Everyone wants to sell you an oak wardrobe

It's ironic that, after years of telling us that fitted bedroom furniture is the only thing to have, many companies have now decided that freestanding wardrobes may still be a good idea after all...

Freestanding or fitted?
OK fitted units can look good, but if they're shaving something like 18 inches to 2 feet (450mm to 600mm) off an entire wall of a modern bedroom it really doesn't leave much room for anything else. This is because modern bedrooms are frequently smaller than the 'typical' 10ft x 12ft (3m x 3.6m) of the past and, by the time you add a 5ft (1.5m) double bed with enough room either side and at the foot, there really isn't room for anything else.

A transitory population
30 years ago it was estimated that the average adult would live in four different homes; one when they first married, the next when children arrived, a third as their prosperity grew and then a fourth when their children left and something smaller was need for retirement. Thus it made sense to install fitted furniture, after all, it would be used for a long time. Today however, society has changed and the average person will find themselves living in many more houses so it makes sense to have furniture that can be moved from home to home.

Oak means quality
The advantage of cheap furniture is that it can easily be replaced (or discarded if moving house) but the disadvantage is that it looks like... cheap furniture. Surely it is much better to invest in a good quality oak wardrobe that will survive the peaks and troughs of the working life and yet still look good even if it acquires one or two minor blemishes along the way.

Buy buy buy
Manufacturers and retailers have realised that shrewd buyers have woken up to the advantages of the oak wardrobe. This is why there is now so much competition to sell them. Cheap furniture has its place, but a quality wardrobe will last a lifetime (and beyond) so they want to be sure your one-off or long-term purchase is placed with them rather than elsewhere.