How to choose a wardrobe - requirements and selection criteria
Content:
- Wardrobe: requirements and selection criteria
- Types of cabinets
- How to choose cabinet color
- Choosing a cabinet size
- Tips for choosing a wardrobe for different rooms
A wardrobe is an indispensable piece of furniture that performs many important functions. It serves as a storage place for everyday and seasonal items, small household appliances, bags, and various small items. With its help, you can hide shortcomings made during the renovation process, zone the space, and create a bright accent in the interior. In order for the furniture to bring maximum benefit, be comfortable and serve for many years, it is worth learning how to choose the right cabinet and what requirements it must meet.
Wardrobe: requirements and selection criteria
The wardrobe is a furniture design thought out to the smallest detail. This can be a separate piece of furniture or a whole modular system consisting of several parts.
The design features of the cabinets are also varied. On sale there are models up to the ceiling, merging with the decor and helping to effectively use every centimeter of room space; compact mini-wardrobes to avoid the feeling of clutter; mirrored cabinets that visually expand the space; options with artificially aged facades, ideally complementing the retro-style interior.
The interior contents of the closet are several-level rods for hangers, hangers, sections, baskets, shelves on which it is convenient to store clothes, towels and linen. Pull-out cabinets and drawers are suitable for storing hosiery, ties and belts. Winter shoes, suitcases and other rarely used items are usually sent to the mezzanine. For ease of use, cabinets can be equipped with built-in or overhead LED lighting with low energy consumption.
The main requirements for a wardrobe are functionality, good build quality, aesthetic appearance, and environmental friendliness of the material from which the structure is made. When selecting a model, the purpose of the room, its area, and the needs of the owners are taken into account. Here are some tips to help you make the right choice:
- Narrow tall cabinets with a mirror are suitable for small rooms. Despite their modest dimensions, they are quite spacious, and the mirror surface will add volume to the room.
- In a spacious room you can build a wardrobe that can replace all other storage systems. The advantage of built-in wardrobes is the ability to choose the internal configuration to suit your taste. In addition to the standard set of options, built-in models can be equipped with lifting mechanisms for storing tailcoats and evening dresses, compartments for jewelry, and compartments for an ironing board.
- Rods for hangers should be located at a height convenient for its owner. The optimal height in compartments intended for long clothes is one and a half meters, for other things - 1-1.1 m.
- When choosing the depth of the closet, you should give preference to structures with a depth of 55-60 cm. Buying a deeper design is justified only if the wardrobe will accommodate a lot of clothes on hangers. The most convenient height of shelves in a closet is 30-35 cm.
A mandatory step in purchasing a wardrobe is checking the quality. Before paying for the furniture, you need to examine the façade for cracks and other defects, and check the strength of the fastening of the connecting elements. Even if the doors are held on regular hinges, it is advisable to open and close the cabinet several times.
If the doors have glass or mirror elements, you need to ask the seller if they have a film on them that protects them from injury in case of damage. And, of course, a high-quality cabinet should not emit a specific smell of paint products.
Types of cabinets
The main criteria for classifying wardrobes are design features, types of door opening and material of manufacture. Here are the types of cabinets that are divided into according to these criteria.
Design features
Based on their design features, the following types of cabinets are distinguished:
- Cardboard wardrobes are a furniture classic that until recently could be seen in every apartment. A cabinet-type cabinet, consisting of one back and a pair of side walls, a top cover, a bottom and a front with one or two doors, can be moved to another location if necessary.
- Sliding wardrobes are leaders in consumer ratings, characterized by functionality and the ability to adapt to the dimensions of the room.
- Modular cabinets are models made from several parts, decorated in the same style. For rooms with a non-standard layout, this is one of the best options. Sections can be swapped, which makes it possible to find the optimal solution and save square meters.
Convenience and practicality are built-in and semi-built-in cabinets, the frame of which is attached to one of the load-bearing walls. Such cabinets look especially good in niches - they accommodate a lot of things and do not interfere with the passage.
Door opening types
The ease of use of the cabinet also depends on the type of door opening. According to this criterion, cabinets are divided into several types:
- Cabinets with sliding doors - such systems are usually found in built-in structures.
- Cabinets with hinged doors. They are simple and reliable, but, unlike their sliding counterparts, they are not always suitable for small rooms.
Cabinets with accordion-shaped doors have also proven themselves to be quite good. Such designs do not require free space in front of the cabinet and do not leave inaccessible areas.
Material of manufacture
When choosing the material from which the cabinet is made, you can consider the following options.
- Chipboard is a budget and practical material from which shelves, facades and cabinet elements are made. In addition to its affordable price, it is distinguished by good strength and resistance to rotting.
- Tempered glass is an ideal material for decorative facades. Cabinets with tempered glass elements look stylish and expand the space, but glass shelves will have to be kept organized.
- MDF is a compromise option, the optimal combination of health safety, variety of design solutions and affordable price.
