A Less Imposing Wardrobe: A visually lightweight yet sturdy wardrobe challenging the archetype of bedroom furniture.
Aside from simply being somewhere to store things, wardrobes help us stay organised; they help us collate, catalogue, display, protect, hide and banish. Arguably one of the most personal pieces of furniture we can own, our wardrobes house our clothes – which are an intimate reflection of our consumer identities – who we were, are, and want to be.
Despite their importance, it could be questioned as to whether or not much focus or attention has been turned to wardrobes in the furniture design world. But maybe what our closets need is reinvention: to encourage a new appreciation for the humble wardrobe, and all that it does for us – and in a world where the equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up on landfill sites every second (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018, 00:20), this change in approach is perhaps becoming all the more necessary.
This project reimagines the wardrobe: veering away from the big, solid and imposing archetype we are used to and replacing it with an airy frame paired with sheer breathable linen. Whilst minimising wood usage through the use of fabric, this Less Imposing Wardrobe encourages a more meaningful tactile interaction between the clothes and the user, with the aim to transform their mindset towards the clothes within – to treat them like treasure.
The convenient knock – down rail structure that is the basis of this ‘Less Imposing Wardrobe’ is essentially a wardrobe’s skeleton – with the curtain allowing the user to either theatrically display or veil their clothes from the world.
With naturally moth and odour resistant linen, and oak veneered ply finished with moth repellant cedar oil, this is a way to protect, (but not banish) your precious clothes.
A Less Imposing Wardrobe: A visually lightweight yet sturdy wardrobe challenging the archetype of bedroom furniture.