A wardrobe is an indispensable element of any home interior. There are many beautiful and functional models sold on the modern market. In recent years, accordion cabinets have become very popular. Designs with folding doors are a worthy alternative not only to hinged doors, but also to sliding ones.
A wardrobe is an indispensable element of any home interior.
Design Features
Owners of city apartments often prefer sliding wardrobes and accordion units. The second option is considered a fashionable trend and a practical solution today. The beautiful appearance of the product attracts attention. Thanks to the special door mechanism, you can save a lot of space in the room. Furniture manufacturers offer many cabinet design options that are available to any buyer. Before purchasing a product, you need to know about its main characteristics.
The cabinet doors resemble an accordion musical instrument, which is why the furniture design got its name. The device is reminiscent of the principle of blinds: with a movement of the hand, it is folded into a stack on any side the customer wishes. The mechanism is mounted on top of a steel or aluminum rail, which protrudes beyond the border of the housing. Sashes over 2 m in height are mounted on two guides - lower and upper.
A cabinet with folding accordion doors requires reinforcement to support the elements. Each leaf is connected to the other using hinges and additional fasteners on the rail. To ensure that the frame lasts a long time, modern manufacturers use lightweight materials that allow the doors to move smoothly along the guides. The ball mechanism is rarely used: products quickly fail due to friction of bearings and rail.
Sometimes a design with an accordion door is confused with a bookcase. The second option involves two doors that fold in different directions. Door parts may vary in width and appearance. In addition, they are stronger than accordion doors, as they are made from solid materials.
A cabinet with folding accordion doors requires reinforcement to support the elements.
Pros and cons of the closet
Like any storage system, furniture with folding doors has advantages and disadvantages. Only recently have people discovered the many advantages of this design.
Advantages of the accordion model:
- Compactness. Although the doors move forward when opened, when folded they take up little space, which cannot be said about hinged models. Since a lot of space remains free, cabinets with folding doors can be placed close to other pieces of furniture and in the corners of rooms.
- Full view of the interior space. With the doors open, a person can see the entire storage system. This is a big advantage over sliding models, in which only a few shelves are visible when you need to take something.
- Multifunctionality. Folding doors not only cover the internal contents, but also serve as a screen for changing clothes. They also represent a decorative element.
- Light weight of the doors. Light materials are used to produce folding doors. The products themselves are small in size, so they are more convenient to use than hinged or sliding ones.
- Possibility to replace a damaged structural element. If one of the door panels breaks, you only need to remove it and attach a new one.
- Silence. Typically, such storage systems use bearings, which prevent the movement of the doors from being heard.
The cabinet can be ordered in the desired size, shade and design.
A storage system with original doors does not damage the floor covering, since the structure does not come into contact with this surface during assembly and installation. Products can be ordered in the desired size, shade and design. It is possible to choose your own version of the internal content, for example, from . A closet may have a different number of shelves, drawers and rods.
But compact designs have several disadvantages:
- If only one rail is present, the door can move freely in the track.
- The mechanism often fails due to constant use and unreliable fastening. Experts recommend periodically treating it with special means.
- The more parts there are in a door, the lower its strength.
- Furniture with folding doors is not as durable. The service life rarely exceeds 6-7 years.
To ensure that the product lasts a long time, you should buy or order cabinets from trusted manufacturers. Popular manufacturers of high-quality collections: “Leroy Merlin”, “Style” (Degar), “Shatura” (Marta), “Pribaltmebel” (Malvina), “MebelKom” (Sharm). Spectacular accordion cabinets with a mirror can be found at Yartsevo (Matilda) and Hettich.
You can assemble a cabinet with accordion doors yourself. You just need to find the necessary elements, handles and other furniture fittings. The best manufacturers that produce high-quality hinges and other parts for folding doors are Hettich and Blum. The German company offers not only accordion cabinets, but also separately folding doors. Manufacturers always include instructions with their products, which makes assembly easier.
Cabinet configuration and equipment
In order to make the most efficient use of the space inside the product, it is necessary to correctly select its contents. What designs will help you conveniently place things and make using a small pantry comfortable?
- Shelves are horizontal surfaces of various sizes located at different heights. Their size is selected depending on what will be stored in this cabinet. If it is intended for conservation, you will need shelves of different heights.
- Metal baskets - allow you to organize small items that would take up too much space standing on a shelf. In addition, the through walls are well ventilated, which prevents the formation of dampness and fungus.
- Drawers - designs of different sizes. They can be located inside the cabinet behind a common door or have their own facade. They are very useful for storing small items, tools, various household devices, vegetables - if there is not enough space in the kitchen.
- Rods – if the closet is used as a dressing room, they will accommodate hangers for clothes.
- Mezzanines - are equipped in the upper part of the cabinet for storing rarely used items.
If you plan to store a clothes dryer, vacuum cleaner, mops, fishing rods, skis in the closet, you better refuse to fill it and make at least one part of the closet without shelves.
Items such as an ironing board and dryer can be built directly into the closet, thereby creating a convenient area for drying and ironing clothes.
