Designer tips: how to choose a wardrobe

Basic criteria for choosing a wardrobe

When planning the purchase of furniture, we proceed from functional needs and our own stylistic ideas. In order not to make a mistake when choosing a wardrobe, you must follow simple rules:

1. You should purchase exclusively products from leading manufacturers who value their reputation and control the quality of their products.
2. Particular attention must be paid to the choice of material. Almost all modern furniture is made from particle boards and MDF, the former can be veneered or finished with polymer films.
3. It is necessary to ensure the quality of metal elements and other fittings, as well as the strength of the fastenings. The functionality of the described piece of furniture directly depends on the capabilities of the door opening system.
4. It is worth considering the type of room.
5. Determine the dimensions of the wardrobe that will harmoniously complement the parameters of the space.
6. It is also necessary to decide on the style of decorating the facades.

Wardrobe in the interior

Deciding on the sizes

Now let's talk about what your ideal closet will be. You need to think carefully about the width, depth and height of the cabinet, because its main function is to save space, accommodate and store things.

Types of sliding wardrobes, built-in and cabinet - let's look at their features:

• If you have a goal to build a closet, but at the same time not take up a lot of space in the interior, the best thing that can be offered is a built-in wardrobe that can easily fit in a corner or niche. This option has one thing, since all the cabinet parts are attached to the wall, and your wall is made of plasterboard, so this version of the cabinet cannot be mounted, the plasterboard will not withstand the load. I would also like to note such nuances that the built-in wardrobe cannot be moved, it is a stationary element of the interior, in this case, if you do not want to spoil the walls and perhaps also have plans to change the layout or interior, then we can easily offer the option of a cabinet wardrobe - coupe.

Sliding wardrobe in a classic interior

• The height of the product depends only on your imagination and is limited by the ceiling height of your space, be it a house or an apartment. It is also necessary to remember that if you plan to stretch the ceiling, then in order to avoid additional actions with the cabinet, it is best to leave a distance between the ceiling and the top edge of the cabinet.
• Depth is not an unimportant detail when developing a cabinet design. The depth indicator is 600 mm, this allows you to hang clothes in the usual way. At the same time, the clothes will be neatly hung, and in order to save room space, you can use the end mechanism, which will allow you to place a larger number of things, while the retractable mechanism will allow you to easily get things from the depths of the closet.

Types of wardrobes

Manufacturers offer a large selection of cabinet furniture, varying in shape and design. There are two main types of sliding wardrobes:

• straight
• corner

The first option is mainly factory-made interior items of standard sizes. It is also possible to manufacture them according to individual orders and customize them to the client’s requirements.

Straight wardrobe

The corner wardrobe, in turn, is created for each specific room and comes in two types:

• trapezoidal
• attached.

Both varieties have their own advantages and features that must be taken into account when choosing. Thus, a corner wardrobe with an additional section in the form of a trapezoid is suitable for large rooms and provides better access to things. Attachable modules are good when space is limited.

Corner trapezoidal wardrobe

Before answering the question of which wardrobe to choose, it is important to correctly assess the parameters and layout of the room. You need to decide which type is best suited for a particular room. Furniture that is too large clutters up the space, while furniture that is too small does not allow it to be used rationally.

Corner sliding wardrobe

Closet. Choosing a color

Choosing the color of a cabinet is a flight of imagination, a design idea, because the color palette and variety of choices are multifaceted. You just need to decide on your future interior or renovation. The main thing is that the cabinet color you choose meets your expectations, brings pleasure and pleases the eye.

Unusual design of a modern wardrobe

Types of materials for wardrobes

This type of furniture consists of two parts: the body itself and the sliding doors. The design of the latter and the materials used for the manufacture of facades will be discussed below. Natural wood is rarely used in the production of sliding wardrobes and is most often used for exclusive designs that are distinguished by high pricing.

Samples of particle boards for the manufacture of sliding wardrobes

Materials for the manufacture of facades

The most widely used composite materials in the production of furniture frames are chipboard and MDF. Chipboard is a panel based on sawdust and shavings. Phenol-formaldehyde resins are used as a binder. Produced using hot pressing technology. Chipboards differ in the following parameters:

1. Density.
2. Coating. Veneer or polymer film.
3. Thickness. For the manufacture of cases, slabs of 16, 18 and 25 mm are used.
4. Number of layers. One or two.
5. Emission class of binder resins. For cabinet furniture, it is allowed to use slabs of categories E1 and E0.

