Canopy Cornerstone Collection Versatile Armoire 4.3 5 54 58
Great for Price! I love this armoire! It is really beautiful, and I can't believe it was only 350! There are some items that are true that people mentioned in other review. The knobs are not aligned perfectly. I shopped for a armoire for a month, everyone that was the same as this one was over 1000. So the knobs being off center, who cares. You can't beat the price, and it is a significant price difference. The armoires that are simmilar in price dont have the same quality. The backs are cardboard, where this is wood. The peices are particul board, where this is wood. If you want perfect knobs pay the extra 650, and let us know if it is worth the extra money. I'd rather live with slightly off knobs and keep my 650. 02/03/2010
Great Value I was looking for an inexpensive all wood computer armoire to replace one that our engaged son was taking with him to his new apartment. The one being replaced was converted from a solid wood IKEA wardrobe which originally cost us about $300 to build. I was going to go that route again, but IKEA had discontinued the product and did not have a suitable alternative. Ready made units in this price range were all very low quality (foil on particle board) and solid wood couldn't be touched below $700. We were about to give up and bite the bullet when we stumbled accross this item during our final google search. We are very glad that we did!This armoire is a very good value. It is constructed of solid hardwoods and wood verneers over plywood and composites. It was very heavy- over 220lbs! There was nothing else like it for $350. At this price it was not worth my time to fiddle with converting another armoire; even if we could find one in that price range.The unit needs to be assembled and should be done with two people to prevent scratching the pieces as they are being aligned. It was very easy to build- even easier than IKEA furniture. The instructions were very clear and all parts were included. Most of the hardeware (hinges, drawer slides, joinery clips, etc.) was pre-installed. All that needed to be done was to insert some alignment/locking dowels and then tap the sub assemblies in place. We didn't even need a screw driver to install the knobs.The finished peice is very handsome, and looks more expensive than it is. It gives a very solid feeling when you actually sit down at the keyboard and start using it. Unless you knew what to look for, you would not suspect that it had been assembled from a flat pack. It really added something to the decor of our media room.The armoire has more space than you would think for its size. There was plenty of room for a full ATX PC tower, an X-box with accessories, a 24" LCD wide screen monitor, stereo speakers with a subwoofer, an inkjet printer, several external hard drives, and dozens of CDs, DVD's and games. There are lots of slots and openings for routing cables. The front of the keyboard shelf flips up so it looks like a drawer when its closed. The whole thing looks very tidy and uncrowded, which makes the wife very happy:-)Overall we are very pleased with this purchase, but there are some issues that should be mentioned:1)Despite being packed very well, there were still several minor blemishes on a few of the parts. Fortunately, there was a scratch repair marker included with the parts, so this was easily remedied. Which is a very good thing because:2)As I mentioned before, this item is very heavy. We ordered it using the Walmart site to store option so we wouldn't have to pay for shipping. It came in one large box which was attached to a wood palet. You will need at least two strong people to get it into a mini van without causing damage. Once you get it home you will find unpacking it to be a real pain. The peices are packed like a jigsaw puzzle with lots of foam blocks filling in the voids. If we had discovered a major defect while unpacking it, returning it for another one would have been a nightmare. This means that once you get it home you should count on it staying there and resign yourself to dealing with the manufacturer to get replacement parts.3)Finally, the way this item is assembled differs greatly from other knockdown furniture I've dealt with. The main thing being that there is no way to tighten the connections as there is with say IKEA furniture with their pins and cams. Every thing is connected with a tab, a slot, a hinge, or a dowel pin- no screws or bolts. Consequently, the piece is not terribly rigid. If your floor is uneven or not level you will need to fiddle with shims and such to get the doors to line up and prevent the drawer from rubbing. You also need to be careful when you move it so that you don't flex it and and over stress a joint. I will be installing leveling feet to make it easier to move and keep aligned. That said, it is still way better most department store furniture.I hope these comments prove helpful in assisting you with your purchasing decision. 08/04/2010
I was very satisfied until...... This is a beautiful piece of furniture and I was very satisfied until about a week ago. I noticed a hole on the side of the front piece. The hole was almost 1/8 th of an inch in diameter and there was a powdery dust on the floor beneath. I couldn't figure out how that happened. Then a couple of day later another hole a few inches above the other hole and more powdery dust on the floor. I decided something had to be eating my furniture so I sprayed insecticide on that piece of wood. The next day there was an insect on the floor where all the powdery dust had fallen from the holes. I looked on the internet and found that it was a powderpost beetle. I have only had this piece of furniture for three weeks and I have never had a problem with this before I purchased this piece and I am afraid there may be more of these insects that will attack my other pieces of furniture. Just wanted everyone to be aware. 07/10/2010
I paired up the bookcases with my armoire to put in my study and I think they look fabulous. I am using the armoire for my computer and I would highly recommend it. I have paid much more for pieces of furniture that were inferior in quality. I think I got what I paid for. 07/31/2010