If desired, you can set up a workplace on the balcony, using one of the cabinet shelves as a table. This is an excellent way out of the situation when there is a shortage of free space in the apartment. Books and folders with documents can be conveniently placed on the upper shelves. The lower ones are suitable for placing office equipment.
Materials used
Traditional materials are used to manufacture folding structures. The cabinet body is made of laminated chipboard. Models can be of different shades. The fittings are made from high-quality steel or aluminum.
The main materials used in the production of accordion doors:
- Plastic. The products are covered with a decorative film, so it is possible to choose models that match the color for any room. Structures with PVC facades can be placed in rooms with a high degree of humidity. Plastic does not emit harmful substances, so it is safely purchased for children’s rooms.
Plastic does not emit harmful substances, so it is safely purchased for children’s rooms. - Glass. Some consider this option fragile and unreliable. But manufacturers use special tempered glass, which is highly durable. Usually the material is used as inserts, but there are also solid models. Glass can be either transparent or frosted. There are options with sandblasted patterns and stained glass.
Manufacturers use special tempered glass, which is highly durable - Metal. Practical products are suitable for rooms where there is a change in temperature and humidity levels. Metal models are available in various colors, so they will fit into any interior.
Metal models are suitable for rooms where there is a change in temperature and humidity levels. - Bamboo. This material is considered environmentally friendly. It can be used to create sashes independently or in combination with glass and mirror.
Bamboo models are considered environmentally friendly. - Rattan. Another natural material that looks original and presentable.
Rattan furniture is environmentally friendly and safe for health.
Fabric and leather are often used for accordion doors. Models can be of different shades and textures. They give the room an aesthetic and respectable appearance.
Types of models
Accordion cabinets are available in a variety of variations. The width of the elements themselves depends on the number of panels in the door. Models with two and four doors are in great demand. Folding doors are installed in any cabinets:
- Corpus. Products with folding doors can be straight, radial or angular. They are manufactured with walls, bottom and ceiling. If necessary, they can be moved to another place.
Accordion cabinet cabinet with folding doors. - Built-in. The side elements of such cabinets are the walls. Guides are installed on the ceiling and floor of the room. A frame is built for the internal contents. Such models resemble small dressing rooms.
Built-in accordion wardrobe with folding doors.
Furniture is also divided according to the place of installation. Typically, people choose straight models, which are suitable for most rooms and are installed along the wall or with one side in a corner. Sometimes the product is supplemented with furniture modules. An accordion corner cabinet helps make full use of the corner space. The design is very spacious.
Sliding system
Such a solution for a cabinet on the balcony will appeal to those who value saving space. Installing such a system is more expensive than installing sliding doors, since the master needs to purchase top, bottom and side guides, as well as a roller system installed on the door leaf. Although this design is considered quite complex, it can be installed with your own hands.
So, it is necessary to install guides on the same vertical plane on the floor and ceiling of the balcony. Before starting work, it is necessary to drill holes for self-tapping screws in the guides. Door stops are mounted on each side of the guides, reliably fixing the doors in the closed state and preventing them from arbitrarily rolling away.
At the next stage, you install the cabinet doors one by one with your own hands. To do this, you need to insert the rollers of the upper part into the upper guides, and then, slightly raising the lower rollers, insert them into the grooves of the lower guide profile. This completes the assembly of the cabinet doors for the balcony. But it should be remembered that this design has one significant drawback: it is impossible to gain access to the shelves along the entire width; the left or right side of the cabinet will always be closed by the doors moved to the side.
Application in the interior
With a variety of models, accordion cabinets fit perfectly into any style. Their designs can be classic or modern. The structures are installed even in small rooms, on balconies and in niches. You can choose an accordion closet for the hallway.
Accordion cabinets are available in a variety of variations.
Bright models with colored doors or facades with drawings are suitable for children's rooms. For the kitchen area, choose options with plastic doors that match the color of the walls. Another good solution would be a cabinet with metal doors that can withstand temperature changes and high humidity. This option is also suitable for bathrooms.
Any wardrobe model with folding doors is suitable for the living room and bedroom. When choosing furniture, you need to focus on the color palette of the room. If you need to make the room visually larger, then you need to purchase a light, glossy or mirrored cabinet. Facades with mirror inserts will look impressive. Models in dark colors will help make the room strict and extraordinary.
If the room is small, then you should pay attention to corner structures that will not take up much space. Accordion cabinets are installed in rooms where it is not possible to use hinged doors. You can save more space with a built-in design.
Any wardrobe model with folding doors is suitable for the living room and bedroom.
Cabinet shape and size
The shape of the cabinet depends on:
- the wishes of the owners;
- places where it will be located - at the end, in the corner, along the wall;
- its purpose - the functionality of the cabinet can be different - a full-fledged wardrobe on an insulated balcony, a work area with a computer desk, a rack with many shelves for storing canned food or work tools, an improvised refrigerator.
Shallow cabinets with frequent shelves are suitable for preservation. It is very convenient to arrange jars on such racks. If you are going to store workpieces for a long period of time, it is necessary to organize protection from the sun and equip the storage system with doors.
