Star Buy: Louis XIV Armoire Owned By Movie Critic Gene Siskel

I rarely shine the spotlight on just one item from the EuroLuxHome.com gallery, but this fabulous Louis XIV armoire has such a great story behind it, I'm excited to share it with you.

The walnut Louis XIV armoire dates to 1710, and was owned by the late movie critic, Gene Siskel. He hand-selected it for his home at the prestigious Biennale de Paris art festival in France. Greg and I were deeply honored that Mr. Siskel's widow chose to trust the armoire to us – it's on consignment now in our gallery.

Just imagine: This French antique was crafted more than three centuries ago when King Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, was on the throne of France. It's an extremely impressive cabinet with a rich patina on the walnut wood and a striking star design in relief on each of the two doors. It's a star-studded armoire in every sense!

Here's a close-up of those stars on the doors – or étoiles in French. You can really see the beauty of the walnut wood grain and patina. The timeless elegance of the Louis XIV armoire means that it would look perfectly at home in either a contemporary setting or in more traditional decor, surrounded by other antiques.

Of course, it would also be a great conversation starter when guests visit and you tell them about its unique history.

At nearly 7.5 feet high and more than 5 feet wide, the large armoire makes quite a style statement. The deep crown molding is exceptionally fine and the armoire rests on handsome bun feet. But let's not be so swept away by beauty that we forget about function! The shelf space inside the large armoire provides plenty of room to store your treasures, whether you use it for family keepsakes, your best linens or your favorite cashmere sweaters and scarves.

Here's a photo of Greg and Frank moving the wonderful period Louis XIV armoire into the gallery – drive it carefully boys, it's precious cargo! Greg and I are movie buffs and we grew up watching Siskel and Ebert, so it is especially wonderful to help find this exceptional armoire a new home.

If you're interested in owning this historic antique and adding the next part of the story to its journey across three centuries and two continents, you can see more details about the Louis XIV armoireat our website. In any case, I hope you enjoy the photos and the story behind it as much as I do! If you'd like to learn more about the finer points of antique armoires, check out our guide here!