Wardrobe Closets

When we generally think of armoires, a picture of traditional stained French style armoire will pop into our heads. Shockingly enough, not all bedroom sets have stained oak furniture or are antique hand-me-downs. Believe it or not, there are bedrooms sets that this traditional look would clash with and be totally unacceptable. For those with a more modern look, perhaps a white or black armoire would do nicely. Here is a quick look at a few white armoires to fill a variety of needs.

Cotton Candy Pure White Armoire, South Shore Furniture, $300
South Shore Furniture has several models available in this price range and color, but this one is recommended mostly because of the lower drawer space. If the wardrobe armoire is being used solely for clothing storage, this will more than do the job. It features an inside mirrored door with large shelving units that are ideal for sweater storage, a side hanging closet and 2 large pull-out drawers on the bottom of the cabinet. It is pretty tough to beat for right around $300.

Vista White Armoire, Sorelle, $770
This is obviously a much more expensive model, but it is quite stunning. Designed in traditional French Fashion, it can be used solely for clothing or in combination with a TV stored in the top compartment. The drawers are high and deep and the hanging space is perfect for a large television or to hold all of your finer garments. If shopping for children look elsewhere, as this is definitely an adult piece of furniture.

Children’s Products Shaker White Armoire, Delta, $200
White is a very popular color for children’s rooms and it would be unjust to leave them totally out. Delta has a simple, yet very cute white armoire that is perfect for the kids. It features three pull-out drawers on the bottom and actually sacrifices very little space in the top compartment to make this happen. The space that is available is perfect for small TV or to house some action figures or dolls.

Knowing full well that white will not go with all modern styled bedrooms, tomorrow will feature some of the best black armoires. This is something that you will not want to miss because these pieces are absolutely stunning.

There are many different types of armoires on the market today. Some are designed specifically for use as a wardrobe armoire and others are made for different purposes such as the jewelry armoire or as an entertainment cabinet. So what classifies a wardrobe armoire as French/European style?

One of the reasons a wardrobe armoire is considered French/European is the way it is made and constructed. The classic French style of wardrobe closet will feature multiple drawers on the bottom of the armoire and a hanging closet as the top portion. While many people today will use this to house their televisions, it is actually meant as a place to hang their finer clothing.

Remember, when armoires were first created, homes more than likely did not have the closet space that is present in the houses that we live in today. Because of this, these large cabinets were used as a way to keep clothing organized and clean. Over the years, higher end models were made and actually considered a type of status symbol. The fancier and more expensive the armoire, the more likely that the owner came from class and wealth.

They can either be made in a simple style but typically they have carvings and embellishments that are made out of wood to decorate them. These can be purchased either as antiques or brand new ones are being made in the same French/European styles that were so popular centuries ago. Those who have a new one can easily make theirs look like an antique with just a few tricks that they can find online.

When looking for a wardrobe armoire that fits the French/European style, look for those that are made of wood. They should also have drawers on the bottom with a cabinet at the top. New ones can be made to look antique with just a few tricks that can be found online which are quite easy to do.

Oak is probably one of the most common woods that is used for bedroom sets today, at least quality ones. Oak has a very rich look to it and is flexible enough to blend with almost any setting. Whether it is painted or finished, oak has long been a favorite. There is no better way to compliment a beautiful oak bedroom set than with an oak wardrobe closet.

Everyone eventually needs some extra storage space. Moving is always an eye opener to see how much stuff has been accumulated when the best of efforts was made not to do exactly that. Nobody wants to keep burying their clothes in boxes and there really isn’t a need to if you have an oak wardrobe closet to hold what the regular closets cannot hold.

The moment people hear oak being talked about, they automatically think that the piece of furniture is going to cost a ton of money. While there are furniture pieces that will put a dent into the bank account, there are just as many that are very affordable and will still look very nice. A little bargain shopping on the Internet will go a long way in securing something that will look good and not cost as much as the rest of the bedroom set.

The Ameriwood Wardrobe with 3 Doors and 3 Drawers has a beautiful oak finish on it and costs less than $400. It is packed with space for suits, dresses, shirts and just about anything else you can think of. It is the perfect secondary storage area that will not stick out like a sore thumb in the bedroom, or any room for that matter.

Of course, if having just an oak finish on your wardrobe storage closet is not enough, the Diversified Woodcrafts Oak Wardrobe Storage Closet ($1,879) will cost a pretty penny, but the wardrobe closet is oak through and through. Again, there is plenty of space and it will look incredible in any setting.

The choices for this type of furniture are truly endless. As you can see, there are lower end models that have an oak finish, but look just as good as some of the higher priced items. However, there really is nothing like real oak and when the perfect piece is found, it really brings a look of richness to the whole room.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the best expensive closets out there. This article is aimed at folks who know they want to spend a large amount of money on a closet system, closet organizer, stand alone closet, or wardrobe closet armoire, and want to buy an expensive closet in order to get the best of the best. All the closets discussed in this article range from about $300 to $550.

The JLH-525

Here we have a wonderful closet shelving system from John Louis Horne. This 16 inch deep, solid wood honey maple closet storage unit, model JLH-525 is very impressive looking while also providing highly versatile storage. (Pictured here is a solid maple finish but the JLH 525 is also available in mahogany.)

Take a look at that shelving system that goes from the top to the bottom of the unit! Each shelve measure 16 inches deep, providing a very generous amount of space for your folded clothing, shoes, towels, and other wardrobe items. As you can see, there’s not one, not two, but three metal wardrobe bars for hanging your clothes, as well as a storage area that runs the length of the unit on top for holding additional items.

A perk of using a John Loius Horne closet shelf system such as the JLH-525 is that it’s expandable. JLH makes additional closet storage shelves that can be attached and added on to this unit in case you ever need more storage, although that’s hard to imagine looking at the features and size of this one!

