Free standing white wardrobe, affordable but worth having

[sedgieloo]

Maybe this is the wrong board?! Any suggestions please.

For DC's room, she's only 1.5 but I want an adults one that will last her.

I'm looking at the M&S Hastings range which has a double wardrobe with two draws under for £399 and 20% off or the IKEA Hemnes double wardrobe which is £299 - but not seen either IRL so concerned re quality.

Anyone/anwhere else I could be looking please?

Pretty much decided on a HEMNES Daybed for her when she comes out of her cot so something that goes OK with that.

DD now has my old version of the Ikea hemnes wardrobe so thats been in circulation for almost 15 years, and has moved house 3 or 4 times.

So presuming that it is similar quality then it should hold up just fine. I'm also going to get the hemnes daybed when she grows out of her cotbed.

Ikea do a white wardobe thats about £35, I think its called pax but I'm not sure, and while its by no means going to last you a life time (its £35 quid), a few of my friends have bought it for their DC's bedrooms untill they are old enough to have stopped climbing in/on wardrobes. I think it looks quite nice and would have bought one for DD if my DM didn't have my old furniture kicking about .

My friend has just bought some very nice white wardrobes from next, I think they were around the 400 mark, and they also look nice, but I don't know how durable they will be.

Oh thanks. I did not think about the abuse it might get, dd hasn't really started wrecking stuff but I suppose she might and/or the one we have on the way, the ones I have my eye on have great bottom drawers for climbing in and on!!

I've just measured the M&S one against DD's old white children's wardrobe from John Lewis and it isn't much bigger. DD is 8 and hers is getting a bit small. So I think I'd go for the bigger Hemnes one and put child safety catches on the drawers. And the white will match the white of the daybed. The M&S one could look a little cream (or dirty) next to the Hemnes daybed?

The hemnes daybed is quite a creamy colour. Watching with interest as I am also looking for a white wardrobe to go in DS's room which has a hemnes daybed!!

Ah right thought it was white white.

Might be a good option to replace DD's knackered 'whitewash' white kids one then...

Mine hasn't started to wreck furniture yet but shes not old enough to be left in her room (apart from asleep!). I think the fun starts when they start playing in their rooms alone. Or perhaps my friends just have destructive DC .

Its a good point about getting the whites to match, the hemnes white is a creamy/dirty white, other companies might have different shades. The £35 one is bright white.

I think I read somewhere that there are hundreds of different colour whites in use.

We've got a Hemnes, it has moved house a few times with us, it is really solid, much more solid than the Pax range which we used to have. I like it a lot as you can feel pretty confident I think that Ikea will keep the range and you can buy other bits to match if you want to at some later date.

This is probably no help but I got some fantastic mahogany wardrobes that had a fake walnut wash on them in a sale. Dating,perhaps,to the 1920/30s. A quick sand down to get rid of the walnut,paint the white of your choice,voila! and the marvellous mahogany carcass is still there :o

I love the hemnes range, we have the huge double chest of drawers which survived our house move no problem. It is very sturdy.
But as others have said that range is an off white rather than pure white so it would probably clash with any other white furniture in her room.

If you're going to get the daybed anyway then it would make sense to get the matching wardrobe.

You property lot are brills!
amazonian thanks for doing this, really helpful, I was wondering how sizes compared that's probably going to mean I discount the M&S one as I don't want a childs size that I have to replace in a few years, seeing as I make such a meal of these decisions!

I'm going probably get the bed and matching wardrobe but will try and get up to an IKEA (none near me) before deciding to be sure. Especially as a friend just texted me and said don't get the HEMNES bed, she has it and her DH said it is really uncomfortable, but then they possibly have an older one and her DH is a big chap.

Harbinger - I'd be up for a project like that if I wasn't preg with a toddler and working, this is the best idea really. I'm just at my limit at the mo.
Part of the appeal of the M&S one is that the assemble it when they deliver it - that is how lazy I am!!

Might it be the mattress that makes your friend's hemnes bed uncomfortable?

I thought it was very comfortable when I tried it in the shop. Ikea do loads of mattress types and you can add toppers etc. I would spend time trying out those rather than the bed, as it is just a wooden bed, the mattress will make the difference.

Word of warning about the hemnes range, we have hemnes white chest if drawers and bookshelves. The drawers are a great off white finish and really sturdy. The bookshelves were bought 3 years later and though sturdy they are a different colour and more of a whitewash effect that looks cheaper. Don't buy without seeing them in real life

I find the Hemnes bed quite comfy and we bought the cheapest ikea mattresses for it!!

We have on of the old-style Hemnes wardrobes (shelve 1 side, hanging rail and shelf the other) and it is great- very sturdy, fits lots inside.

What I really hate about the chests of drawers is the way the top overhangs at each side, meaning you cannot squeeze them into an alcove easily without wasting space grrr.

sedgieloo you're not lazy at all ! You'll have your hands full for several years to come. Enjoy your children and don't care about the furniture too much. It will soon be covered with stickers/posters etc before you know it. Just make sure it's safe.