Sliding wardrobes made of chipboard
MDF panels are made from fine wood fiber using the hot dry pressing method. Paraffins are used to bind the filler, which makes the material extremely environmentally friendly. The high density of the board allows for shaped milling of the surface for the production of embossed boards. MDF is used for both the manufacture of cabinets and facades.

MDF sliding wardrobes

When looking for an answer to the question of how to choose a wardrobe material, you should take into account the difference in cost. MDF has a higher price, so furniture made from it will cost more. At the same time, the characteristics and performance qualities of such boards are significantly higher than chipboards.

Comparative analysis of two types of materials

Materials for making doors

Furniture facades are selected based on the style of room design and practical properties. For the production of sliding wardrobe doors, a wide selection of materials of different textures and qualities is used:

1. Chipboard is regular and laminated. Inexpensive and easy to process material.
2. Mirrors with frames made of aluminum or steel profiles.
3. Lakobel is glass painted in different colors and impenetrable to light.
4. Lakomat is a translucent material obtained by coating glass with a special varnish.
5. Sandblasted glass. The technology allows you to apply a pattern or pattern to the surface due to the formation of matte spots.
6. Molecular photo printing. Provides high-resolution images with subsequent lamination.
7. Leather. A coating made of artificial material imitates natural material well and fits perfectly into a modern or classic interior.

Combined doors are also made for sliding wardrobes, the design of which uses combinations of a variety of materials

Materials for wardrobe doors

Let's start with choosing the material

Selecting material for a wardrobe is probably one of the most important issues that consumers face. In the manufacture of wardrobes, materials such as chipboard and MDF are used, for example. Products made from MDF are characterized by increased density, high strength characteristics and resistance to moisture, and chipboard is considered an environmentally friendly and safe raw material. The design features of the cabinet, such as the thickness of the panels, must be calculated by professionals to avoid unpleasant moments, for example, sagging shelves. This can be avoided by correctly calculating the distance between spans. Therefore, it is best to entrust such an important task to specialists.

Stylish patterns in wardrobe design

• Chipboard is one of the most economical and popular materials used in the manufacture of furniture. The disadvantage of chipboard is that it is afraid of moisture, therefore, if you choose to make a cabinet from chipboard, you should definitely listen to the advice of professionals. Let's figure out what chipboard is and what you need to pay attention to. Chipboard is a particle board, like all boards it is made by pressing wood shavings and sawdust under the influence of hot processing, with the addition of synthetic resins, which serve as a connecting link. After pressing, the slab is laminated and an edge is rolled, which allows the slab not to delaminate when exposed to moisture. It is the edge that you need to pay attention to, because the appearance of your cabinet will depend on its quality. Chipboard also has a huge color palette, which will allow you to decorate the cabinet in a variety of ways.
• MDF - this material is the most durable and high-quality, it is cheaper than solid wood, but is in no way inferior in quality. So what is MDF? is a medium density fiberboard. Such slabs are produced by pressing at high temperatures; the finely dispersed mass is subjected to hot pressing. As a result of this treatment, a binder is released, such as lignin; paraffin can also be added to bind it, thus increasing the strength of the board, and this is very important for fastening furniture fittings. MDF is easy to process and can be decorated in a variety of ways. Due to the various processing methods, MDF allows you to realize the most daring design projects.

Wardrobe dimensions

Standard factory-made furniture has different dimensions in width, height and depth. The smallest wardrobe has only 80 cm along the facade, the largest is 5 meters. The depth of the cabinet is usually 60 and 45 cm and can vary from 30 to 80 cm. If this parameter is less than 55 cm, a retractable microlift located across the facade is used in the wardrobe compartment for hanging things. In furniture cases of greater depth, a longitudinal rod is installed.

Sizes of sliding wardrobes

The height of sliding wardrobes ranges from 1900 to 2800 mm; for standard models this parameter is 2100, 2200 and 2400 mm. Other options for the execution of factory-made furniture items are also possible, which significantly expands the proposed model range.

Sizing standard

To select the right product, you need to know exactly the geometric parameters of the room. The question arises of how to take measurements for a wardrobe in order to make the most efficient use of the entire volume of the room. When performing such work, you must adhere to the following instructions:

1. Pay attention to the parallelism of the floor and ceiling, as well as the curvature of the surface of the adjacent walls.
2. It is best to take measurements using a tape measure with the assistance of an assistant.
3. The distance between building structures is determined in several places near the walls, floor, ceiling and at two or three points between them.
4. When choosing furniture, the smallest value is taken into account.