The John Louis Horne JLH-525 closet shelving system costs about $500.

Freestanding Closet

Next up we have a very unique looking item which would look great in an open studio apartment or loft that didn’t have ample closet storage built in and the idea of installing wall mounted storage just isn’t an option. What then? You buy a stand alone closet! This is the Freestanding Closet by InterMetro. It’s got a closet rod for hanging clothes built in between two freestanding closet storage areas, one for hanging additional clothes and the other for folded items. This would work best outside of the closet in an open room or a large walk in closet with lots of space to accommodate this unit, with its four 18 x 36 inch shelves, 74 posts, and a 36 clothes hanger tube. InterMetro sells this white freestanding closet for about $340.

French Country Wardrobe Armoire

Okay, up next we have something that fits in nicely for this site; after all, this is a wardrobe closet guide, right? Picture here is a beautiful French Country Wardrobe Closet. It’s got 2 doors on top and 4 small bottom drawers. This solid wood wardrobe armoire is made of sturdy materials with a beautiful hand designed finish, complete with curved panels and beadboard detailing. This white French Country Wardrobe Armoire will run you about $550.

AmeriWood 9155 Wardrobe Cabinet

If you appreciate the design of the armoire, but prefer a solid wood wardrobe closet, this two door AmeriWood 9155 wardrobe cabinet may be for you. Weighing in at over 200 pounds, this is no cheap “Made in China” armoire that will fall a part on you after a year! Standing 72 inches tall with an both top and bottom storage, this two door modern wardrobe armoire runs anywhere from $350 to $550.

Stand alone closets offer many benefits and users around the home.

First of all, one can strategically place them or orient them in the room to their liking. This means that if it works out best to place a stand alone closet directly on the side of the bed your wife wakes up, then you can do so. Or, if this means it’s best to place the stand alone closet in the corner of the room, well, you can place it there too, no problem.

Even if the stand alone closet, such as a wardrobe closet is heavy and bulky and can’t really rightly be considered a portable closet, they can be moved as needed, something that obviously can’t be said for closets built into the design of a home.

The stand alone closet also offers the potential for decor benefits than a normal closet cannot. The doors themselves can be fitted with mirrors or artwork. This is also true of the sides of the closet. The legs of the unit may be designed with some flair, suggestible of Victorian and other styles common in antique wooden furniture.

The top of the stand alone unit can be used to place photos and other items arranged thoughtfully. Many stand alone closets come with engravings or designs built into their frames, making them not just functional but nice to look at and complimentary to the rest of the decor in the home.

The quality you’ll find in a stand alone closet depends on how much money you want to spend. The available designs run the range from focusing on function over beauty (for instance, Rubbermaid closet systems) to focusing on both beauty and function. Certainly, the more money you want to spend usually equals a more elegant design, higher quality materials in both the wood and metals used, and extra features such as additional drawers and cabin work inside the unit.

Finally, let’s take a look at one more area in regards to stand alone closets. There’s also a large distinction here between different items that are all stand alone closets but are quite different from each other. Broadly you can think of three different types of styles here. In one corner you’ve got  stand alone wooden wardrobe closets, which are heavy, made of solid wood, and sometimes costing  upwards of thousands of dollars. Then you’ve got what’s called a stand alone portable closet, designed to be economical and mobile, sometimes even with wheels on the bottom. And finally you’ve got the stand closets that are neither a wardrobe armoire nor portable closets, but function in their design and look as something in between, but with limited mobility. These are more like modern day wardrobe closets but are cheaper and not made with as high quality materials as an armoire.

Review and General Information about the Home Source 3-Door Black Wardrobe Closet.

So – what are we working with here? What’s this item look like?
This is an elegant looking 3 door plus 2 drawer Wardrobe Closet from Home Source, similar to the Rubbermaid closet product line. It’s available in a solid black finish an silver colored handles. It’s readily available from Amazon.com and also from many Target retailers. Home Source has made a solid looking wardrobe closet with this model at a much lower price than many other wardrobe closets.

Who/what is it for?
This item makes a great looking piece of stand-alone furniture. Anyone who needs extra space in their bedroom or guest bedroom would make great use of this 3 door wardrobe closet for extra clothes, coats, suits, and dresses.

How much does it cost?
This wardrobe closet is currently available from Amazon.com for $199 + shipping. Note that for shipping costs, this item weighs 167 pounds, adding quite a hefty shipping surcharge. (To most places it’s an additional $83.)

Tell me some of the features and technical specifics of this item.
The Home Source Wardrobe Closet has 3 doors on top for hanging clothes and 2 drawers on the bottom for folded items or other storage. It’s available in a black laminate finish made of a wood-composite frame. The finish itself is stained resistant and can be cleaned with a lightly damp cloth and cleaning spray. This item does not come assembled, and will require a few hours work most likely to put together. It’s hefty, coming in over 150 pounds. Size wise, you are looking at a decent sized wardrobe closet at approximately 36 inches (width) by 18 inches (depth) by 72 inches (height).

A nice perk is that the the doors and drawers have a magnetic closure function so they won’t fall open on accident.

Does it come with a lifetime warranty?
No information is available on a warranty. It would appear there is no warranty offered on this item. (If you’ve purchased this item and have information on the warranty status, please add a comment below. Thanks!)

Summary: This is a nice looking wardrobe closet that is on the low end of the price scale. Considering many closets come in at $400 dollars and up, for $200 you get a nice solid looking black closet with ample space in its 36 inches wide and 18 inches, plus the two bottom drawers. The shipping weight of this item lends itself best towards buying in person to avoid a near 50% surcharge on the base price via a shipping and handling fee. It is usually available from most Target stores that sell wardrobe closets.