Well-designed closets give a room a neat appearance and can hold almost everything - from clothes and shoes to household appliances. At the same time, things will be stored in an orderly manner: outerwear on hangers, bed linen on shelves, shoes in shoe racks, etc.
We'll tell you about the types and shapes of small corner cabinets and how to choose the color, material and fittings for them, what main points you should pay attention to.
Small corner wardrobe
Kinds
Cabinets, depending on the type, doors are:
- swing;
- coupe;
- accordions.
Hinged doors are a popular and cheapest option because they are easy to install and do not require a lot of fittings. To install them, you only need hinges and handles. However, cabinets with hinged doors are not always convenient in small rooms - for example, a narrow passage may prevent them from opening completely. The same goes for installation in a corner.
A convenient modification for small spaces is wardrobes with sliding doors. They can be placed in a corner or narrow passage without any problems. The main disadvantage is the high price compared to swing doors.
Accordion doors are built in less often. Basically, they are equipped with adjacent dressing rooms or cabinets built into niches.
Accordion doors - an intermediate option between hinged and compartment doors
Classification by body type:
- free-standing (cabinet);
- built-in;
- modular.
A freestanding cabinet is a freestanding product, meaning it can be moved from place to place.
If the room has a niche, it can be equipped with a built-in wardrobe. Usually these are shelves and other filling elements that are attached directly to the walls of the niche, and the entire structure is covered with ready-made facades.
Modular cabinets consist of several individual sections that can be combined. Many furniture factories produce entire series of modular furniture, in increments of 5–10 cm, which allows you to assemble the necessary set, combining, for example, closed shelves and open shelving.
Internal structure
The interior design of the cabinet can be determined individually. The most popular options are:
- on the left are shelves, in the middle are slats for clothes, on the right are drawers. Ideal for the bedroom;
- in the middle there are clothes rails, on the sides there are shelves. Good choice for living room;
- on the left there are two sections with shelves, on the right there are full-length shelves, at the bottom there are sections for large items and boxes.
Form
When arranging a small room, they often resort to tricks in order to optimally use the usable area. An ordinary rectangular cabinet will not always be appropriate here. Sometimes it is preferable to choose a corner design. To order, you can make a case of any shape:
- trapezoidal;
- triangular;
- pentagonal;
- L-shaped;
- radius, etc.
Devices for convenient storage
Carousel for shoes
A great way to use deep corner niches. And it’s easy to compactly store a couple of dozen shoes. You can easily browse the available stock and choose the right model for your morning or evening outfit.
Pull-out shelf with compartments for ties and underwear
It is convenient to put small accessories and underwear in small cells so that you can see everything that is in stock. Pull-out shelves and drawers allow you to quickly make choices and bring order to your storage organization. Now you don't need to rummage through boxes looking for the right pair of socks.
Pull-out trouser
When you have a large collection of trousers in your wardrobe, it makes sense to purchase a retractable trouser rack for them, thanks to which things take up the minimum possible space in the closet. At the same time, they easily float right into your hands. Some trouser models are designed to automatically extend when the cabinet door is opened.
Retractable rod for tramples
End rods take up minimal space in the closet and allow you to compactly store shirts, suits, trousers, etc. To inspect things, just pull the bar towards you, and the closet will helpfully provide you with a wide selection of stored items.
Pull-out shelves for linen
A corner cabinet allows you to create deep shelves. However, this is not always convenient. Everything that ends up under the back wall on the shelves gets lost, forgotten and wastes space. There is an exit. Just make the shelves pull out. In this case, the overview of what is stored will increase significantly. You will always be aware of what is where. And at the same time, getting to the right thing will be easy and convenient, no matter where it is.
Laundry baskets
Knitwear does not like to be disturbed once again. Transparent containers and laundry baskets help extend the life of things. To make them convenient to use, order retractable models. In this case, any man will quickly navigate the depths of the closet and find the right thing without the help of his wife.
For vacuum cleaner
Vacuum cleaners are often stored in closets. All these hoses, tubes and nozzles strive to introduce an element of chaos into the ideal order that you have established. Therefore, for this cleaning assistant, set aside a separate place with hook holders for its parts. In this case, there will be order on every centimeter of your bedroom.
Shoe shelves
Typically, shoes are stored either at the bottom of the closet or in its drawers. However, this is not the only possible option. Take a closer look at how conveniently the pairs are located on store displays. Each one is visible. They take up very little space. Similar wire shelves can also be attached to the walls of the cabinet. And if there are a lot of shoes, but there is catastrophically little space, then you can resort to slider storage.
