Up in Armoires

October 17, 2011 by guillaume Leave a Comment

 

           As every savvy New Yorker knows, you’ve got to make the most of every inch of space in your place- which is why I’m going to showcase one of my favorite pieces of furniture that is both stylish and organizationally functional.

     The armoire is a large cabinet chest with shelves and drawers.  It has been a common type of furniture as early as the 16^th century in France.  The word armoire comes from the Latin root arma (gear, tools, arms) and the Latin armarium (“closet, chest, place for implements or tools”).   Although we most likely won’t be storing tools or weapons in our armoires, it makes a wonderful storage space for collections of things such as books, clothes, shoes, and other things that you don’t want cluttering up your apartment! 

My own armoire was purchased from an auction in Upstate New York, and was previously owned by Kelly Klein!  You can view her blog entry on Habitually Chic:

http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/search?q=kelly+klein&updated-max=2011-04-07T23%3A36%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20

It is 11.5 feet high, 13 feet wide, and is crafted of Mahogany wood with details of cast iron and leather trays on the inside.   I keep my large set of ironstone (more about this type of cookware in a future blog!) in the very top shelf of my own armoire, and use the top to showcase my marble bust collection.

Let me tell you: don’t be intimidated by size!  An armoire can become a treasured piece of furniture and a great statement piece for your home.  Although I strongly encourage scouting out auctions and antique stores for some amazing finds, you can purchase some beautiful and high-quality armoires from several retailers as well.  Here are some sites for your inspiration:

http://www.stairgalleries.com/

http://www.restorationhardware.com/

Now you know a stylish way to store!