Vintage Armoires and Cabinets Add Storage — and Character

A traditional armoire is ever so grand in the bedroom, but usher it into the dining room and it works in a different way. For storage that looks elegant and is also practical, take a fresh look at your wardrobe, wooden chests and cabinets.

Stack in the same tone. This beautiful armoire with traditional wire door inserts is used for linen and all manner of household items, all neatly organized in matching white baskets. The white on white works brilliantly and will keep table linens fresh.


Talk shop with cabinets. This glazed unit has the feel of a shop cabinet and is a great example of how using furniture unexpectedly can have added benefits. This piece allows dishware to be admired and easily accessed, but it also works as a room divider, keeping the dining area screened off.

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Create your own dresser. Antiques dealers often come across “marriage” dressers, in which one bottom section and one unrelated top section have been brought together. Create your own with a former wall-hung cabinet, making it even more eclectic in a sing-out shade. Then comes the fun part: arranging your favorite finds inside.


Think differently in the bedroom. Just as an armoire can be used in a living room, bedroom storage doesn’t always have to be kept for clothes. The creative owners of this room use the glass-fronted antique cabinet for linens (so far, so normal), but they also added some special glassware into the mix. Bedrooms need decorative sparkle, too.


Study in style. This cabinet with a fold-out bureau flap is part dresser for gorgeous tableware and part impromptu study area. Ideal for quick paperwork, a piece like this is elegant and easy to fold away when not in use.

The joy of painted furniture is that it can either contrast or blend with the current scheme. Here, the mousy gray looks great against the earthy greens.


Double your effect. Not one but two armoires have been pressed into service in this living and dining area, emphasizing the effect. With one in white and one in gray, the contrasting styles add interest while still creating a pleasing symmetry. Plus, they provide loads of storage space.


Line up your books. A glass-fronted cabinet has the edge over a bookcase or shelves, making a collection feel more unified — and just a bit glossier. If you’re of an organized persuasion, color coding the spines could add impact to your tomes.


Display bathroom linens. Pretty towels and face cloths can play a part in a country-feel bathroom. Here they’re stacked neatly and on display in two wooden cabinets. It’s a good case for going freestanding and fresh in the bathroom instead of trying to hide everything in fitted units.

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Keep to one design. This cabinet is handsome storage for pottery and ornaments, and the effect is helped by the restricted palette of white and pale green earthenware. This coordinates with the table setting and furniture for a cohesive and relaxing room.


Get creative with salvage. Vintage and antique cabinets can be reused in original ways. Factory storage, rustic chests and even shop display cases can work brilliantly as living room furniture. Employ one as a bar cabinet, bookcase or games cupboard.

Tell us: Have you reused storage furniture in an original way? Share your ideas and photos in the Comments.

More:
A Beginner’s Mini Guide to Buying Antiques
Storage Tricks for Those Who Love Their Stuff

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