. The wood of the hope chest is going to dry out from the heat and over time may crack and be damaged. Plus it is a safety issue to have a solid piece of furniture in front of the baseboards and even if you raised it up it would still be too close to the baseboards. Perhaps you could use your hope chest in another area as a coffee table or a spot to display pictures where it is away from the baseboards.

You just need to take a couple of 2X4's the depth of your chest, paint them to match your chest or flooring and set them at the inside ends under the chest. This way you can clean whenever you want.

I agree with GK, above.

My hope chest is way too big & too heavy to put “on legs” and I would have to build a large base for mine and it would look ridiculous.

Raising it up will not deflect the heat under it. The heated air can get trapped under the chest rather than into the room. Baseboard heat work by convection. They draw cool air near the floor over heated metal fins and heated air to flows out the top. Best solution is to place the chest away from the wall to let the air rise behind it.

Could you place it at the end of your bed?

I suggest you go to your local hardware store and purchase mailbox posts, cut them to the length you desire and attach them. Mailbox post are sturdier than legs and can hold most anything.

Hi, Ginny,

Amazon and other retailers sell "baseboard heat extenders", which attach magnetically to your existing baseboard heater and extend under the depth of your furniture. They come in varying lengths.

Maybe you can relocate your hope chest just for the heating season? Otherwise, William's got the right idea. I need to do the same thing, move furniture away from the wall a good bit, so the heat isn't blocked.

I have placed mine at the foot of my bed.