Sauder Computer Armoire, Antiqued Black Paint 4.7 5 153 165
Classy little armoire! After looking for more than a year for the perfect computer desk- this is it!! I was very hesitant to buy online- and the price scared me a little- but I know Sauder has a great reputation- so I took a risk- and I am so glad I did!! I chose the site-to-store option, and saved on shipping, and good thing, because this thing is a beast- nice and sturdy though!! You will need a truck or large SUV to get this home, and two people to lift- and assemble- well, most of the assembly can be done by one person, just need another to help lift upright after all main pieces are together. Be sure to have the back nailed on before you place upright or it will fall- we had a close call! It took me about 3 hours- and I am semi-handy, so maybe less time for someone that is a pro! The finished product is so classy- I was looking at armoires at a furniture store that were twice this price, but had much less character. It is not huge- but not tiny- fits perfect in our living room. My favorite feature is the 'work space' that slides out above the keyboard shelf to hold papers, books, etc. which is perfect for students or anyone that needs to have room for placing stuff while you are on the computer (You can't store stuff there, just while the armoire is open, but it is great!) The printer shelf even slides out- great feature! And it holds our HP photosmart printer perfectly.LOVE IT!! 06/07/2008
You get what you pay for... I was really excited to get this desk because it had such great reviews and was much less expensive than other similar desks. However, upon starting to assemble the desk, it became clear that you really do get what you pay for.Several of the screw holes were stripped after a few turns with a screwdriver - they weren't over tightened, and there really wasn't a way to get the screws in tight enough. There are pre=drilled holes for the screws, which helps as long as the pre-drilled holes are straight. If not (as in our case) if you follow the pre-drilled holes, your pieces won't 100% perfectly line up and you'll have gaps in between pieces, or slightly askew pieces.The hinges that are provided do not appear to be strong enough to hold the doors very well. The doors each started shifting slightly after they were hung, and after trying to tighten the screws on the hinges and doors, we quickly stripped those screw holes as well. The quality of the wood is very poor, so it's very easy to strip the holes. We ended up having to inset those plastic screw hole things into several of the screw holes and our doors still don't hang square, but we're tired of messing with it. We're planning on looking for different hinges and switching them out at some point.The final appearance should be judged with the 10-foot rule: it looks good from ten feet away, but up close, you can see a lot of flaws and the doors don't work perfectly. The coloring is nice and there are a lot of good features (cord holes, sliding shelves, storage space) that help make up for the not 100% perfect appearance - but, for the price it was, I suppose the sub-standard quality of wood and pre-drilled holes is to be expected. I'd say this is a good deal if you don't need a high quality piece... but if you're getting it for heavy duty use or want something that's actually going to work and look perfect, you better look elsewhere. 11/20/2011
Perfect solution for us With another baby on the way, I had to give up my home office for a boy's nursery. This unit is IDEAL for relocating (hiding) my iMac, 3-in-1 printer, modem, router, and land line as well as some paper trays and office supplies. It's gorgeous and sophisticated enough to fit in with our living room furniture without looking like office furniture. The shelf on top is perfect for adding homey decor and making the piece fit in with any decor.I assembled it easily and was impressed by the quality of hardware as well as materials. Being 6+ months pregnant, I did have to wait for my husband to get home to stand it up in order to install drawers and doors (it's HEAVY!) - but it was a simple assembly and the pictures in the manual were VERY clear. I've assembled A LOT of furniture in my day and this was one of the easiest and highest quality. I LOVE IT! 07/03/2009
Great armoire for the price! After searching in numerous furniture stores for a computer armoire that served my needs, matched my decor, and was reasonably priced, I stumbled upon this one online. I was a bit skeptical about purchasing furniture online for fear that it might arrive damaged. But after reading all the positive reviews about this item I finally decided to take a chance and purchase it. I chose site to store (saved myself the expensive shipping cost) and it arrived in about two weeks. The box it came in was in tact, no dents or dings so, no damage. There was a little nick on the printer shelf (which I believe was caused at the factory) but nothing major and nothing a little furniture marker couldn't fix. As many of the other reviews state, it does take some time to assemble, but if you follow the instructions carefully, you should have no problem. Once assembled, I highly recommend two people to move it as it is a bit heavy. I also recommend placing felt pads under the feet before standing the computer armoire upright to avoid scratching the floors when you move it. I really love this armoire! My computer and monitor fit nicely and I love the fact that it has a pull out work space which I definitely need to prop books or paperwork on. The HP photosmart printer I have fits perfectly on the printer shelf and the space below the printer shelf serves as a space to put my in-boxes in. Most everything I had in my old desk fits nicely in this one. I do however wish it had at least one drawer to place small office supplies in but that problem was easily resolved when I purchased a couple of leather boxes (they add charm to the decor and are functional). The best part about the armoire is that at the end of the day, I can just close the doors and you can't even tell that we have a computer in the room. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing this computer armoire. It's a beautiful piece and I'm glad I took the chance and purchased it! 03/15/2011
