How do you move an antique wardrobe?

They'll dismantle into several pieces. The cornice lifts off the top, and the base plinth separates from the main body. The central carcase usually splits in two down the middle. Take the doors off first. It reduces the weight and stops the hinges getting stressed while you carry the sections upstairs.

Can you fit modern hangers inside?

Yes, but you'll need to check the internal depth. Standard modern hangers require at least twenty-one inches of clearance to stop clothes catching on the doors when you close them. If the carcase is too shallow, turn the hanging rail. A front-to-back rail holds fewer items but solves the depth problem without altering the external woodwork. You can sometimes find angled brackets that help adapt older interiors.

Having a very large space to fill, will an antique double wardrobe look too small in a room with high ceilings?

Victorian examples were built for massive proportions. They often stand over seven feet tall, with deep cornices that balance high ceilings. Choose a piece in a dark timber like mahogany or walnut. The dark wood holds its own visually against expansive walls, whereas lighter oak can sometimes look a bit lost in a huge room.

Living in a house with uneven bedroom floors, is there a practical way to stop the doors swinging open on an old piece?

Uneven floors cause the carcase to twist. This throws the doors out of alignment and stops the catches meeting. Use wooden shims under the plinth. Pack out the low corners until the wardrobe sits level. The doors won't swing open once the base is square.

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Antique Double Wardrobes

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Antique double wardrobes are large, freestanding cupboards designed with two main doors to hang clothes and store personal items. They replaced heavy chests and built-in presses, becoming the central storage piece in nineteenth and twentieth-century bedrooms.