The Ingenious Hidden Feature in Mid-Century Wardrobes You Never Knew Existed!

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It added that many of the mid-century homes had incorporated work and space-saving ideas into the use of the house. One of the features that were frequently included in the constructions was the possibility to hide an ironing board in the wardrobe. This proved a very creative way in which homeowners could easily keep their ironing board within fetching view, but hidden once did not need to use it.

There were wardrobes designed from the fifties and before those were specially constructed with drawers that came out on rails or tables that folded down to hold the ironing board fixed. These compartments meant that other foldable Ironing boards were often incorporated in the chest through sturdy struts or a number of shelves on which the could be rested or folded on without the necessity of pulling out another equally cumbersome board.

There’s also a possibility that these wardrobes were used for pressing clothes directly. One homeowner recalls: “My great-grandma had one in her house. It was a board with a hinge that folded in half and sat across the struts in her closet. She used it to iron grandpa’s pants, folding them on their side and running the iron over them to create a sharp crease.” This method of ironing, using a dedicated pressing shelf, was a convenient way to achieve a crisp, professional look, especially when space was limited.
Both for a storage of an ironing board or as a press shelf for cloths, such amenities were a standard part of mid century utilitarianism. Those out of work aimed at providing the homemaker with extra space in a ever-clean and orderly home. Today, such features create a nostalgic look of the houses featuring a thoughtful and space-saving conception of the improved past.