Existing small wardrobes and their features

Advantages and disadvantages

Small-sized sliding wardrobes have a lot of advantages, the main ones being:

• affordability - most modern cabinet furniture is made from chipboards, which are durable and inexpensive. Depending on the wishes of the home owners, various methods of decorating cabinet furniture are chosen;
• structural stability - as a rule, sliding wardrobes do not have legs and rest on a long base made of chipboard. Therefore, there is no need to carefully level the floors of the room so that the piece of furniture stands level;
• At the request of customers, side elements are built into the walls of the living space. This modification is used for corner wardrobes, often enclosing the storage area from floor to ceiling using two wide doors;
• compactness of the storage system - when there is little space, multi-level storage systems decorated with a glass door are installed in the living room. In order to make the best use of the free space, the entire internal content consists of baskets, hangers, brackets and stands for things;
• the appearance of such sliding wardrobes is limited only by the imagination of the owners, and their functionality is many times superior to conventional modifications;
• sliding doors - the main difference between the furniture, which gave it its name - are tall doors made of solid fabric (chipboard, glass or mirror), conveniently opening and closing using guides installed along the upper and lower edges. When opening and closing the cabinet, there is no “blind zone” necessary for access to the things stored there. Therefore, such interior solutions are often installed in the corners of rooms near interior doors and windows with sashes that open inward.

Often a small wardrobe is complemented by a mirror, rounded side sections with shelves, lighting and decorative stickers. Decorative elements are also inexpensive and easy to install, so the original design project does not increase the price of furniture many times over.

The built-in modification involves fixing the guides to the wall and ceiling of the living space and installing the door to the height of the room. Thus, there are serious savings on cabinet materials. This allows you not to skimp on the internal contents or decorative elements that give the room style. The market also offers expensive interior solutions made from natural materials that require special care and serious financial investments.

Such designs also have disadvantages, including:

• massiveness - high requirements for the stability of furniture for storing things force manufacturers to neglect decorative elements and elegance of forms in favor of practicality and reliability. For example, the solid design of a sliding wardrobe is simple, if not boring. Parallel boards, close to the floor and walls, look quite heavy. A compact modular system with sliding doors will accommodate all the necessary things and save space, but visually will look quite impressive;
• rapid wear of supporting structures - as a rule, the doors of such a cabinet are made of aluminum profiles. This material is quite soft, so over time it can deform, injuring the remaining elements of the supporting structure. Installation of more wear-resistant profiles will require serious financial investments for the installation of additional fasteners;
• alternate access to different parts of the closet - unlike standard storage furniture with hinged doors, sliding wardrobes open alternately, so part of the space is always closed to view. The solution to the problem is to install an internal lighting system or narrower glass doors that do not block a large area of ​​the cabinet;
• regular maintenance of load-bearing structures - the operability of the moving parts of this type of furniture is ensured by guide structures, so it is necessary to regularly monitor their serviceability and cleanliness. A large area of ​​aluminum profiles quickly becomes clogged with dirt, so the housewife gets an additional amount of housework.

Despite these disadvantages, with regular maintenance, a small sliding wardrobe will become an interior decoration, and will also save a lot of living space by organizing a compact and accessible place to store necessary things.

Advantages and disadvantages

A small wardrobe has more advantages than disadvantages, which still need to be taken into account.

Advantages:

• Price. The small cabinet requires a small amount of materials to make and is easy to install and assemble. This will save your budget.
• Easy to transport. A small number of parts simplifies delivery, installation, and movement.
• Ease of placement. The compact model can be placed anywhere in the room; there is no need to clear a wall, corner, or niche for it.
• Sliding doors. They do not require free space in front to open them.
• Capacity. The variety and thoughtfulness of the filling elements allow you to place a lot of things, despite the small size. Pull-out rods, drawers, built-in compartments save space.
• Optimal use of space. The design of a small compartment allows you to use non-functional areas under the ceiling, in corners, close to the walls for storing things.
• The ability to complement the doors with decor - mirrors, lighting, stickers. The cabinet performs several functions at once, further freeing up space.

There are also disadvantages:

• Short service life of load-bearing parts. Narrow doors are prone to falling out and breaking. To solve the problem, you can buy a single-door model with an open section.
• Doors take up extra space. Their installation takes 10 cm away from the depth of the cabinet, which can be critical in small rooms.
• Massiveness - a small coupe without decoration looks bulky and heavy.
• Suboptimal depth. 36-46 cm is not enough to store clothes on a regular rod, so manufacturers mount hangers perpendicular to the back wall.
• Inconvenient access to shelves. The capacity of compact models is increased due to height, so it can be difficult to reach mezzanines, high bars, and upper compartments. In this case, a pantograph will help.

Kinds

A consistent approach to purchasing furniture guarantees a practical, useful purchase in everyday life. According to the needs of the family, the desired materials, as well as the available budget, there are several types of wardrobes with sliding doors.

