How do you clean the cloudy mirror glass?

You can't scrub the cloudiness away. That grey fog is degraded silvering on the back of the glass plate, not dirt on the front. Moisture in the air reacts with the metallic backing over time. A specialist can resilver the plate, but many buyers prefer leaving the original aged finish as it is.

Can the heavy doors be removed for moving?

Yes, they usually come off quite easily. Open the door and support the bottom edge to take the weight off the brass hinges. Most original hinges use standard slot-head screws. Undo the screws on the door side rather than the carcase side. This leaves the hinge leaves safely attached to the main frame. Wrap the removed doors in thick blankets. The old glass plates are heavy and crack easily if laid flat on an uneven floor.

I live in an upstairs flat with a tight dogleg staircase and I need to know if a Victorian wardrobe will fit up there?

Most Victorian case furniture breaks down into manageable sections specifically for this reason. The makers knew their pieces had to navigate narrow domestic stairs. Look for a separate cornice on top and a separate plinth base at the bottom. The main body often splits down the middle into two vertical halves, or the sides detach from the back panel. You should measure your tightest staircase corner and ask the dealer for the dimensions of the largest individual component when dismantled.

The one I am looking at has shelves inside but I want to hang my coats and shirts in it, so can those shelves come out?

It depends on how the maker built the interior. Sometimes the shelves simply rest on wooden bearers and slide straight out without any tools. Other times, the shelves form a structural part of the carcase. If they sit fixed into routed grooves cut into the side panels, removing them might weaken the whole cabinet. Look closely at the joins. If you see nails or glued blocks securing the shelf ends, leave them alone. You might need to find a piece originally built for hanging clothes instead.

Home > Wardrobes > Mirrored Wardrobes > Page 6

Antique Mirrored Wardrobes

← Page 6 of 7 →

Antique mirrored wardrobes are large freestanding wooden cabinets designed for storing clothes, featuring one or more reflective glass panels set into the doors to bounce light into a room and allow dressing.