The Wardrobe - A History
The word wardrobe appears to originate from the old Northern French 'Warderobe' - warder (to look after or guard) robe (garment).
Wardrobes are sometimes referred to as an armoire, this is simply the French word used for a standing closet used to hold clothes.
Before wardrobes, clothing was often stored in trunks or chests; it wasn't until a degree of luxury was attained when building castles and palaces that separate accommodation was provided for the apparel.
The name wardrobe originally referred to a whole room in which wealthy persons' clothes were kept.
The wall space in these rooms was often filled with cupboards and lockers, from these designs the modern wardrobe seems to have evolved slowly with its hanging spaces, drawers and shelves.
Starting as an open closet where the clothes would be hung, in the 19th Century the wardrobe began to develop into its modern form with a hanging cupboard on each side and shelving over drawers in the centre.
Eventually the centre door which had previously only enclosed the top section was carried to the floor to cover any drawers or sliding shelves and then fitted with a mirror.
Wardrobes are no longer limited to be used only by the wealthy.
With so many materials being used prices can vary hugely.
Choices of wood have remained pretty much the same since the early introduction of the wardrobe with mahogany, oak and pine ever popular.
More recent trends have lead to the use of Mexican style timbers, mango wood and Indian rose woods.
Modern wardrobes can even be provided in a flat pack form for ease of access up staircases and into the bedroom, these types of wardrobe are mainly made from a mixture of materials such as MDF and a combination of some solid wood with veneers.
This obviously impacts on the longevity and strength of the piece especially if it is taken apart and re assembled several times but can be ideal for a fast growing family.
You can find wardrobes for sale in many styles, shapes and sizes in the present day but during their past popularity as an item for the wealthy they were built using the rule of eight.
To build a good size double wardrobe the carpenter would consider if when completed it would be large enough to fit eight small men inside.
It is unlikely that this is an effective measurement guide for today's mass produced, machine made furniture.
Wardrobes are sometimes referred to as an armoire, this is simply the French word used for a standing closet used to hold clothes.
Before wardrobes, clothing was often stored in trunks or chests; it wasn't until a degree of luxury was attained when building castles and palaces that separate accommodation was provided for the apparel.
The name wardrobe originally referred to a whole room in which wealthy persons' clothes were kept.
The wall space in these rooms was often filled with cupboards and lockers, from these designs the modern wardrobe seems to have evolved slowly with its hanging spaces, drawers and shelves.
Starting as an open closet where the clothes would be hung, in the 19th Century the wardrobe began to develop into its modern form with a hanging cupboard on each side and shelving over drawers in the centre.
Eventually the centre door which had previously only enclosed the top section was carried to the floor to cover any drawers or sliding shelves and then fitted with a mirror.
Wardrobes are no longer limited to be used only by the wealthy.
With so many materials being used prices can vary hugely.
Choices of wood have remained pretty much the same since the early introduction of the wardrobe with mahogany, oak and pine ever popular.
More recent trends have lead to the use of Mexican style timbers, mango wood and Indian rose woods.
Modern wardrobes can even be provided in a flat pack form for ease of access up staircases and into the bedroom, these types of wardrobe are mainly made from a mixture of materials such as MDF and a combination of some solid wood with veneers.
This obviously impacts on the longevity and strength of the piece especially if it is taken apart and re assembled several times but can be ideal for a fast growing family.
You can find wardrobes for sale in many styles, shapes and sizes in the present day but during their past popularity as an item for the wealthy they were built using the rule of eight.
To build a good size double wardrobe the carpenter would consider if when completed it would be large enough to fit eight small men inside.
It is unlikely that this is an effective measurement guide for today's mass produced, machine made furniture.
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