Wardrobes Wardrobes and More Wardrobes!

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So, today I was looking around for new bedroom furniture and was amazed to find that pine and oak, whilst are very different woods, the prices are very similar. Granted oak wardrobes are a bit more expensive, but when it comes to longevity, the oak wardrobe beats pine wardrobes hands down. While the cheap wardrobes may be a good short term solution, I personally would prefer to buy something that I know will last probably longer than me! After christmas I'm going to start focusing on Living Room Furniture.

Oak Vs Pine

Oak wardrobes are more expensive than those made of pine. This is partially due to pine’s ease of harvesting and much faster growth rate. There are over 100 species of pine. Because of this, pine is more promptly accessible, making it a widely distributed selection for wardrobes. With approximately 90 species, oak is available but it takes about twenty years to mature. This is the main reason that makes oak wardrobes more expensive as a result.

Pine is a soft wood that is easy to work with whether by hand or machine. Although it cannot be intricately carved like oak, pine does still allow for nice carving. Over time, pine creates a rich coating that only adds to its optical appeal. It is light and smooth and takes many kinds of finishes well. As an antique, pine wardrobes are sensational in their oldness and character-rich visual aspect.

Oak is a hard wood that is very strong and dense. It is used widely in many pieces of furniture. As a wardrobe, oak stands up well to wear and tear and is very stable. Its abrasive texture and distinctive grain give oak a very strong visual appeal. It can be carved easily, resulting in very fascinating and beautiful details for oak wardrobes. Oak also ages quite well visually and structurally, thus making it a great purchase.

Oak Wardrobes for small bedrooms

I was set a surprisingly difficult challenge recently and that was to find an oak wardrobe that would fit into a small bedroom.  Now there are dozens of oak bedroom furniture ranges on the market at the moment but, to my surprise, the smallest (narrowest) wardrobes all seem to be around the 4ft mark, whereas what was wanted was something around 3ft wide.

In the end I settled on the Hamilton wardrobe made by Core Products Ltd.  This is not 100% oak but it is solid hardwood and measures just under 3ft wide - 860mm to be exact.  It is a self-assembly item but I hapen to know that this manufacturer is one of the better quality 'flat pack' suppliers, so the finished item will be just fine.  Added to that, it should be a lot easier to get up the stairs and around the corner at the top in sections rather than as a single piece.

The Hamilton all hanging wardrobe is on sale on the Right Price Furniture website for just £283

Is it me?

If you've tried searching online for oak wardrobes then, if you're like me, you might soon think that they all look pretty much the same. This is actually a little unfair because the true quality of many of these wardrobes (or lack of it) can only really be appreciated when they are viewed at first hand.



There is however one range that, even online, stands out from the rest. This is a French Style oak range that was originally supplied by Devonshire Pine Ltd. Bizarrely, the company discontinued the range after only a few months but fortunately another importer, DFP has taken it over. It is now sold under various names including Breton and Chateau but many retailers who are buying the range from DFP have simply dropped the defunct Devonshire Pine prefix and now simply call it French Style Oak.



As the picture shows it is a more interesting style than the standard oak wardrobe and this is matched by the quality of the actual product.

How much should I pay for an oak wardrobe?

Prices are one of those things that are difficult to predict, due to their changeable nature. Who would have thought for example, that petrol prices could have gone so easily and quickly from 80p per litre to £1.22 a litre? (I remember when it was 50p a gallon - but that's a different story). OK, oak furniture prices have been rising due to the cost of fuel oil for ships and the weakness of the Pound and have increased by 10 to 20% since the beginning of 2010.

I would suggest that a typical 2 door oak wardrobe will now cost anything between £400 and £500. Anything over this and its either bespoke or you're paying for the retailer's brand. If it's much below this, check that it is actually oak and that you're dealing with a trustworthy retailer.

Buy Now! - Oak furniture prices rising

I've just heard that Devonshire Pine is raising the prices of its oak furniture ranges by 10% from the end of March 2010. This company builds its oak range overseas and the increases are due to the weakness of the Pound and rising shipping costs.

If they're putting up their prices, you can be sure others are likely to follow so, if you've always fancied that oak wardrobe, buy now...