Wooden Armoire or Wooden Almirah is a brilliant combination of the old charm, artistic sense and utility. Along with being one of the most widely used wood furniture, a wooden almirah is also counted amongst the most popular handicraft products.
As the name resembles, wooden almirahs readily bring away an image of an antique wood furniture- may be a storage space in the kitchen, in bedroom, study room or in the office spaces. The Indian wooden almirah manufacturers are also one of the biggest wooden almirahs exporters in the category of India's handicraft exports. The wooden armoire is an exquisite product in its own right.
What is an Armoire/ Almirah ?
An armoire is a tall cupboard with shelving, which stands alone as opposed to being built into the wall, making it easy to reposition when redecorating. If a cupboard has no shelving but contains a rod for hanging long items of clothing, it is more likely to be called a wardrobe. Armoires might be used to hold plates and cups, non-perishable food items - in which case it might also be called a pantry - or clothing folded to lie flat.
Wood ArmoireAlmirah is "An Anglo-Indian term for a mobile wardrobe, cabinet or cupboard. " "Armoire" is the French term for the same piece of furniture- a tall cupboard having shelves. In the United States, there is no specific term which can exactly describe an armoire or an almirah but the term "wardrobe" can be taken to mean an armoire or almirah to an extent. However, a typical wardrobe has no shelving but has a rod for hanging long items of clothing.
An armoire or an almirah is ideally used to store utility items in the household and can be made of wood, silver, wrought iron, brass and other metals as well as glass etc. Elegant almirahs are built with strong symbolic reverberance creating an enchanting glory. Inlay worked almirahs are bigger in size and give a delicate appearance. Most of such wooden almirah designs are created with delicate wood carving. Sometimes, they contain some foreing influence too along with the typical Indian craft patterns auch as Persian influence. The decorative work which is done on the wooden almirah resembles to some particular culture, region and the time period in history or can be just like other old crafts.
Wood Almirah Design
Wooden almirahs are a brilliant mix of the imperial appeal and utility. It needs hardwood from which it is carved. They are a place where one holds important holdings and therefore it has to be safe and secure. They give a very elegant and delightful appearance. Wooden almirah are beautifully carved with well-contoured lines and exhibit superb Indian workmanship. They are mostly crafted in traditional and ethnic styles. They are the specimens of artistic excellence of India.
Almirah's look ravishing and they may have single or double door or may contain many doors. They are either carved or painted or inlayed with some metal such as copper or brass. Some almirah's even have glass or lattice work doors. Even the modern day almirah or the cupboard are influenced by antique almirahs. They can be shelved or may have hanging space along with the shelves. In most cases people opt for antique almirahs made of teak or sheesam. Antique almirahs have a distinct look which is not seen in regular, modern almirahs.
Types of Woods for Armoire
Wooden Armoire DesignTypes of wood used for making a wood armoire or a wooden almirah can be either of the following :
Mahogany
Walnut
Oak
Maple
Cherry
Rosewood
Teak
Shesham
Pine
Hemlock
Mangowood
Redwood
The teak almirahs are inlayed with marble, bone or brass. They are accompanied by fine carving and latticework. Wooden almirahs are specimens of artistic excellence of India. They are decorated with intricate carvings in attractive styles and designs adding to the magnificent charm of the rooms in both homes and offices.
