I've had a walnut armoire for 40 years, always in my L. Rm. It's held everything from stereo sets to fabrics, pillows, gifts, books...(I've always had fabric on the inside back, hung with double-sided tape.) I can always paint something from a garage sale; this wood and craftsmanship??? Gasp! Makes my heart sad!
(Wherever this piece stands, it will be the heart of the room.) Lots of OTHER great idea options here.

I disagree about turning it , you have the natural light in the mirror which add extra light. therefore if painted a bold color it would defintely add a pop of color you have the morror, right now for what i can see it looks boring floor chest window and door frame all look the same liven up an old piece you'ld be surprise with the outcome

There is too much wood in the room if you leave it this color. Too much oak, floor and window casings/mouldings, - you need to get away from that.

I'm wondering if you can add a temporary black stencil paint on the mirrors or replace with decorative inserts with black or add black lace curtain inserts. I found this online...black stencil paint on gold mirror.

I would do some sort of paint technique, like a glaze or now they have great products that you put on the edges that would naturally wear of over time and then you paint. So the edges are worn looking. You could do 3 different color that are kind of coming through, one could even be skittle metallic. With the edges chipped. It needs something. If it were pine I'd say leave it and angle it in the corner. I'll try to find spice of the technique

Lol..sorry bout the errors, not so SMART phone

Is that monster on casters under the feet? Looks that way. If so, removing them might bring the wardrobe height into alignment with the upper door frame, making it more appealing in that tight corner.

Seems a shame to paint it. If you're not crazy about it, have you considered selling it? Finding it a new home and investing in a smaller piece might be the way to go.

I think the whole idea about it's a vintage piece.. and antique and its not meant to be painted is very silly. it's YOUR piece.. and you should do with it whatever you feel would make it work better in your home. that's all that matters. don't feel bad about painting it. think of it as an older lady (which I am getting pretty close to being, lol) that has had a FULL life and your dressing up and putting some make up on her that will inhance her features, and beauty, making her look better then ever!!! have fun with it whatever you decide!

Lh: what a great analogy!!! Thanks for the insightful response

Sell it rather than destroy its value. Too many other people would love to have it. It's not just vintage it's antique American oak. It's becoming very difficult to find!

If you love the piece but don't like the color make it right for YOU. others will find there own

distressed silver or grey chalk paint

I can't even imagine the cost of replicating this beautiful armoire today.

If anyone is able to see the wood showing through the ikea hemnes range I'd be very surprised. It may have a distant cousin who was once part of a tree but they're certainly not close relations.

It's all the rage to paint antiques here in the UK at the moment and so I can see the attraction but the problem is these things come in and out of fashion and once you've painted it black it would have to be stripped to get it back to bare wood and would never be the same.

lcarter5,

You state: "The problem is it now sticks out like a sore thumb given the massive size....."

No amount of paint will make it smaller.

The end result will be black armoire of massive size that will stick out like a "sore thumb".

Is this the solution that would best please you in a rather rather small bedroom with no closet?

A painted armoire will still tower over the doors and windows and perhaps dwarf the other furniture in the room.

The armoire is NOT the problem; rather, your dilemma is a lack of a closet and consequently, painting the armoire does not solve your dilemma.

Houzzers are a creative, resourceful group.

Why not ask the community for imaginative ways to compensate for the lack of a closet in the bedroom?

I already made a comment here about this, but I just re-read your original post. If you think it "sticks out like a sore thumb" now, in a 13x15 room-- painting it black would transform it into this enormous Darth Vader-like presence in the room. It would seriously be a presence-- and wouldn't disappear. As it is, the lightness of the wood makes its size seem less noticeable. Is there no other place in this restored farmhouse for this piece? It's really lovely; painting it would be a shame. You can paint anything-- but wood like this is not to be found anymore-- well, probably-- but prohibitively expensive. I've lived in old houses that don't have closets, and I still have 2 very old wardrobes-- very nice (unpainted), but neither as beautiful as the one you have here. Again, find another spot for it in the house, and then go out and buy some beat up old wardrobe, and paint that.

*Sorry-- I just now posted this and only just now saw Aja's comment above. I completely agree.

lcarter5,

Please post more views of the room.

A floor plan would be of immense help.

in black it will be massive.. in some stain, better.. but it goes well with the windows n floorsin existing colour

paint...

PLEASE don't paint. It is beautiful and brings such warmth and class into the room. Black tassels are a lovely idea. Also, why don't you introduce a taupe colour into the bed linen and rugs to tie it all in together.

My grandmother's farm house had no closets. She made her closets by hanging fabric. You can do that by picking a corner and hanging a curtain diagonally across the corner so your "closet" is triangular. Or as I mentioned before you could hang a wall-to-wall curtain behind the headboard or just behind a section of the headboard to frame it. An retro print with grays, blacks and greens could look amazing with minimal cost.

No, please don't paint it. You'll regret it, I'm sure. Paint goes in and out of fashion and black is too harsh for such a lovely piece of furniture.

