If you have accumulated a considerable amount of things and you are already tired of the old wooden cabinet, the best way out of this situation would be to purchase a sliding wardrobe. Of the range of all cabinet furniture, the structure is in tremendous demand on the market. And this is no accident, with its help you can hide a lot of necessary things, thereby freeing up more space in an apartment or house.
A functional and practical piece of furniture – a wardrobe will fit comfortably in any room – in a bedroom, living room, or corridor.
Whether the acquired item becomes reliable and practical will depend primarily on what it is made of? But the question arises, how to choose the right sliding wardrobe so that it is reliable, helpful, and lasts more than a dozen years? To select a worthy option, you need to know the fundamental secrets of choosing this piece of furniture.
Where to Start?
It would help if you decided what precisely the cabinet intends for and in which room to put it. At this stage, you need to determine its size and content, considering all the needs and the number of people in the family. Also, consider installing the room and the doorways’ dimensions so that its dimensions do not become an unpleasant surprise.
When choosing a cabinet, consider how you would like to see it.
- One-piece (body).
- Niche or wall-mounted (built-in).
There are also other types. Depending on the client’s wishes, the wardrobe can be:
- Semicircular
- Radius
- Diagonal
- Angular
A one-piece wardrobe is a separate structure that has its walls, top, and bottom. This model is not mounted in a variety of niches but is a wall-mounted version of furniture. The advantage of such a product will be moving it and more accurate internal filling. Of the minuses, it is cumbersome, and the wardrobe will take up a larger area and is unlikely to be suitable for small rooms. Also, the cost will be slightly higher than that of its embedded competitor.
Built-in is the most economical option, both in terms of price and space. Installation of this type of furniture takes place in particular niches in the walls. The main components are the walls, floor, and ceiling of the room it locates in. Also, it designs for almost any, even the smallest space. The main disadvantage is that the cabinet is not a movable structure. We must install doors with particular reliability since poorly fixed doors can break off and harm a person.
Door Functioning Device
We should pay particular attention to the way the sliding door system opens. They are divided into two types.
- Roller type. The cabinet door is a unique frame made of aluminum or other metal and moves utilizing standard rollers. This method is the most popular, much cheaper, but such systems serve much more negligible. The cause of failure may be the ingress of a foreign object or substantial physical impact, in which the rollers may jump out, and the door may fall out.
- Monorail type. The rollers move in the cabinet along the monorail. This type is more expensive, but they also last much longer. No foreign objects and debris enter the monorail. This type of system protects from falling out and will be more practical and functional.
- An important aspect is a material from which the rollers are made. The durability of the entire structure will depend on the material of the rollers. Preference should be given to metal castors. A more straightforward system will be made of Teflon-coated plastic, and the cheapest and most unreliable option is ordinary plastic rollers.
Features of Buying a Wardrobe
Pay attention to the material from which the system is made. The design means the profile along which the doors move. For the manufacture of conventional guides, a variety of metal alloys are used. As a rule, the sliding system is of two types.
- Steel profile. This type is the most common among manufacturers. The most practical and reliable is a steel profile. But sliding doors move more noisily along it, and not every door finishing material will fit the steel profile. But the main win-win advantage of steel construction will be their durability – they can last for decades.
- Aluminum profile. Aluminum systems look more sophisticated and tidy, but the cost will be much more expensive. This system also stresses the entire frame and fittings, as it is a thinner and lighter option. Aluminum profiles do not generate noise during operation. However, they also have disadvantages – with the constant process, the system’s service life is no more than 10 years, in contrast to the steel “brother.”
- A different and vital rule for choosing a cabinet is depth. Its capacity will depend on the depth of the product. The depth should be selected, taking into account the needs and the number of family members. For a large family, it is better to purchase a structure with a reserve of space since the number of things is growing steadily. If the family consists of 1-3 people, there is no point in buying a large wardrobe.
The Choice of Doors and the Material of their Performance
The facade of the doors is made from a whole list of materials, and there are many of them. The choice depends on stylistic preferences. Doors can be made from the following materials.
- Particleboard, MDF (10 mm).
- A variety of mirrors and glasses.
- Veneer.
- Rattan, etc.
These materials are often combined. On doors made of glass and mirrors, photo printing, sandblasting images, stained glass are used.
The most durable doors are made of chipboard and MDF boards, but they look rather dull, so it is advisable to combine them.
As for the size, they can be up to 1 m wide and 2.5 meters high. But doors that are too large and heavy will not function normally; it is necessary to count on the structure to withstand such a load.
And Some More Helpful Tips
The location of the cabinet will determine its stylistic design and color. The choice of color should be approached with special care, as it will affect the room’s design as a whole. The easiest way is to invite a designer who will determine the color scheme and style of the future design as accurately as possible. However, you can do without it. The choice of color will entirely depend on your taste and the style of the room. But it would help if you did not neglect the basic principles of the arrangement of flowers in the room.
- Light, “pastel” colors are ideal for bedrooms and nurseries because of their calming effect on the human psyche.
- Shades of yellow-green range give a charge of energy, radiate cheerfulness and vigor.
- Dark colors, mainly black, are the color of luxury. However, they are not suitable for every room, as they carry cold energy.
- Furniture with a wood-like texture always looks good. And in style, it suits almost any room.
The reliability and appearance of the cabinet are essential. Along with this, it is vital to choose the inner filling of the cabinet. The wardrobe should contain all the necessary accessories for folding and placing clothes. Shelves and rods are the basis for filling any cabinet. Optionally, you can add all kinds of inner drawers, shoe nets, baskets, pantograph (a device for placing on two floors, with the ability to move the top), ties, and much more. But we should note that all the additions can “result” in a decent amount. If desired, you can install a light inside the cabinet – this is very convenient, especially in large structures.
If one cabinet is not enough for your needs, the manufacturer can offer you a group of stylistically suitable products and complementary to each other.
- Connection of individual sections and arrange ready-made cabinets in a particular order. It happens by tightening them with special fasteners.
- Combine sections through a standard sidewall. The method makes it possible to increase the required volume of the product endlessly.
When choosing, specify who makes this furniture. Simple rules will help you not to make a mistake with the purchase.
- Check reviews on the Internet, ask friends, addresses, and office.
- Check the prices for additional services so that installation and delivery are not half the cost of the cabinet.
- The factory must give a warranty period for all furniture.
- Check out the pricing policy, compare prices.
The problem of how to choose a wardrobe should not create much trouble for you if you follow these basic principles. The main thing is not to try to save money on fittings and the quality of the material so that the cabinet will serve you for a long time and please with its durability and functionality for more than one year.