How to determine the size of a wardrobe and do it with maximum accuracy? There are two types of sliding wardrobes with a plinth stand or on height-adjustable legs. The latter are suitable for use in rooms with uneven floors; unscrewed stops allow you to align the module vertically.

Determining the size of wardrobes

What to look for when choosing

What makes our wardrobe attractive, what makes it functional, why has the sliding wardrobe gained such love among designers and consumers? Sliding doors, yes, yes, yes, that’s exactly what the wardrobe is different from, that its doors do not swing open, but easily slide along the guides, you just need to push the door with your hand. And how much space this door format saves, unlike conventional hinged cabinets. And what a variety of materials for making doors, including glass, mirror and decorative panels, with a varied color palette.

Advice! As we said above, glass and mirrors are used in the manufacture of doors, so it is very important to maintain safety, pay attention to the fact that the glass and mirror are covered with a high-quality protective film, which at the moment of impact on the glass, if this happens, will serve as protection against fragments .

Progress does not stand still; accordingly, the same applies to the production of cabinets, and specifically to the sliding system. Today there are two systems - floor and suspended.

The floor-standing system is a standard system, but it has a main disadvantage: it takes up useful space in the closet, no less than 100 mm. The advantage of the hanging system is that they completely cover the cabinet body, such doors are attached to the lid, so it must only be framed, and the cabinet lid must be made of durable material and can withstand the weight of the doors.

Sliding wardrobe in Art Nouveau style

After choosing a door sliding system, it is important to choose door closers that allow you to close and open doors with ease; they slide smoothly as soon as you need to lightly push the door.

The appearance of the cabinet depends only on your imagination and on the suggestions of your designer; the doors can be a source of pride for you, because it was you who came up with the look that will delight you. For example, mirrors will visually expand the space of a small room, move the walls apart and your room will be transformed beyond recognition, gloss will emphasize the unique details of the design, and decorative panels will give the room a deep and cozy atmosphere.

Door opening mechanisms: main types

One of the main advantages of sliding wardrobes is sliding facades. The absence of swing doors saves space, but complicates the design of opening mechanisms. The following types of systems are currently used:

• with lower arrangement of support rollers;
• with top sliding;
• with coplanar mechanism;
• with folding telescopic device.

Top sliding mechanism
Systems with bottom or top sliding mechanisms differ in the distribution of loads from the weight of the doors. It falls almost entirely on the supporting part, while the counter element of the structure acts as a guide.

Door opening mechanism with bottom rollers

Telescopic systems ensure that a second or third door is pulled out when the first one is closed. Devices of this type are designed for large cabinets. Coplanar mechanisms are the most complex; they ensure not only movement of the door along the facade, but also sliding into one plane. Moreover, each section has its own guides.

Telescopic system for sliding wardrobes

Wardrobe profile

A number of components are used in the production of this type of furniture. The basis of the design of sliding wardrobe doors is a steel or aluminum thin-walled profile. It is used to make frames for mirrors and glass, and is also used for vertical edging of facades made of other materials. The steel profile has high strength, but is overweight. To protect against corrosion, the element is chrome-plated, nickel-plated, or coated with a polymer coating. The aluminum profile is much lighter and is resistant to environmental conditions. For beauty, its surface can be anodized or covered with PVC film.

Profiles for sliding wardrobes

How to choose the right wardrobe for the hallway

This is the most popular type of corridor furniture. A sliding wardrobe will provide easy access to clothes; shelves and drawers will allow you to neatly store shoes, cleaning products, bags, glasses and other accessories. It is practical, modern, open doors do not block the passage. Its design completely covers one of the walls. But this option is not suitable for narrow corridors of old houses. The fact is that structurally its depth cannot be made less than 40 cm, plus 5 cm is required for sliding doors. For rooms of any other configuration, this option would be ideal.

How to choose a wardrobe in the hallway: tips

1. For long corridors, straight cabinet models are better suited. For small hallways, choose a linear two-door or corner design. Radius sliding wardrobes look especially original and decorative. If you are interested in how to choose a wardrobe for a hallway with a niche, then a built-in model will be the best option.
2. When the task is to visually increase the area of ​​the room to the maximum, then give preference to models with mirrored sliding doors. Mirrors with contour patterns look great.
3. If you need individuality, then the choice is almost unlimited - wooden facades with decorative carvings, translucent, combined, with stained glass, photo printing, laser engraving, even with bamboo doors or leather trim.
4. The strength and durability of the cabinet is determined by the material of the cabinet. Here, the best option is considered to be natural wood, chipboard. Solid wood cabinets look rich, stylish, their durability is unrivaled, but they are the most expensive. This option is best suited for a spacious hallway with a luxurious classic interior.
5. Smooth and silent door movement will be ensured only by high-quality fittings. Give preference to metal guides, a steel or aluminum frame, and the rollers should be metal.
6. Internal filling. In such models, rods for outerwear and retractable shoe baskets are the main thing.
7. If you don’t know how to choose a wardrobe for a hallway of a non-standard shape, do you want one with a combined facade or with a non-trivial design, then the best solution for you would be to order a wardrobe from the Furniture Paradise company according to individual sizes and design.

