Built-in wardrobes should fit harmoniously into the interior, then you can be sure that they are well selected. The sliding wardrobe can be adapted to the color of the floor, as well as to the interior design, by choosing the right façade. Such furniture can become the highlight of the entire interior, representing an interesting decorative element of the room. See ideas for beautiful sliding wardrobes and use tips on choosing a suitable facade.
Sliding wardrobe facades: from classic to modern in new photos
Built-in wardrobes offer many possibilities for developing complex spaces, especially in non-standard rooms. Sliding wardrobes in a fashionable, modern and minimalist style will fit into any room, and their variety of front designs will satisfy the most biased perfectionists.
What will help maintain order in modern and minimalist interiors? Wardrobes! They fit perfectly into the available space, design and organize complex spaces in bedrooms, living rooms, offices, children's rooms and hallways. Wardrobe fronts can be virtually invisible, matching adjacent walls, and the interior space will be tailored to your individual needs.
Wardrobe facade design: ideas for inspiration
Built-in wardrobes can have fronts made from a wide variety of materials, including those made of laminated, natural, pressed wood, veneered, rattan and bamboo, leather inserts, various types of glass, mirrors and other surfaces upon individual request. Thanks to a wide range of wooden imitation panel fronts, built-in wardrobes match perfectly with the color of the floor.
Interesting! When choosing a wardrobe front, you can combine two or more materials in one door, for example, a laminated board and a mirror.
Six types of door systems for furniture
To make it easier for you to understand what we are talking about, first let’s define such terms as doors, doors, sashes and leaves:
- In large furniture, which includes sliding wardrobes, the entire system providing access to the contents is called doors;
- Doors are personal mechanisms that cover one relatively small shelf or cabinet;
- A door leaf is one section of a door system consisting of a door slab along with the hardware attached to it;
- The canvas is the plate from which the sash is made, excluding hanging, connecting, decorating and other fittings.
System No. 1. Swing doors
The swing system is deservedly considered a classic. Despite the fact that it is hundreds of years old, it is still in demand on the furniture market. The reason lies in the simplicity of the design.
Hinged doors are considered the simplest in the line.
The swing door leaf consists of a leaf on which furniture or piano hinges and handles are attached. The door is attached to the side vertical wall of the cabinet. A person takes the handle, pulls it towards himself and opens the doors, it couldn’t be simpler.
The maximum width of a swing sash according to the standards is 65 cm. If you do more, the load on the hinges increases and they fail, plus a wide sash requires more free space when opening.
In the vast majority of cases, in cabinets equipped with hinged systems, one door is installed per cabinet section. The only exception is the section with a rod for trempels for outerwear; 2 identical opposite sashes are mounted there. Swing doors have the following advantages.
The range of swing systems is the widest.
- The widest model range. Such doors are produced by everyone, from a small workshop to a huge furniture factory;
- If there is space nearby, the sash opens to an angle of up to 130º, which provides a wide view and ease of operation;
- Modern hinged hinges are absolutely silent, so the doors do not make any sound when opening;
- Relatively low price;
- Home craftsmen love these doors for their ease of installation and, importantly, such a system does not require additional adjustment; a high-quality installation is sufficient;
- The estimated service life is 50 years.
In swing doors, the mirror can be mounted both on the front part and from the inside of the sash.
The swing system has only one drawback - space is required to open the door. For the door to open, there must be at least 70 cm of free space next to the cabinet.
System No. 2. Sliding or compartment doors
According to historians, the recoil mechanism appeared in the 19th century. On narrow European streets, it was problematic to open the door of a carriage, so the door that moved to the side was born. Carriages are a thing of the past, and sliding compartment doors have found their way into the furniture industry.
The number of doors in sliding wardrobes is limited by size, but most often it ranges from 2 to 4.
The principle is simple: doors equipped with rollers move along guide rails and slide over each other. The sliding mechanism itself comes in 3 types:
| Illustrations | Recommendations |
| Lower support. In this model, rollers are installed on the bottom of the canvas, on which the sash rests. The rollers move along guide rails. Another pair of rollers is attached to the top of the leaf, which are responsible for holding the sash in a vertical position. Guides are also installed under these rollers.
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| Hanging rail mechanism. In this model, the carrier rollers are attached to the canvas from above. These rollers move along two curved hook-shaped rails, which are mounted on a single profile. To prevent the doors from dangling, there is a groove at the bottom for the guide angles. This system is easy to hang, but the problem is that as soon as you lean lightly on the canvas, the upper rollers pop out of the grooves. | |
| Stiff suspension. This type of mechanism is considered the most reliable. Two paired rollers move inside a closed guide rail. Guide corners can be placed at the bottom, but this is not necessary, since the door leaf on a closed suspension is not in danger of jumping out of the grooves, plus such a rail can support a heavy sash. |
Advantages of sliding structures:
- Saving useful space, the doors do not need additional space next to the cabinet;
- Very attractive appearance;
- Possibility of arranging the canvas from any sheet material.
The recommended width of the doors in sliding compartment doors is 70 cm.
