So you want a pine wardrobe. What options do have available to you if you are getting a custom-built wardrobe? Different sizes. Depending on your storage requirements, available space and layout of your designated room, you can typically buy a wardrobe with just a single door up to quadruple doors.

3 Door Pine Wardrobe

For a 3 door wardrobe for example, it is usually constructed with one section to hang your clothes and another section with shelving and drawers. Aside from providing more storage space, a larger wardrobe helps to fill out a spacious room (that may otherwise seem empty and unimpressive). The combination of  hanging rail, shelving and drawers can vary of course. So if you are sharing a wardrobe with a partner, you might have two sections for hanging garments and one section of shelves and drawers. There is definitely versatility. On top of that, the warm colors and pine smell is a plus.

I think another great reason for having a multi-door wardrobe is organization. What do I mean by this? If your room at the moment has several smaller storage pieces (E.g. dressers), you can replace them with one multi-door wardrobe piece. So now instead of keeping all your clothing in scattered places, you can keep them together in one location while still having the various sections, compartments, drawers to organize them. In the end, you might actually end up maximizing your room space. With greater organization, this will contribute an efficiency benefit in your daily routines. Spend less time rummaging through different storage pieces looking for the right outfit.

Dollhouse Corner Wardrobe

Another style of wardrobe is a corner wardrobe. As the name suggests, a corner wardrobe sits in the corner of your room. This kind of wardrobe can add dimension to a style of your room and organize space, enhancing functionality. However, take care when considering this option. Ensure that your room is suitable.  Ask yourself a couple of questions. Once placed in your room, is there enough area around the wardrobe to allow easy access? Conversely, is it going to going to cause awkward movement to other parts of your room?

If a wardrobe with a regular hinged door isn’t practical for your room (or perhaps isn’t your taste), you can consider sliding wardrobes. These styles can help optimize space – you do not have to factor outward door clearance into your purchasing decision. It also means that areas of your room that are near other swinging doors now become an available option for placement. Sliding wardrobes are usually less expensive than the other types of wardrobes.

There are of course people out there who have the opposite problem – a spacious room that can potentially look empty, barren. For example in a large living room, in order to “fill it” so to speak, you can place a large wardrobe in one corner and a sizable L-shaped sofa in another. This can be a matching combination. To find out more on such sofas, check out this sectional sofas guide.

Of course, wardrobes aren’t just different in terms of functionality. They can vary in their physical appearance. For example, as you probably can guess, wardrobes do come in various colors of which white is very popular. Visit this white wardrobes site for more detailed information. Also, you can get antique pine wardrobes if that is more to your liking. However, ideally, you would only go for this option if such a style is suitable for your home and the room in which the wardrobe will reside. As a example, you would probably want to accompany this style of wardrobe with matching antique desks.

When you walk into a furniture shop and see a pine wardrobe you want, how do you know that it is going to the right choice for you?

Likely any other furniture in your home, the selection criteria is primarily based on appearance and functionality. Firstly, I’ll cover identifying quality which will have a bearing on appearance as well as functionality. At first glance, you are likely to notice straight away the knots, grain and shakes (i.e. small cracks in wood surface). Before jumping the gun and freaking out, yes, these are technically considered to be slight defects, but in actuality it is these natural irregularities that will give your pine furniture its uniqueness. Think of these features as character. Knots should be expected. However, if there are holes in the knots or there are too many knots, then the furniture would become weak. This may not be a problem for you depending on the load you want to place. For example, if you’re just going to put clothes in them, then it is unlikely to break the wardrobe. If you’re contemplating putting heavier items, then factor that into your purchasing decision.

Another important aspect of the furniture to check before purchase is its construction. The joints should have dowels or screws, not stapled. If glue is used, this should not should outside the joint. It should be noted that pine furniture when crafted well, is smooth and the walls plumb. Any drawers should pull out smoothly and maintain their shape when twisted. The fasteners on the drawer should make a snug fit between the front and the rest of the drawer. The doors when closed, should be flush with the front of the wardrobe. Finally, the wardrobe should be sturdy. Assuming it is sitting on a level ground, if rocked, it should not wobble.

Obvious visual signs of poorly constructed pine furniture include splintered edges, scratches and dents on the surface. The back panels and other unexposed parts should be sanded smooth and well fitted.

Large Pine Wardrobe

Now, you can get finished or unfinished pine furniture. Why would you choose unfinished? If you feel creative, you can personalize it by painting or stenciling. So there is flexibility in going with this option. At a later point, if your taste changes, you can refinish and repaint to your liking.

One additional point I would like to make with regards to appearance is matching with the surrounding furniture and the room itself. For example, if you had a Futon Bed, you might want to blend that with an antique pine wardrobe whose design has some Asian influence.

There are two ways you can go about making your choice. You can either go for the mass-produced route (E.g. IKEA) or the custom-built route. Obviously, the cost will vary, but the principles behind your selection criteria remains the same.

If you want to know more about finding other kinds of bedroom furniture, check out this bedroom decor tips site.

So you’ve purchased your dream pine wardrobe for your bedroom, or perhaps you’ve got one already. What steps can you take to ensure it will last as long as possible and retain as much of its original appearance and quality as possible? Usually, manufacturers will provide their own instructions on this matter, but I’ll cover some general basics that will be widely applicable.

The first important thing to know is that pine actually breathes while sitting in your home. No, it’s not alive after the tree it comes from is cut down and processed. What do I mean by this then and what is the significance of this? Well, pine would react to changing temperature and humidity in its local environment. Specifically, it could experience shrinkage and expansion sometimes. In a moist environment, the wood would expand, bend and when subject to heat, it may shrink and crack. So, continuous and sudden fluctuations in temperature would be very bad for your pine furniture. A room with even temperature is ideal. Definitely avoid putting it next to a radiator or in direct sunlight. Also, on a related matter, try not to put hot or chilled things (e.g. hot coffee or iced long island tea) directly on the surface. A marking WILL be left there. Remember to always use a coaster or place mat with decent thickness.

Next is cleaning your beloved pine furniture. For general cleaning, it’s quite simple. A duster (or vacuum cleaner) and LIGHTLY damp cloth will do. I emphasize LIGHTLY because of the adverse effects of exposing pine to moisture mentioned earlier. Importantly, avoid applying soap, detergent agents of any sort and even water for that matter.

As for maintaining the unique finish of pine, refrain from using any polish with Silicon in them (just check the ingredient listing on the cleaning product) as well as aerosol sprays. The reason is because this type of furniture already has a natural stain and finish, and will react to a majority of man-made products.

On a less frequent basis, you may need to re-treat the surface of your wardrobe in order to maintain its character. If you’re nervous about this process, you can call in a professional. But it’s quite straightforward to do it yourself. Unperfumed block wax is the option to go for. Just rub that over the entire surface. After treatment, don’t worry if you notice that the surface is  slightly more waxier than before. This is fine since as I indicated earlier, the wood breathes.