Wheels of the running system

The movement of doors in sliding wardrobes along the guides is ensured through the use of rollers. Wheels in sliding systems for sliding wardrobes are made from different materials: the most affordable ones are made of plastic, the more expensive ones have a steel base and are equipped with a ball bearing. To reduce noise levels and reduce vibration, a rubber or polymer tire is placed on the metal rim. The running roller is fixed on an axis, which is installed in a special bracket. This design is mounted on the door using self-tapping screws. The wheel rolls along the sliding wardrobe guide in both directions; limiters are installed at the end points to prevent them from jumping out and hitting the body.

Wheels of the running system of sliding wardrobes

How to choose a design for a bedroom

The bedroom is a place of rest and sleep; what should the closet be like in this room? Designers advise not to clutter up this room, therefore, they suggest carefully choosing the color of the cabinet; it should not distract attention or irritate the eye, because you have come to relax. Therefore, it is better if it is light colors, and also use mirrors in the interior design, they will again give the room space. The bedroom closet you choose should have plenty of space, and after sleep it will comfortably accommodate pillows and blankets. Therefore, this will be the bedroom in which there will be only coziness and comfort.

Wardrobe in the bedroom

Filling the wardrobe

Before placing an order for the manufacture of furniture, you should think in advance about the placement of sections, partitions, microlifts, rods and other elements. Conventionally, the internal content of the wardrobe can be divided into three levels:

1. Upper. Rarely used items, seasonal clothes on hangers, suitcases and bags on shelves are usually placed on mezzanines. The pantograph will ensure that the rod is lowered to a height where it becomes accessible.
2. Average. Usually equipped with shelves for storing bed linen and other things, as well as rods for clothes. In cabinets with a depth of less than 55 cm, it is recommended to use retractable microlifts.
3. Lower. Designed to accommodate shoes, shoe care products and heavy objects. In the bedroom, this space is given over to unused blankets and pillows.

Internal filling of a sliding wardrobe
To complete sliding wardrobes, both rigidly fixed shelves and rods, and retractable elements are used. Mesh baskets, trouser holders, and pantographs have proven themselves well.

Filling the wardrobe

Choosing a wardrobe by type of room

Furniture stores have a large selection of interior items of different sizes and shapes. The selection of a wardrobe is carried out not only taking into account the size of the room, but also based on its purpose. A piece of furniture suitable for a bedroom will most likely be out of place in a children's room or hallway.

Choosing a wardrobe by type of room

Wardrobe in the living room

This is usually the largest room in a house or apartment where the whole family gathers. How to choose a wardrobe for the living room? Many different things are most often stored here: books, clothes, personal items and much more. For a room in which family members spend most of their time and receive guests, you will need a wardrobe with the following parameters:

• large capacity;
• the presence of open sections for placing souvenirs and accessories;
• Closable niche for TV or computer.

Installing a wardrobe in the living room allows you to divide a large room into several functional areas. This piece of furniture can be built into a niche and occupy the entire space of one of the walls from floor to ceiling. This will prevent dust from accumulating in the corners.

Sliding wardrobe for the living room

Wardrobe in the bedroom

Rooms intended for sleeping usually have a small area and furniture for them must be selected especially carefully. How to choose a wardrobe for the bedroom, so as to avoid clutter? The best option would be to build it into a niche, which will reduce the cost of purchasing it. After all, for its body you can use materials without expensive exterior finishing. In the bedroom, a wardrobe usually serves as a dressing room and is designed to store clothes, bedding and other items. Accordingly, it needs to provide compartments for linen and other things. A large mirror in the sliding door will allow the hostess to admire herself in full height and visually increase the size of the room.

