Cassettiera vs. comò vs. settimino
While the Italian words cassettiera, comò, and settimino all translate to a chest of drawers or a dresser, they are not completely interchangeable. The differences depend on the piece of furniture's overall shape, its intended room, and its historical design.
Cassettiera
The word cassettiera is the most generic term for any piece of furniture composed of stacked drawers. It is highly versatile and can be found in any room, such as an office, a bathroom, a kitchen, or a garage.
Ho comprato una nuova cassettiera per organizzare i documenti in ufficio.
(I bought a new chest of drawers to organize documents in the office.)
La cassettiera del bagno è piena di asciugamani puliti.
(The bathroom chest of drawers is full of clean towels.)
Il meccanico tiene tutti i suoi strumenti in una grande cassettiera di metallo.
(The mechanic keeps all his tools in a large metal chest of drawers.)
Metti le posate nella prima fila della cassettiera in cucina.
(Put the cutlery in the top row of the drawer unit in the kitchen.)
Comò
The term comò specifically refers to a traditional, wide, and relatively low dresser meant exclusively for the bedroom. It is primarily used to store folded clothes and often features a large surface area on top for displaying items or resting a mirror.
Ho appoggiato i miei gioielli e il profumo sul comò prima di andare a dormire.
(I placed my jewelry and perfume on the dresser before going to sleep.)
Questo comò antico di legno scuro apparteneva a mia bisnonna.
(This antique dark wood chest of drawers belonged to my great-grandmother.)
Abbiamo comprato un letto matrimoniale con un comò abbinato.
(We bought a double bed with a matching dresser.)
C'è un bellissimo specchio rotondo appeso proprio sopra il comò.
(There is a beautiful round mirror hanging right above the dresser.)
Settimino
The word settimino designates a tall, narrow chest of drawers typically found in a bedroom. Historically, a settimino features exactly seven drawers, designed to hold clothing or lingerie for each day of the week, making it a great space-saving option.
Un settimino è perfetto per sfruttare lo spazio in una camera da letto piccola.
(A tall chest of drawers is perfect to make the most of the space in a small bedroom.)
Ho sistemato tutta la mia biancheria intima nei cassetti del settimino.
(I organized all my underwear in the drawers of the tallboy.)
Il nome di questo mobile deriva dal fatto che il settimino ha sette cassetti.
(The name of this piece of furniture comes from the fact that the tall dresser has seven drawers.)
Hanno messo un elegante settimino bianco nell'angolo della stanza.
(They put an elegant white tall narrow dresser in the corner of the room.)
Summary
To summarize, use cassettiera for any general unit with drawers regardless of the room. Choose comò for a classic, wide bedroom dresser used for folded clothes. Opt for settimino when referring to a tall, narrow bedroom chest that traditionally features seven drawers to save floor space.