I can really agonize over furniture purchases.
I’ve never had an affinity for armoires. Maybe I’ve just never had a need for one. But, in this apartment, I have a space in my room that really calls for a taller, skinnier piece. A highboy dresser could work, but, I use a long, low dresser in my living room (which is 3 steps from my bedroom), so, it seems like an armoire/cabinet is really the best choice for this situation.
My heart goes out to the Leanne Ford curved cabinet from Crate and Barrel, but, as a renter I don’t love investing in pieces I’m not sure will fit in my next apartment. A few years ago IKEA came out with a caned cabinet that I loved. It’s long since sold out, but, the cane furniture fad is still going pretty strong. The problem is again that most of those pieces tend to be more than I want to spend for something I may have to give up in the not so distant future. (Yes, I know I can resell, but, I’m honestly too lazy, so, I usually end up donating things that don’t work from apartment to apartment…..way less work and I feel better about myself).
Enter this armoire. It was out of stock for awhile, but, it fit the criteria, correct dimensions, correct price, etc. I was worried it was too coastal for an NYC apartment, but, then I figured, THERE ARE NO RULES. I CAN BUY WHAT I LIKE. Sometimes I need to remind myself of simple truths.
Ok, now, full review. You have to assemble it, but, it was fairly easy. As far as quality, its not something that’s going to stop you with its beautiful construction, but, its sturdy and nice and overall I’m happy with it. Most importantly, it has storage! You know what I need in my rental apartment? Storage! My sweaters and spare toilet paper are all very happy living in there. I was worried you’d be able to see inside with the woven panels, but, everything is pretty well camouflaged.
Here are the others I seriously considered (most involved me upping my budget, but, oh geez, I was tempted). And none of the below are outrageous! Under $2,000 at most.
Clearly I’m currently very heavily influenced by curves and cane.
If I went with 5 I was thinking I would find a way to frost the upper glass panels to hide the contents, which I still half wish I had done.
What are your thoughts on armoires? I’m really coming around to how versatile they are, I think I’m a convert.