Wardrobe Closets

The original portable wardrobe was fashioned from wood. It had a beautiful design. Today, some furniture manufacturers offer a wardrobe of comparable beauty. An online shopper can find one such wardrobe in the Ashby Collection. Details about the various items in that collection appear on the Pottery Barn web site.

The Ashby wardrobe, like all the furniture in the Ashby collection, was crafted from planks of Spruce, a durable wood with a rich grain. In addition to the wardrobe, the Ashby Collection includes a bed, a dresser and a bedside table. PotteryBarn also sells, and posts online pictures of a Belvedere armoire and drawer case.

The tall doors of the Belvedere armoire can open to reveal an open cabinet and removable clothing rod. The buyer of a Belvedere armoire has the opportunity to request an optional case, one that allows a 42 inch TV to be placed inside of the wardrobe. That optional case adds another $299 to the total cost of this lovely portable wardrobe.

The PotteryBarn catalogue puts forward the claim that the owner of a Belvedere armoire will want that piece of wardrobe furniture to remain in the family for many generations. This solid wood portable wardrobe has a rustic pine finish. The same catalogue indicates that the Belvedere armoire does not have to be used as a wardrobe storage item; it can also serve as an excellent entertainment center.

Like the Belvedere armoire, a bonnetiere can often function in a roll other than the role of “wardrobe.” Each bonnetiere has a window in its door. The original bonnetieres were used for storing lady’s bonnets. Not every wardrobe can have a dual use. A closet wardrobe and a mirror wardrobe do not have features that facilitate their use in a capacity other than the one for which they were originally designed.

A bonnetiere is a narrow, tall cupboard. As the name implies, it was first created and used in the French regions. It first came into use in Normandy and Brittany during the 1600s and 1700s. The bonnetiere looks like a large antique-style wardrobe. Unlike a wardrobe, though, it only has a single door. Bonnetieres got their name because of their first purpose. They were originally used for storing the very high bonnets that were so fashionable for ladies in the 17th and 18th centuries. That is what gives Bonnetieres their characteristic shape, and why they are usually only half as wide as the usual wardrobe or armoire.

A bonnetiere may have a mirrored on the door. It may also have a single drawer built in underneath the door. In some cases, this imposing armoire-style piece has a glass door and a series of shelves beneath. Most of the time, however, it is the wood itself and the decorative carving on the door itself that is the main attraction. Bonnetieres are crafted from fine woods like walnut, with delicate hand staining and exquisitely detailed carvings. Country French Interiors and Charme D’atan both offer high-end bonnetieres online. Be aware, though, these products are in a higher price range.

Because this piece of furniture is in the same class as the armoire, it often looks attractive in the bedroom or dressing room. It can be used to store clothing or linens. Antique designs do tend to blend well with elegant surroundings in master suites. Another good location for a bonnetiere is the formal dining area. Some styles have a single glass door above a lower set of drawers. It can be used for displaying fine china or heirloom silver pieces. Of course, the living room offers a nice opportunity to showcase the elegant carpentry that is so characteristic of these pieces. The bonnetiere is a large piece of furniture that can dominate a smaller room, so choose its location carefully. Bonnetieres require no special tools for installation. Some homeowners like to place coasters or foot protectors at the base to protect carpeting.

There comes a time in life when it is time to enjoy the fruit of one’s labors. The years of hard work and scrimping and saving have paid off, the children have left the nest and those home improvement dreams that have been deferred can now be realized.  For many homeowners, one of these is the installation of gorgeous built in closets.

There is an entire world of luxury custom closet ideas and retailers on the Internet. Now there is time for leisurely browsing the many sites with photographs and suggestions of how to plan and find the appropriate contractor to install an absolutely stunning and incredibly functional closet. A truly beautiful built in closet can actually serve as a private dressing area as well as a place to house and protect a wardrobe.

When it comes to high end built in options, there is literally no end to the possibilities. While in the past, even luxurious closets were still only for carefully storing clothing, accessories and shoes, today the discerning closet designer can include sitting areas, storage islands and even built in armoires with mirrored doors. When constructing new homes today, builders realize that as much as 20 percent of the home’s square footage should be reserved for storage areas and closets.

The addition of islands in built in closets is a growing trend and one that provides the ability to add custom storage areas based on the owner’s needs and desires. These islands serve several functions with drawers that can be specifically designed with dividers for items like hosiery, jewelry and lingerie. Locking drawers make certain that valuable jewelry is safe and easily accessible too.  Island countertops done in granite or tile not only are beautiful but serve as a staging area when preparing for a formal evening out.

Built in closets can be beautiful and functional at the same time. Aesthetic treatments such as raised panels on doors and crown molding add a finishing touch and can actually make the owner want to leave the closet doors open all of the time. Form and function can co-exist when laundry hampers and iron boards are also built in, but hidden from view.  With all of the options available, today’s master closet can be everything from strictly organized and efficient to wildly luxurious and elegant.

Part Two

This is part two of two in article looking at both fitted wardrobes and the stand alone wardrobe closet. Take a look at part one of our article titled Fitted Wardrobes or Wardrobe Closets? to catch up to this post. Part one we looked at defining these two terms, taking into account how both wardrobe closets and fitted wardrobes are designed. Below we move past definitions to get into the reasons you’d want to choose one type of closet storage system over the other.

