Ever heard the story of a stray wardrobe and happy owners? Read on.
I was in dire need of a wardrobe for a while in 2019 but I wasn’t keen on buying any of those usual boring ones. I have always loved the thought of owning a beautiful vintage almirahmade of teak or sheesham with shiny brass knobs, which would put other wardrobes to shame with its antique lineage. One fine day, I set off to explore my favourite place, Oshiwara furniture market, (Jogeshwari – Mumbai) my go-to place for everything decor to see what it can offer. My hunt always begins from there and mostly ends too. All you need is good bargaining skills and an eye to really dig in pieces from the remotest corner š
I came across many beautiful old and new wardrobes, some were made of good wood while some were made of MDF, engineered wood. And as always the ones I loved were way worth high and they weren’t ready to come down after a point. I came back disheartened thinking how will I get one when my expectations were not really reasonable š
I had almost given up when suddenly my sister sent me a picture of this tall, run-down, uneven surface, chestnut finish, old wooden almirah belonging to an aunty from her neighbourhood. It literally was parked outside her house and was only happy to dispose of it off as she had no space (or love) for it. One look when I went to see it and I shot an “Are you out of your mind?” look at my sister. And she threw an “I-know-it-all” look as the cooler-older sister who saw great potential and was pretty confident about it. “Take it, you won’t be disappointed! It’s got good bones, all it needs is a good makeover”! she said. She continued to convince me by showing its beautiful features like the brass pull out rod for clothes, moulding and a small vintage mirror inside. I was highly skeptical about it but I still went ahead and gave it a go.
We called Nisar Bhai, her trusty furniture guy from Oshiwara furniture market and he came right away with his entourage to take a look at it. He was mighty impressed with the wood, its beautiful details and commented saying it must be at least a century old (which later was confirmed by the owner that it belonged to her great-grandmother) and was still in good condition. A far cry from the wardrobes we see today which barely last for a decade. After the discussion, we told him to keep all the originals intact. By now, I was sort of convinced my sister was right with what she had envisioned š And off it went for a makeover.
After waiting patiently for almost 10 days, our wait came to an end. Our jaws dropped when we witnessed that Cinderella moment for the first time after the makeover. She looked lovely in our favourite Honey Oak finish, shiny brass handle on the drawer, insides all smooth and polished. Even bigger was the validation Nisar Bhai added by saying, “Medam, isko main bechta toh pachchaas ke neeche nahi bechta” š It is also a double door as single door almirahs only fetch 18-25K. Now it’s been many months and we have settled using this beauty, all I can say is that yes, it indeed was a very very good decision. The Almirah has more space and usability than any other two-door wardrobes I have used so far.
I have learnt my lesson that sometimes you need to rise above these imperfections and think of possibilities especially in today’s world of sustainable living. Refurbishing seems the only way to give any old furniture a new look while retaining the original charm and returning to its former glory. How can we ignore the fact that we are lucky to have such amazing craftsmanship in India that nothing is possible at the right price. I am so glad I took that chance and managed to save an awesome vintage piece from ending up in the landfill. All’s well that ends well š