Flaws:
- Even the most expensive and high-quality designs make some noise when moving;
- In the budget sector, with intensive use, the service life of the roller mechanism is 5 - 7 years. Expensive models are guaranteed for 20-30 years. But all this applies to metal mechanisms; plastic systems wear out in 3-4 years;
- The recoil mechanism costs a lot of money. Even the cheapest roller system will cost more than good hinges with a door closer for a swing door;
- Small view - at the same time you can see only part of the contents of the cabinet; to get to the adjacent sector you need to move the doors;
- The rail mechanism takes up a lot of space; the total thickness of the facade in different models varies between 5 - 10 cm.
System No. 3. Harmonic
An accordion folding door is considered a compromise between a swing and sliding option. As the name suggests, the door system consists of several sections that fold according to the accordion principle. Moreover, each of these sections is suspended from above on a roller mechanism moving along a suspended rail.
An accordion is considered something between sliding and hinged structures.
In such doors there are no guides at the bottom; the roller mechanism is installed only on top. The sections are connected to each other by standard, and the simplest, hinges. This design is also called a book.
Among the advantages, it can be noted that the owners get full access to the contents of the cabinet, and at the same time, narrow doors take up a minimum of space next to the cabinet. But at the same time, the upper suspension is not reliable, so that the doors do not warp, they must be opened carefully, plus the canvas must be light.
Hanging roller mechanism for accordion
System No. 4. Folding doors
The folding system is a simplified version of the accordion. In the past, when there were no reliable roller hangers, craftsmen, to save space and have full access to the closet, simply cut standard swing doors into 2 sections and inserted hinges between them.
Each of these paired doors was hung on a vertical side wall, and therefore consisted of only 2 leaves; the side walls and hinges simply could not withstand more. Now this system is actively used in lifting models on small cabinets, but we will talk about them a little later.
The folding version without top suspension can support no more than 2 doors and is no longer used.
System No. 5. Roller shutters
Roller shutters are a rolling mechanism that consists of many narrow slats and is rolled up in a box located in the upper part of the structure. In living rooms or bedrooms, such “curtains” are installed extremely rarely. But on loggias, in hallways, toilets and kitchens they are in great demand.
There are many models of roller blinds, but their layout is the same.
Louvre doors are more reminiscent of roller blinds. They look, frankly, official, but this drawback is more than compensated for by their compact size; in addition, this option has a number of undeniable advantages.
- The lamellas are available in plastic and metal, both options have high mechanical strength;
- Minimum fittings - in addition to the box with the roll itself, the design includes 2 side guides and a lower fixing bar;
- Modern roller shutters do not deteriorate, do not rot or rust, so if you cover the plumbing unit in the toilet or bathroom with these curtains, then such a door will serve as long as you like;
- If desired, photo printing is applied to the slats, which significantly improves the appearance of the cabinet;
- There are models equipped with automatic systems for raising and lowering roller blinds;
- Most roller blinds have a built-in and very reliable lock.
Roller shutters are perfect for installation on loggias and utility rooms.
System No. 6. Lift and tilt doors
Lifting or folding doors are installed only on relatively small cabinets. Usually these are kitchen or wardrobe sections. The installation of such structures became possible after the advent of so-called gas lifts. They are special fittings that hold the canvas in the open position.
The hinged doors open only upwards, but a gas lift is required to install them.
If the cabinet is large, then instead of 2 separate flaps, one folding two-section door is often installed, which is much cheaper, plus such systems look original.
Folding lift doors are easy to use.
Types of wardrobe facades
Cabinet fronts can slide or open traditionally. It is worth paying attention to the sliding doors of the structure. Thin aluminum profiles can be filled with veneer panels, laminates, glass and mirrors. There are also modern, non-core mobile systems. Typically, a wardrobe becomes the highlight of the interior, standing out against the general background with a bright color or print.
Advice! You can paste a piece of wallpaper on the facade, which is on the walls in the bedroom, so as not to highlight the closet, but to make it a single whole. You can also choose a lacquered surface in the same color as the adjacent walls, or a mirror, thanks to which the body will practically disappear and the interior will be optically enlarged.
Color solutions
As for colors, here, as they say, imagination is limitless. Based on the client’s personal preferences, the choice can fall on any of the existing colors of modern cabinets. The popularity of using painting and photo printing continues unabated, thanks to which manufactured cabinet furniture is highly original and has a bright design accent.
When choosing a color scheme, it is necessary to take into account that darkened shades tend to absorb the color of the sun, while white ones enhance it. In addition, from the presented photos we can conclude that the tone of the wallpaper should also be taken into account.
If you are leaning towards a light modern cabinet, shades of ash, maple, milky oak, cherry, alder, beech, and coco bola would be a suitable choice. These tones will create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Fans of dark colors should take a closer look at wenge, cedar, zebrawood, Italian walnut, mahogany, and ecco walnut.
Wardrobe colors
The built-in wardrobe should blend well with the interior design and furniture, preferably matching the color of other elements such as floors or walls. Today you can choose facades that imitate different types of wood: from budget to exotic. It is also important that the closet is in harmony with the style of the room. This is possible thanks to a wide range of fronts and profiles in the production of a unique wardrobe.