To understand which type of closet storage system is better, you need to look at what your needs are in relation to these products.

For instance, a fitted wardrobe with sliding doors is an excellent option for a home that needs a lot of storage space yet cannot afford to waste any space in doing so. A sliding door fitted wardrobe makes for an excellent choice in this situation for a number of reasons:

1. You can store about twice as much in it than a wardrobe closet of the same width.
2. Because the doors slide open, you need not reserve space to the left and right of the unit for the doors to swing open.
3. You can access and utilize the storage space that runs between the top of the fitted wardrobe and the ceiling of your home too.

Additionally, many people find the fitted wardrobe a more attractive option if they are seeking a more modern look for the closet storage system.

On the other hand, a wardrobe closet may be a better fit for those in a different situation. Consider a home with a large amount of space that seeks to use an armoire not just for storage but also as a decorative item. A country home with an antique flair that enjoys relishing in the solid wood wardrobe design would benefit most from the look of an antique closet over the flair of a fitted wardrobe.

Contrast this with someone who is the go a lot and needs a suitable solution for closet storage who might benefit the most from a portable closet, and you have yet another different reason to use one of the other of these two classes of wardrobes.

As you can see, it all comes down to what you want and what you need, as well as the home and living situation, in order to decide which is a better for you: a wardrobe closet or a fitted wardrobe!

Part One

If you have a decent budget and are in mind to spend it on a closet storage system, you will end up finding out that there are quite a few options out there that move far beyond simply a Rubbermaid closet organizer. Companies like John Louis Home manufacture complete closet systems that have to be installed from floor to ceiling that can completely transform your walk in closet to a closet storage room of massive proportions.

These closets are certainly nice and do the job as far as holding clothes correctly, but what if you don’t have a walk in closet? What if you need to create a closet with the space you have?

This leaves you with the option of buying either a stand alone closet or installing a fitted closet. Deciding which one of these is better is the question I want to look at today.

Fitted Wardrobes
A fitted wardrobe is a wardrobe closet that’s installed from floor to ceiling utilizing the homes design as part of its construction. This means that the design of the home is taken into consideration in a big way and the wardrobe is literally fitted around it. For instance, a fitted wardrobe may be installed that runs the length of the entire wall that the bed rests against, going from the floor to the ceiling on both sides of the bed and then connecting with a cabinet that runs over the length of the bed. Another example is that some fitted wardrobes will utilizing the walls of the home to function as the back wall of the wardrobe closet and even the side or sides of the closet, depending on the layout of the home.

Fitted wardrobe is very popular in the United Kingdom. In the United States, there popularity is not as great – perhaps due to percentage of homes designed built in closets or walk in closets that provide ample storage space from the start for their wardrobe clothes.

Stand Alone Closets
A stand alone closet can be defined as any free standing closet storage space. This definition takes into account both portable closets as well as the classic wardrobe closet. Let’s look at these two types of stand alone closets.

A portable closet is a lightweight closet designed to be mobile and provide access to clothing. They are used often in guest homes, guest rooms, and in studio apartments and dorm rooms, as well as for anyone who is often on the go and needs a reliable closet. A portable closet nearly always consists of a light metal frame with cloth walls. They cost between $30 and $100 US.

A wardrobe closet, also known as a wardrobe armoire, is a heavy free standing closet, nearly always made of solid wood. Wardrobe closets often feature elegant designs, hand painted or hand carved engravings, and cost a bundle, with the price tag starting at the low end of about $200 US and going up into the $2,000 to $3,000 US range.

Stay tuned as tomorrow we complete part two of two in this article series comparing free standing wardrobe closets and fitted wardrobes!

Besides “I love you”, there are three other words that children just love to hear:  “clean your room!”

Well, they don’t exactly love to hear this, but they simply must.  Children need a clean, tidy space for rest, relaxation, play and often, for studying. Oak wardrobe armoires are a clever storage solution for their bedroom dilemma!

Dressers are great pieces of furniture, but they often fill up quickly with things stuffed in them and on top of them. Wardrobe closets are a great way to expand children’s bedroom furniture space to keep clothing and such neatly tucked away. Oak wardrobe closets are perfect for hanging clothes, storing linen, books and more.

Cleaning and organizing juvenile bedroom space doesn’t have to be a painstaking chore any longer. The Prepac Oak Juvenile TV/Wardrobe Armoire will give you the added space you need to get the job done. The wardrobe closet has versatile dimensions and can be easily assembled. This oak wardrobe is a simple, all-in-one bedroom storage center in one box!

There will be no excuse for clothes and other bedroom items lying all over the room. Prepac Oak Wardrobes are well made with engineered wood that is made to last. Three drawers on the bottom of the oak wardrobe move with ease and have child-friendly, built-in safety stops. This armoire is well recommended and reasonably priced on Amazon.com for $197.00.

The Prepac Oak Juvenile TV/Wardrobe Armoire looks classic and polished with a clean, attractive appearance. The light brown oak has simple detail and will fit well with any bedroom theme. The wardrobe contains generous hanging space and shelves for children’s clothes, bedroom items and a small TV. You will be glad that your children can finally have a place to store their things!