A cabinet made of natural wood will take its rightful place in the interior. To protect against moisture and bugs, the surface of the cabinet is treated with special compounds. Such a purchase will require expenses, but the furniture will delight the owners for decades.
How to choose cabinet color
Poor furniture colors can ruin all your interior design efforts. To ensure that the closet fits harmoniously into the living space, it is worth considering several recommendations:
- To avoid visual overload, no more than three primary colors are allowed in the room. The cabinet front must be made in one of them.
- An important role when choosing a color scheme is played by the functional load and lighting of the room. Dark shades will make a room facing north even darker. Light colors, on the contrary, will add volume and spaciousness. In living rooms and hallways, cabinets of a calm brown color look appropriate, and a light-colored cabinet would be the best option for a bedroom or nursery.
- If you want to make your closet the center of visual attraction, you can opt for bright shades. However, even furniture that attracts attention should not look kitsch.
- The noble aesthetics of solid wood cabinets should not be undermined by rich colors and unnecessary decor. It is much better to maintain the beautiful natural pattern of natural wood: such a cabinet will emphasize the high status of the owners and their concern for the environmental friendliness of the environment.
- Ethnic patterns, imitation stone and other natural materials look impressive on cabinet facades.
Invisible cabinets, which look like an extension of the wall, do not lose their popularity either. They can be painted to match the color of the wall coverings or sheathed with similar materials. The shade can be any, but natural tones are in trend today.
Choosing cabinet size
The standard height of modern cabinets is 210-220 cm. Homeowners with high ceilings can choose a higher design, for example, a wardrobe with a height of 250-260 cm. If the room has stretched ceilings, the gap between them and the cabinet should be at least 50 cm.
The buyer chooses the length of the cabinet at his own discretion. For example, a narrow cabinet that resembles a pencil case will fit into a very small room. It is not designed for storing down jackets and other bulky items, but pullovers, trousers and other clothes for every day will fit in it quite well. The length of the corner structure is selected taking into account the location of the entrance door: the cabinet should not impede entry and exit.
The optimal length of cabinets is considered to be the length of an outstretched arm, that is, about 60 cm. If this figure is exceeded, it will be difficult to remove clothes from the depths of the cabinet. The minimum recommended depth is 45 cm. But it is worth remembering that if the closet is equipped with sliding doors, they will “eat up” up to 10 cm of space.
A cabinet for a child's room should approximately correspond to the height of the child. It is not recommended to buy cabinets “for growth”. When trying to get toys or clothes from the upper shelves, the child will be forced to call adults for help or stand on a chair, which is unsafe. For this reason, children's rooms are very rarely equipped with wardrobes. The width of children's wardrobes is 80-100 cm. In addition to the size, special attention should be paid to the absence of breakable elements and the quality of the fittings: these are the parts that most often cause injuries in children.
Tips for choosing a wardrobe for different rooms
The choice of a wardrobe and its location is directly influenced by the purpose of the living space.
Living room
For a living room, especially a spacious one, a good choice would be to install a modular system that helps rationally use space, or a wardrobe. In the central part of the structure there may be an open section for a TV or audio system, on the sides - closed pencil cases for light and outerwear. On the side of the wardrobe you should place a corner shelf with decorative elements.
Another interesting idea is to create an alcove. Two identical cabinets are placed at a certain distance from each other, and the space between them will be filled by a sofa or a stylish console table.
Bedroom
Since the bedroom stores clothes, bed linen, pillows and much more, a multifunctional, spacious closet is suitable for this room. It would be good if the façade is equipped with a large mirror, which visually enlarges the room and allows a person to see himself in full height. Wardrobes with frosted glass or wood-look doors also look great in bedrooms.
Children's room
A wardrobe made of several modules or a structure with sliding doors will fit into the interior of a child's room. The height of the rods should allow the child to independently take out clothes and hang them back. You will also need boxes for books or toys - one such cabinet will help solve the problem of storing all children's things. It is recommended to choose the façade of the cabinet from practical, easy-to-clean materials, and to create a cheerful atmosphere it is worth decorating it with images of characters from fairy tales and children's films.
Corridor and hallway
Since hallways in apartment buildings have modest dimensions, for such rooms it is advisable to choose cabinets with sliding door systems. In addition to the sections in which seasonal clothing will be stored, the closet should have shoe racks, key holders, shelves for umbrellas, hats, clothing and shoe care products. A mirror, as well as an upper shelf on which a vacuum cleaner or other regularly used equipment will fit, will not be superfluous.
The assortment of the Garda Decor online store includes cabinets that meet the highest requirements of quality, environmental friendliness and aesthetic appeal. Due to the use of tempered glass and other materials, they do not look massive, and the competent design of the internal filling ensures maximum capacity. Garda Decor managers will be happy to assist in selecting a cabinet that will decorate the interior and create a harmonious composition with other pieces of furniture.