I would not paint this piece. It is beautiful and appears to be in great condition. The oak that is not in style right now is not this type of oak. The boogey man oak is the golden oak from the 90's. You have gorgeous oak flooring and window trim as well. The wardrobe blends very nicely with these. As a couple of people have already said, please sell this antique, rather than ruining it with paint. You could make some good coin by selling it, if that's what you decide to do.

"You could make some good coin by selling it, if that's what you decide to do." - Totally agree. Plus you will make someone else extremely happy person, so there will be two of you who will smile (not to mention that the floor and the wall will be saved from paint:))
This wardrobe is not an old lady - it is a bottle of vintage wine. For sure you may cook with it but I think it will be wonderful to share it and buy sherry for cooking.

Check out this fabric for curtain closet http://www.clarke-clarke.com/collection.php?hdnCollectionID=66

Thanks again for everyone who has taken the time to respond to my dilemma. I wanted to give you an update and let you know I have decided NOT to paint the armoire. Your thoughtful and helpful comments and ideas certainly helped me with this problem! To the ladies who suggested the tassels, change in hardware, and hat boxes, etc., those ideas sold me, along with the overwhelming number of comments from those who loved the piece as is. I, too, love this piece ( my house is primarily furnished with nothing but antiques), but just wanted a hint of modern flair in this room! I just wish I had posted this a couple of weeks ago as I have already purchased a rather pricey rug that can't be returned (I also found that on a decorating project in Houzz), and it is three shades of gray, no golden, tan, beige at all. Because of your ideas and postings (especially Barnhart Gallery), that is the coordinating color I've decided to use. I suppose I can still incorporate it through window treatments, bedding, etc. Thanks, again. Wish I could have you all over to help with other never-ending projects! Happy decorating!

:) I for one am glad about it:) Three shades of grey sound promising. I had the vivid image of three different sized hatboxes that match the three shades on top of the wardrobe! And a silver bed cover! Somebody stop me, I want the same! (OK, hiding my credit card will do the trick, but I do love the idea:)

Check out the rug! [houzz=]

lc -- That's great news!

The rug is beautiful, and it brings the gray from the walls onto the floor in a soft tonal way. No regrets.

If it bothers you now, another possibility is that it could go in an adjacent room for color flow from the bedroom. Either way, it's very nice.

Sooooo glad you decided not to paint! Like Dana Veach I would beg, borrow, or steal to have this piece. It's in beautiful condition!

So glad you're not painting! Love the rug! And the tassels and hatboxes ideas, too. Please post more pics when you're done.

Hat boxes sound fun but you'll be touching the ceiling with them making an already tall piece even taller. How about stacking them in a casual arrangement on the floor.

Great idea! You're right . . . I used to have baskets up there and since the top is recessed, I had to provide a platform for them and they ended up scraping the ceiling! Plus, you couldn't see the entire basket which took away from the effect. Thanks!

Try both and see what you like -- maybe a bit of each.

Perhaps the mirrors on the wardrobe will reflect the gray/black you are adding to the room, and it will look less imposing then.

I agree with Aja - I've done some conservation work in the past. There's nothing worse than an irreversible change to an antique. Love the fabric idea.

Don't paint it or stain it - it's beautiful as is. Consider replacing the pulls with black glass or ceramic ones & like the other gal said put black tassels on the handles. You could even put a black runner (black & white print even - with triangle ends and black tassels hanging off the ends) spread over the top of the armoire to even out the distribution of black accents. I also think the idea of angling it is a great idea - if it will fit that way. Consider some through pillows that will tie in with the runner idea.

love the rug. glad the armoire is safe. IMO you're making very good choices.

does the top of the armoire come off? If it does, it would take away some of the weight of the piece and be just about the same height as the window frames

I know you decided not to paint it because it's an antique, but I'd love to see it painted white, along with all the trim work. That would get you away from that country feeling and transform the entire room (I would never try to go matchy matchy with dressers). Please don't place it, or any piece of furniture, on an angle. And adding tassles and baskets... they are different words for clutter. If you're looking for a gorgeous gray for the walls, I recommend Mindful Gray, SW-7016 (sherwin-williams.com). My clients love it, and so will you! Good luck!

the rug is gorgeous. and nothing like the typical rugs showing up in every living room/bedroom..

Paint it a dark grey.

Please don't paint this lovely piece! It's in the wrong place. It's a stand alone object that needs more space. It doesn't fit there regardless of the color. Get another piece you can use in ths place and move the piece to a room that it belongs in. Please. It's beautiful.

I think a mix of this light wood and black can work well. The mirrors look a bit weary so what about using a stencil or hiring a local artist to paint a design in black and charcoal on the glass. I expect it could be protected with a lacquer to last but also would be removable. Keeps the piece classic but will stand out as a focal point.

I too, am glad the armoire is safe! Whew! You had me nervous for a while there. While I love to paint some pieces I find at vintage shops(creamy white, aqua blue, pale country green), I wouldn't dare mess with this beauty! Some pieces are perfect just the way they are.

Love the rug!

Gorgeous piece of furniture I would leave as is!!!!!!

I would save the mod podge idea for an inexpensive piece of furniture, not a beautiful antique.

I am not a fan of painting natural wood. If you were to paint it I would go with black. Let us know what you decide to do.

Good luck :)