Why Adding an Armoire to My Bedroom Was a Great Purchase

I’ve written before about my love of burl wood — and it still 100 percent holds true. Whenever I see a burl wood piece for sale within my budget on Facebook Marketplace, I do a little happy dance. Of course, I don’t have room for every burl gem I find, but if I come across something especially great, I try to make it work in my space.

The stars aligned last summer when I found a listing for a beautiful burl wood armoire that I knew would be an incredible storage piece. As a small-space dweller, I am always on the hunt for storage solutions that are substantial and sophisticated, and to me, this piece fit the bill perfectly. As I prepared to move from DC to New York City, I knew the armoire would be wonderful in my new apartment — and now it shines in my vintage-inspired bedroom.

Truthfully, I think armoires are underrated and deserve more love. A lot of the tips I read about maximizing clothing storage simply involve purchasing under-bed bins or fabric drawers, and while I definitely own some of those, I think armoires are more elegant. I personally feel way more glamorous pulling my gym shorts out of a fancy armoire drawer than out of a random plastic bin.

If you’re shopping for an armoire of your own, I would definitely advise you to first go the vintage route. You can find so many beautiful, well-made pieces in secondhand and antique stores and on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Kaiyo, and Chairish. There’s something for every price point and style — you just may need to practice a bit of patience to find that one-of-a-kind piece that speaks to you.

What’s also great about armoires is they definitely don’t have to house just clothes. I know that some armoires come with a hanging rod, but mine simply features three drawers and three shelves. You can use the shelves to hold whatever you’d like — I’ve used them to store everything from small handbags to desk supplies. I’m all for placing an armoire in an office, living room, playroom, you name it. The storage possibilities are endless, and if you pick a piece like mine that doesn’t appear too bedroom-like, no one will question it.

Lastly, I greatly appreciate the height and visual interest that this armoire adds to my bedroom. The burl wood pattern is great, of course, but I like that the piece fills my room’s vertical space well. In my experience, dresser tops can be difficult to style — and then you need to fill the wall space above them with the right piece of art or a mirror. I like that this armoire can stand in my bedroom corner on its own, no additional accessorizing needed. To me, it’s a keeper.

This piece is part of Money Month, where we’re covering everything from side hustles to down payments to a beginner’s guide to investing. Head over here to read more!