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It’s really no wonder that the pine wardrobe is such a popular piece of furniture for so many people. Not only is a wardrobe a highly functional piece of furniture, but a when it is built of pine you get natural beauty at an affordable price. You would be hard pressed to find a room design or decor that couldn’t benefit from the addition of a gorgeous natural pine wood wardrobe. One of the nice things about choosing pine, in addition to the fact that is is often among the most affordable wood choices, is that you are pretty much certain you will have a totally unique piece of furniture due to the fact that pine has so many attractive and distinctive knots and strong wood grain. Each and every piece will have it’s own personal signature.

One thing that you must be aware of though when you do select pine is that in its totally natural state, it is very susceptible to the elements. What this means is that it can benefit from some sort of treatment if you want to make sure it doesn’t swell in the humidity and then shrink and crack when it gets very dry. Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to treat a piece of natural, ‘raw’ pine. All you need to do is apply a light coat of stain or wax and you should be all set (you can do more than that to it if you would like, but this should be sufficient).

A Pine Wardrobe

In fact, painting your pine wardrobe is perfectly acceptable if you are looking to add some color to your room. Many prefer the look of natural wood, possibly enhanced with a stain to add depth and color, but that doesn’t mean using subtle, or even bold colors for that matter, can’t be done. Pine takes all kinds of stains and paints very readily, so it’s purely up to you as to how you want to finish it. This is one more reason for the popularity of raw, natural pine wardrobes and other pieces of furniture for the home.

One thing to keep in mind though, before you go too crazy with the colors, is that there is a good reason many people opt to leave pine in its natural color. The reason is that because wardrobes are often used as additional storage in smaller rooms, and because pine’s natural color is rather light, it helps to not crowd the room too much. The lighter color, the less apparent space a piece of furniture will take up in a given room. This is important in smaller spaces.

Speaking of the lighter color of pine, it is also a fact that the actual weight of pine is substantially less than many of the other woods that are used to make wardrobes such as cherry or oak. The fact that pine is a softer, lighter wood has both its advantages and drawbacks.

One of the main advantages to pine not weighing so much has to do with physically moving the furniture. A wardrobe is typically a fairly large piece, and if it is made of a solid hardwood, you are going to have a very challenging time moving it from room to room, much less from house to house. Trust me, you would much rather be moving a pine wardrobe than an oak one! The downside of the lighter, softer wood is that it is much more prone to scratches, dings and other damage. It doesn’t take much to gouge pine, whereas the heavier, harder woods can take a beating and barely be any worse for wear. Another thing to keep in mind is what exactly you plan to store in this wardrobe. If it’s just clothes, there won’t be a problem with pine. If you have something considerably heavier in mind, like keeping a safe in it… you might not find pine to be your best option. So like so many things in life, there are pros and cons to both.

Just like any other kind of furniture, the way in which your wardrobe is constructed will make a big difference in the price and the longevity of it. You also need to take a close look to make sure there is no damage that occurred during the making of it. For example, you want to make sure that there aren’t any splinters or cracks near the screws or dowels that were used to put it together. And if you see that it was constructed with staples rather than screws or dowels… be aware that this method of construction will not last nearly as long as the former (on the other hand, you should be paying considerably less if this is the case with the wardrobe you’re considering buying). You should also check to make sure that the doors are well hung and square and that any drawers slide open and shut easily. If you come across anything that is not to your liking when you closely examine the piece, move on to the next one. There are more than enough pine wardrobes out there to choose from that you shouldn’t settle for anything that doesn’t live up to your quality standards.

Pine Wardrobe

Another aspect of construction that you should be aware of is that older wardrobes are typically one single piece that doesn’t dismantle. This means you’ll need to be sure of the measurements of the room, the door to the room and all access routes to the room before you undertake trying to move the wardrobe to its new location. There’s nothing worse than trying to get a new piece of furniture into a room only to find out that it’s too big for the space or, worse yet, that you can’t even get it into the room!

With most modern pine wardrobes, you can find it as a flat-pack option. This means that you’ll need to assemble it (or have it assembled), but at least you know you’ll be able to get it into the room where you want it. This type of pine wardrobe is also usually more affordable than one that is pre-assembled as a solid unit. A popular store for this type of flat-pack furniture is IKEA. In the end, whether you get a pre-built of flat pack, large or small, natural wood, stain or painted, your pine wardrobe will be a great addition to your furniture collection.