It would seem that what can be said about a simple wardrobe that is built into the corner of the bedroom? It turns out that this topic, like a good TV series, provides food for thought for more than one article. This time we touched only on the types of corner cabinets, materials and some tricks that make storing things convenient and practical.
Color: main selection criteria
The color of the cabinet should be in harmony with the rest of the furniture and the color scheme of the entire room. It is advisable to think through this point at the stage of the design project of the premises.
When decorating a small room, you need to take into account certain nuances. Light-colored furniture visually clutters the room less. Dark cabinets look more massive than light ones, and in a small room they generally create an oppressive impression.
You can order furniture in the same color as the walls of the room. Such a set does not visually split the wall and looks like a single continuous line.
Light shades are good for the bathroom - splashes and stains are less noticeable on such a surface.
Facades
Materials for cabinet fronts:
- chipboard;
- film or painted MDF;
- mirror;
- tree;
- various inserts, etc.
Chipboard
Chipboard cabinet doors are a traditional option. In swing models, chipboard with a thickness of 16–18 mm is usually used. The use of thicker chipboards is irrational, as it significantly increases the load on door hinges, which leads to their sagging. Because of this, the price of the finished product will increase.
For inserts into sliding wardrobe systems, chipboard with a thickness of 8–10 mm is used - the most cost-effective element of facades.
MDF
The thickness of MDF doors is 16–18 mm (the same as chipboard doors). Compared to chipboard, this material has advantages - for example, MDF facades can be decorated with decorative milling, which is often used in classic-style furniture.
In addition, MDF differs from chipboard in a larger range of colors. PVC films of different decors and textures are used for facades:
- woody;
- colored;
- with pattern;
- metallic;
- with glitter;
- matte or glossy, etc.
Facades made of painted MDF boards can be distinguished into a separate group. This is one of the few materials suitable for the bathroom. Painted MDF is practically not affected by moisture, unlike chipboard or film MDF. A cabinet made of this material can be placed in the bathroom without fear of it swelling.
Expert opinion
Svetlana Kolesnikova
Designer
The main disadvantage of facades made of film MDF, in comparison with chipboard, is the high cost. A product made from painted MDF board will cost even more.
To fill the facades of sliding wardrobes, MDF with a thickness of 8–10 mm is used, as is chipboard.
Mirror
As a façade material, mirrors are used mainly in wardrobes. At the same time, it must be covered with a special film on the reverse side, which will prevent fragments from scattering everywhere if the mirror suddenly breaks. Using sandblasting, decorative designs are sometimes applied to such facades.
Wardrobes with mirrored fronts visually make the room more spacious, which is a plus for small rooms.
Other materials
In addition to chipboard, MDF boards and mirrors, glass with photo printing, rattan, plastic panels, etc. are used as filling for the facades of sliding wardrobes.
Combine materials to seamlessly fit the cabinet into the interior.
Advantages
The key advantages of a small corner cabinet are ergonomics and spaciousness. It allows you to free up additional space, which is extremely important for compact apartments. Moreover, even a small closet can hold quite a lot of things.
Corner cabinets are easy to use and practical. For example, in the living room, a corner cabinet can be used to place a TV and acoustics. This is especially true for open cabinets or with a compartment system.
There are special models for children's bedrooms, which are used as a wardrobe during the day and turn into a bed in the evening. These cabinets are produced in a variety of designs.
Each manufacturer's catalog of corner cabinets includes models of different sizes, shapes and styles. This allows you to choose the perfect set for any needs and tastes.
Filling
Depending on what room the model is intended for, its content also changes. Wardrobes in hallways, bedrooms, and living rooms are mainly used for storing outer and underwear, shoes, hats, bags, bed linen, household appliances, etc.
For a more rational arrangement of all things, except shelves and drawers, the internal space of the case is equipped with fittings:
- barbells;
- trombones;
- pantographs;
- trousers;
- ties;
- mesh baskets;
- shoe racks;
- holders for vacuum cleaners or irons, etc.
Bathroom cabinets stand out. They store mainly cosmetics and household chemicals, and sometimes towels and bathrobes. Of course, all the accessories are not useful here, with the possible exception of mesh baskets. Usually there are quite enough shelves.
Bathrooms are notoriously modest in size, limiting the inclusion of even drawers. And high humidity has a bad effect on metal elements. Therefore, do not install them unnecessarily.
Internal organization of space
To make things convenient to use, it is advisable to arrange them so that none of the household members have difficulty finding the desired item in the depths of the closet.
When planning departments, you need to take your wardrobe into account. How many items of one size or another, how extensive is the collection of shoes and bags.