For large items - sleds, skis, winter tires, you need a spacious closet of sufficient depth, reaching to the ceiling.
The dimensions depend on the type of construction - the height of the built-in wardrobe coincides with the height of the balcony itself and is usually 2500-2700 mm. The depth of the wardrobe must be at least 520 mm, and its height must be at least 1800 mm. For lower drawers you need to leave from 400 to 700 mm. The width of the shelves must be at least 400 mm. Narrower cabinets with smaller shelves are impractical. If the closet is not intended for clothing, a depth of 350 to 450 mm is sufficient. If a structure of even this size does not fit on the balcony, it is more advisable to install a rack without doors.
Nuances of choice
When people purchase furniture, they pay attention not only to the design, but also to the quality of the products. To ensure that a wardrobe with folding doors lasts a long time, buyers need to take advice from experts.
Furniture must be checked for quiet operation. If the cabinet creaks when the doors are assembled and folded back, then such a product should be discarded. The product must be equipped with special seals that ensure smooth movement of the doors. To prevent the doors from wobbling, you should choose a cabinet equipped with upper and lower guides. With two rails, furniture will last longer. If the cabinet is being selected for a nursery, then the door should not be heavy, otherwise it will be difficult for the child to open and close it.
The cabinet should fit into the room in color.
You need to decide in advance on the size of the cabinet, which can be intended for various things. If it is chosen for clothes and linen, then it should be dimensional. If the product is purchased for magazines, books and various accessories, then a narrow model is suitable, which should not exceed 170 cm in height.
We must remember about the internal organization of space. For clothes you need not only shelves, but also rods. Underwear is stored in drawers. For a large number of pairs of shoes you need many lower shelves.
The cabinet should fit into the room in color. It is selected to match the color of the cabinets, bed or decoration, but color contrast can also be used. You also need to focus on the type of room in which the structure will be placed. If furniture is purchased for the kitchen or bathroom, then preference should be given to models with facades treated with special impregnations.
Where to install the cabinet
The location depends on the design of the cabinet and its purpose. Since the balcony is a narrow rectangular room, it would be logical to place furniture on one of the short walls. This way you can slightly adjust the elongated shape of the balcony and use unused space. If it is not possible to place one large cabinet on the end side, you can hang two - one above the other.
Another option is to build a corner structure. A beveled door will allow you to leave unoccupied space next to the glazing, and light will freely penetrate into the room.
A narrow cabinet can be placed under the window sill along the entire side. In winter it is used instead of a refrigerator.
Similar systems are also located under the window. They will be especially relevant in the summer. You can use the top cover instead of a window sill to grow flowers and vegetables. If the dimensions of the loggia allow, the cabinet can be placed along a long wall. The main thing is that it does not interfere with movement and opens easily. A system with sliding doors is ideal.
Customer Reviews
My wife and I decided to buy new furniture for the bedroom. We spent a long time choosing a closet and settled on the option with folding doors. The doors also have frosted glass inserts. The wardrobe looks great in wenge shade. Since the room is decorated in a milky color, with such a cabinet it does not look gloomy. The mechanism is simple; the door folds in a stack to the right. The doors are well fixed on the rails from below and above. We've been using it for three years now, everything works fine.
Alexei
Last year I bought a cabinet whose door folds like a book, but only on one side. I really liked the model with mirror inserts. During the day and evening, when the lamps are on, the light reflects from the facades and fills the entire room. Inside the closet there are shelves and rods for clothes. There's even a pantie. The door is easy to use; it is easy to assemble and does not get in the way. I am planning to buy the same cabinet for my child’s nursery.
Catherine
I have a built-in closet in my bathroom. A year ago, the sliding doors began to work poorly. I had to order new ones. The choice was made on accordion doors. The doors fold out of the way quickly and easily, but are a little in the way as they cover the sink. Otherwise, this design suits me.
Advantages of folding design
- Universal application - your loggia can be glazed or open; a heat-resistant double-glazed window is suitable for any option.
- The segmented door to the balcony opens both to the street and to the room, so you don’t have to change the layout or rearrange the furniture.
- In the open position, an accordion or book takes up a minimum of usable space, allowing you to set up a work or play area on a loggia or balcony.
- The three-circuit seal eliminates the formation of perspiration on the outside of the double-glazed window - “Accordions” from “OknaStar” do not leak even in severe frosts.
- The rollers and end hinges operate absolutely silently, and competent installation by our company’s specialists eliminates the possibility of jamming or distortion of the door leaf elements.
offers you a wide selection of segmented door designs that are resistant to cold, burglary and mechanical damage. Using our products, you can cover an arch or opening up to 6 meters long and up to 3.5 meters high. All clients of our company receive free measurements and fast delivery throughout Moscow and the region, with the order being lifted to any floor.
The average order fulfillment time is 5 days. The warranty period for sashes, mechanics and services is 6 years. We are confident in the quality of our products and the qualifications of our installers.
If you want to buy a high-quality door, call +7 (495) 153-81-55. We are waiting for your call from 9:00 to 19:00 any day of the week.
