Why are wardrobes so hard?

[hopsalong]

It doesn't seem as if they should be. But I have never had a wardrobe that I liked and now I need to buy a new one for the master bedroom.

Most of my furniture is secondhand, antique, or was bought in the US a decade or two ago. (US furniture manufacturers offer a lot higher quality solid wooden furniture for mid-range prices, it seems.)

Recently bought a lovely Ercol breakfast table on eBay, and last year an art deco inlaid chest of drawers. But with a wardrobe (where I am going to keep my newly washed clothes, after all) I feel more comfortable buying new, or only a clean restored vintage item. I did once but a newly painted wardrobe in an antique shop. It looked good but the paint smell never entirely disappeared and seemed to permeate our clothes. My real fear is buying something that has moth eggs in. (This happened to a friend, and we also had a moth invasion a couple of years ago, possibly due to a grotty storage chest I bought.)

Somewhat cost conscious, but willing to pay up to about £1500 for the right one. (Preferably less!) Any suggestions?

I don't want MDF unless painted in a colour and not wood-effect, pine (Victorian pine floorboards), mirrored doors, or anything with legs. Needs to be at least 150cm wide and deep enough to hang DH's suits properly. Am tempted by an IKEA Pax one because of all the lovely fitted storage inside, but I don't think I can deal with the doors on what will be the largest piece of furniture in our room. Not crazy about the Oak Furnitureland look but am considering that and might be swayed by good reviews.

Does anyone have one they like?

Mmh, real wood smells, especially if not painted but only waxed/oiled, or often the external is painted and the inside oiled. It's a nice smell in my book, but I do understand that some people don't like it. There are many people who installed the IKEA pax and then just did their own doors, or got a joiner to do the doors, with mouldings and painted to suit style of room. Budget solid wood wardrobe manufacturers I can recommend are AKD Furniture (solid mahagony, stained or painted, quite American in style), or Scumble Goosie. I once had an Oak furniture wardrobe that looked totally fine once I painted it and was perfectly sturdy and useable.

With the Oak Furnitureland one, changing the handles also changed the overall look.

I have a Pax. I painted the doors and put a mirror on the outer sliding door. It looks fabulous and has all the great storage inside,