Height of departments
- For dresses, coats and raincoats, set aside 150-180 cm. The remaining space at the bottom will be used for storing shoes in boxes or for vacuum bags.
- Shirts, blouses, shorts and trousers thrown over bars will require about 120 cm.
- For trousers hanging on clips, leave 140-150 cm.
- Summer shoes take up about 10-15 cm depending on the heel. The winter one is much higher and will require 20 to 30 cm.
- The fashion for tall hats has sunk into oblivion, so 20 cm is enough for them.
- It is convenient to store linen and knitwear in small piles so that they are easy to take out and put back. Convenient height of the linen shelves is 30 cm.
- Drawers and shelves for underwear and accessories usually take up from 5 to 15 cm, depending on what exactly will be stored.
Section width
If you're ordering a custom-sized closet, it makes sense to measure your laundry the way you usually fold it. Each housewife has her own system. Some people prefer the Japanese way of rolling things into rolls, while others traditionally form neat piles in the European style.
- Based on your personal preferences and traditions, from 30 to 60 cm are allocated for linen.
- Suitcases and travel bags take up from 60 to 80 cm.
- The length of the rod for dresses and trousers is no more than 1 m. Otherwise, it is necessary to provide additional support from below or above.
- Drawers and baskets take up from 30 to 80 cm, depending on their purpose.
- If you like to store things in boxes, then select containers and measure the width of the shelf, which is a multiple of the size of the box.
- End retractable rods are placed in niches 60 cm wide so that clothes have sufficient freedom and do not wrinkle.
Corner wardrobe with built-in desk
A small space often forces you to combine several functions in one piece of furniture. In this way you can combine a corner cabinet and a table.
Built-in makeup table in hallway
As an example, it is worth considering an L-shaped secretary. The model has disadvantages, such as a hard-to-reach area in the corner. To load the space more efficiently, you can build a corner table into this area, above which you can place a proportionate mezzanine, and on both sides - regular cabinets.
Advantages of a combined cabinet-table:
- Getting rid of a “blind” hard-to-reach corner.
- Saving space in the room - no need to install a separate table.
- The internal volume of the corner cabinet is reduced slightly, since a corner mezzanine remains above the table.
This structure is especially convenient in a home office, a student’s room or a bedroom. The downside will be the lack of lighting, but this problem can be solved by properly installing additional lamps.
Beautiful and comfortable wardrobe with built-in desk
Built-in corner wardrobes in the bedroom interior
Here is a current photo selection that will show what modern corner built-in wardrobes look like in a bedroom.
Selecting a cabinet depending on the purpose
The purpose of the cabinet depends on the room in which it will be installed. So first think about:
- where the cabinet will be located and what area it will occupy (measure the length, depth and height with a tape measure);
- color and material of the body and facades;
- door design - hinged, compartment or accordion;
- filling the closet (what things you plan to store in it), for example, a compartment for clothes and shelves for linen.
Expert opinion
Victoria Chernikova
Decorator
Sometimes for small rooms the only possible solution is to install a closet behind the door. If the door opens inward, its handle may rest against the front or side of the cabinet and damage it. Oddly enough, this point is often overlooked.
When choosing bathroom furniture, look at the material from which it is made. It is better if it is plastic or painted MDF. Decide what you are going to store there. Cosmetics and household chemicals should be kept on different shelves, or rather, in different compartments.
Made to order
It is not always possible to find a model that would be combined with other interior items. For small rooms this problem is especially relevant. If your budget allows, order a cabinet taking into account the structure of your room.
Sequencing:
- determine the installation location and dimensions;
- consider door designs;
- think about the content.
To order, it is enough to have a general understanding of the design of the cabinet, and find out the specifics already in the showroom. The designer will suggest the winning material and color, and also suggest how best to equip the future corner cabinet. Before production, furniture makers will take careful measurements and provide you with ready-made sketches, and even visualization of the entire room.
Style and internal structure of corner wardrobes for the bedroom
The style of corner wardrobes in the bedroom can be straight or radial. There are models with swinging doors and folding accordion doors. The wardrobes are spacious, practical and very beautiful.
If the space allows, it is convenient to install a corner wardrobe with internal lighting, a fold-out ironing board, a specially equipped place for an iron, and a steam ironing system.
- Before choosing a corner wardrobe for your bedroom, you need to think about what will be located in it.
- Shelves are needed to store different types of linen, a rod is needed for clothes, and drawers are needed for socks and other small items.
- Therefore, inside a good spacious closet for the bedroom should contain elements of a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, and have a sufficient number of shelves.