According to the material of manufacture

Depending on the material used, the structures are:

• A budget option for such an interior solution is a sliding wardrobe made of chipboard panels. Lightweight and affordable panels made from wood chips, thoroughly impregnated with glue, are the optimal solution for installing a sliding wardrobe in a small room. In terms of strength and functional features, particle boards cannot compete with more expensive materials. Chipboard is subject to mechanical and thermal stress, and can also release toxins during prolonged exposure to the sun;
• a more aesthetic, wear-resistant and expensive option is MDF finishing. This material is thin wood fibers compressed under high temperature and pressure. The external characteristics of MDF are not much better than chipboard, but this material is more durable and is not susceptible to moisture and temperature changes;
• finishing made of solid natural wood. As a rule, the use of natural materials looks very aesthetically pleasing and emphasizes the high social status of the owners of the premises. On the other hand, the price and weight of such materials stops most people. Natural wood not only requires careful processing and ordering from reputable specialists, but also subsequent careful care. Not every housewife is ready for such labor costs.

Chipboard

MDF

Wood

By shape

Small cabinets can vary in shape:

• classic rectangular designs with a straight guide running along the wall. The simple form requires intensive investment in decorative elements so that the furniture does not look primitive. This modification of furniture occupies the central part of the living space, most often decorated with mirrors, sandblasting or wood inlay;
• minimalistic corner designs - the smallest modification of the sliding wardrobe is a wide door that fences off part of the corner of the storage room. Such sliding wardrobes will decorate a modest-sized apartment. If the living space allows it, then you can complement the classic diagonal cabinet with two rectangular modules. In this case, there will be more storage space, and the corner with furniture will take on a finished look;
• radius modifications - when creating such models of storage furniture, guides and doors are made to order. As a rule, individual door designs are used: convex, concave, combined, round, oval. The cost of such cabinets no longer belongs to the budget segment, but the choice of finishing materials is much higher.

Rectangular

Radius Corner

By location

Depending on the location of the structure, there are:

• small free-standing structures - this option can be easily installed anywhere in the living room; it does not need to be dismantled when carrying out renovation work in the room. In fact, free-standing models are similar in properties to free-standing furniture, the only difference is in the modification of the doors;
• built-in structures - this type requires minimal space consumption of living space. In fact, it only takes up the space needed for a flat sliding door mechanism. The only significant drawback of this storage structure is the inability to move it during repair work or moving. On the other hand, reassembling ready-made furniture in any case weakens the fastening mechanisms, so the furniture may lose its operational properties after moving.

Built-in

Standing separately

Wardrobes

This option is considered one of the most common. There are sliding door panels that are easy to use, and thanks to the creation of designs of different dimensions, they are often used to decorate small bedrooms. The compartment-type closet has many compartments and shelves.

Built-in. This option is great for small spaces. But it is important for owners to understand that it cannot be moved.

Angular. Such structures are installed in the corner, which makes it possible to save space. In a small room they become an excellent interior element that transforms the space in an original way.

Dimensions and filling

The classic content of storage furniture is brackets for long clothes on hangers, as well as horizontal drawers. This type of filling will cost a small amount, but will allow you to comfortably place a small amount of clothing.

The standard modification is a cabinet 1800 mm long and 2400 mm high; the contents include drawers, wide open corner shelves, and sections for storing shoes.

A small modular storage system that complements cabinets of modest length (from 1200 to 1300 mm) and low height (2000 mm) - unlike the first option, these systems take up less free space. For example, pull-out baskets, brackets, drawers, located at a minimum distance from each other, easily accommodate non-standard large items. Thus, even a small section can accommodate artificial Christmas trees, bicycles, and vacuum cleaners.

Selection rules

Since built-in cabinet furniture is most often made to order, for a successful choice you should independently determine the technical characteristics. By going to a sales consultant with clear characteristics, it is easier to choose the optimal furniture. What to consider when choosing:

• Dimensions - for use in small rooms, it is best to opt for tall, narrow models that visually look miniature and do not “take up” excess space. When taking measurements, it is recommended to add about 5 cm on each side to the resulting dimensions so that installation work does not damage the external surfaces;
• storage system - a dense modular system of drawers, baskets, and brackets - the optimal solution for elegant furniture of modest size. For example, a diagonal corner cabinet with wire containers will be a good replacement for a finished cabinet hallway;
• external finishing - the choice of finishing materials and decorative structures should fit into the overall interior of the room, and also not require special care. Therefore, it is recommended to use MDF, chipboard or plastic panels;
• size and number of mirrors - having a mirror surface built into the furniture will visually expand the space, but will require additional care. To reduce contamination, it is recommended to place mirror panels above waist level.

Top 7 popular small wardrobes

Our analysts conducted research and selected the most popular models based on sales statistics for the first half of 2022. The leading depth is 40 cm.

A small wardrobe with sliding doors is appropriate in a small-sized Khrushchev house. It is roomy, does not take up much space, will help organize things in the room rationally and add aesthetics to the interior of a small room.

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