A 2026 Guide by Sellingantiques
A Regency Mahogany Three Quarter Height Double Wardrobe C1810, Regency
Priced at £745 from Castleforge Antiques Ltd
They evolved from early armoires and clothes presses. Hanging space became a necessity as tailored garments replaced loose tunics.
By the mid-nineteenth century, antique double wardrobes were standard in middle-class homes. Built for spacious Victorian bedrooms.
Look at the proportions. Edwardian examples often have a narrower footprint to fit smaller townhouses.
Transport was an issue. Makers designed large wardrobes to dismantle into a separate cornice, a base plinth and the main carcase sections.
Holland & Sons supplied heavy, architectural mahogany wardrobes to country houses during the Victorian period.
Gillows of Lancaster produced exceptional examples. Look for their stamp on the top edge of a drawer front.
Heal & Son made lighter, functional oak pieces in the early twentieth century. Stripped back and practical.
Antique 18th Century Mahogany Double Wardrobe C1780, Georgian
Priced at £725 from Castleforge Antiques Ltd
The 2026 retail price guide for Antique Double Wardrobes is drawn from a proprietary archive of over 1.1 million retail prices indexed by Sellingantiques since 2003. This guide relies exclusively on their own internal data; no external sources or auction records are used.
Analysing nearly 25 years of UK antique market history alongside current retail values, the data indicates that typical UK retail prices for Antique Double Wardrobes range between £700 and £1,700. Entry-level prices generally fall under £700 and premium examples upwards of £1,700.
Full-length mirrored doors turn up frequently. They bounce light around the room and save space for a separate cheval glass.
Deep lower drawers. Base plinths often hide a deep drawer for bulky linens or folded blankets.
Some antique double wardrobes feature internal fitted sections. Trays for shirts and a hanging rail on the opposite side.
Hand-cut dovetails secure the base drawers. Look for the fine, uneven pins that mark out early bench work.
Frame and panel doors prevent warping. Floating a loose central panel accommodates seasonal wood movement.
Veneering on flat surfaces required heated animal glue. Cabinet makers matched the grain across both doors.
"Many late Victorian examples cleverly hide a secret plinth drawer. It looks like solid moulding from the outside."
"The depth was designed around men's coats rather than dresses. Tailored shoulders dictated the internal capacity."
"They dismantle into flat sections. A massive piece of furniture easily navigates narrow modern staircases."
Based on almost 25 years of Sellingantiques UK antique market data, Antique Double Wardrobes appeared 1743 times (out of 1,100,000 antiques) which gives it a rarity score of 71/100.
This score measures scarcity within the Sellingantiques archive only and is not a survey of the entire antiques market, so these statistics may not be indicative of the general availability of Antique Double Wardrobes elsewhere.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Please note: This Antique Double Wardrobes guide and its associated pricing data are provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute formal financial, investment, or appraisal advice and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any commercial activity, purchasing, or sales decisions. Sellingantiques.co.uk accepts no liability for any actions taken in reliance on this information. Always consult with a qualified professional or independent appraiser.