Wardrobe for bedroom

Wardrobe for children's room

Furniture for the room in which a child lives must, first of all, be safe and withstand significant loads. How to choose a wardrobe for a nursery? The materials used for its manufacture must be environmentally friendly. MDF has the best price-quality ratio; chipboard with low phenol-formaldehyde resin emissions is acceptable. Interior items in the nursery should not have sharp corners or protruding elements. Instead of handles on pull-out drawers, you can use slots. Glass and mirror facades are unacceptable; a child may inadvertently break them and be injured by the fragments. To decorate the facade, black magnetic film can be used, on which you can draw with chalk or attach letters, pictures and applique elements to it.

Sliding wardrobe for a children's room

Sliding wardrobe for office

The workspaces are equipped with functional and beautiful furniture. The question arises, how to choose a wardrobe for an office, which most often is also a library. You will need fairly strong shelves of small depth to accommodate books. They can be closed with solid or glass doors. The former reliably protect the paper from fading, the latter prevent the accumulation of dust. For collectors, sliding wardrobes are most often made to order, and the height and width of the shelves in them are selected based on the size of the items being collected. The doors must have secure locks. For those who are used to working from home, they need places to store documents and information materials. Office folders with labels will look good in open niches.

Sliding wardrobe for office

Sliding wardrobe for the hallway

When entering an apartment or house, we take off our outerwear and shoes. Accordingly, the wardrobe in the hallway should have at least three compartments: two for the items mentioned above and one more for gloves, umbrellas, hats and many other things. It is advisable to make the doors for sliding wardrobes mirrored - this will allow you to inspect yourself before leaving the house. When solving the problem of how to choose a wardrobe for a hallway, its size and configuration are taken into account. If there is a niche, it is better to build furniture into it, thereby freeing up some of the space. If the layout of the room allows, it makes sense to install corner furniture, then the space will be used as efficiently as possible.

Sliding wardrobe for the hallway

Choosing a compartment for the hallway

When we enter a house or apartment, the first place we find ourselves is in the hallway. The hallway greets us and the first impression of the house can be formed by the way it is organized. It is recommended to make a wardrobe in the hallway with mirrored doors; they expand the space, visually enlarge it, and you can also look at yourself when leaving the house. The functionality of the closet in the hallway will ensure full use by the family of storing things, and high mezzanines will easily hide seasonal clothes or shoes that are used at other times. It is very convenient if you have additional drawers and shelves in your closet, which will become a haven for various little things; every detail of the closet provides order and space.

Neat wardrobe for a small hallway

The best manufacturers

The Ukrainian market offers a wide selection of imported and domestic cabinet furniture. A natural question arises about the quality of sliding wardrobes, and which company is better to choose? The products of foreign companies are quite expensive and noticeably better in terms of performance. The most popular products are from three brands: MrDoors, Stanley and Kommandor. In terms of price-quality ratio, the products of the listed brands are the best.

Manufacturers of sliding wardrobes

Ukrainian manufacturers are mainly small industries that make custom-made wardrobes using imported materials and components. The largest domestic manufacturer of furniture of this type is. The company offers original and high-quality products, standard and individually made to customer sizes.

Ukrainian manufacturers of sliding wardrobes

Recommendations for choosing a wardrobe from Porte's designers

In Kyiv you can find high-quality furniture for every taste in any price category from economy to premium. When deciding on purchasing a wardrobe, consumer reviews allow you to obtain fairly objective information about the level of performance and materials.

Recommendations for choosing a wardrobe from Porte's designers

When choosing a wardrobe, in addition to the quality of the product, compliance with the style of the room and rational content, special attention should be paid to the following points:

1. The doors should move smoothly without jerking or interference.
2. When choosing between a suspension system and a floor sliding mechanism, it is better to give preference to the latter. Such a device is more reliable and breaks down less often.
3. When installing built-in wardrobes, the functions of load-bearing elements can be assigned to walls, floors and ceilings.

Which wardrobe is better?
You can get qualified advice on which wardrobe is better and recommendations for choosing from specialists. Information is provided free of charge by telephone or online upon your request.

Designing a wardrobe for a nursery

Involve your child in this action, ask him what kind of wardrobe he wants to see in his room! The sliding wardrobe invented with his participation will be a joy for everyone! Believe me, joint construction will bring a lot of pleasure to you and your child! Both girls and boys involved in the process of designing a closet will be delighted with the variety of colors and materials when choosing the decor and filling of the closet, because a child’s imagination simply has no limits, the child will be delighted with the result of his work and, believe me, he will be happy to tidy up your room, putting all your things in their places in the closet. Reliable mechanisms will withstand any directed efforts during noisy games of large children's groups, and the wardrobe will serve as a place for a teenager to place all his fashionable things, as well as gadgets and textbooks.

Original design of a wardrobe for a children's room