Types of cabinets: how to choose?

Furniture manufacturers filled the salons with a large variety of cabinets, unique in design, design and functionality. Their product range is represented by several types that have one common purpose - the storage of personal belongings of their owner, but at the same time they are completely different from each other in terms of configuration, differ not only in shape and size, but also in the mechanism of movement of door elements. And each of these types has several more classifications.

On the one hand, this diversity is extremely positive, but at the same time creates additional difficulties in choosing. This article will help you navigate the wide model range of this piece of furniture and understand what types of cabinets can be purchased and what are the advantages of each product.

All types of cabinets can be divided into two main groups:

• Swing;
• Wardrobes.

Swing doors are a full-fledged body, which includes elements such as walls, bottom, roof and doors.

The second group, in turn, is divided into hull, recessed and radial structures. Sliding wardrobes are built-in or partially built-in pieces of furniture. Unlike solid products, they are more difficult to transport or not at all. The fact is that wardrobes are most often an element of the room itself, the so-called wall wardrobe, because their partial components are the floor, walls and ceiling.

Quite recently, textile cabinets have appeared on the furniture market, it is still not possible to form them into a separate group, but still this is quite an interesting device for storing things. Cabinet-case - that's how manufacturers call these designs. They are a soft aluminum body, covered with a fabric cloth.

Wardrobes and wardrobes come in three forms:

• Straight lines;
• Corner;
• Radius.

Straight wardrobe - the classic and most common model. Direct models are supplied with a large number of shelves and allow you to place even a few rods for hangers.

But the corner cabinets deserve more attention, as they are divided into several subspecies:

• L-shaped models. The design of the cabinet occupies the corner of the room and two adjacent walls. This is a standard type of corner cabinets.
• Diagonal models. They are also built into the corner of the room, but they have the shape of a triangle, ergonomically occupy space, providing the owners with a large area for storage.

• Trapezoidal. All by analogy - the cabinet has the shape of a trapezoid, refers to asymmetric structures, provides an additional storage system.
• Five Wall. The combined version of the corner cabinet is an L-shaped model, half of which can be either diagonal or trapezoidal. Both wardrobes and wardrobe models can have such a geometric shape.

Designs that have a radial shape - an innovation in the furniture market, they differ in the original design and at the same time retain all the functional features of wardrobes.There are no ward models. Radial structures are also divided into several subspecies:

• Bulging. The most advantageous location of the convex cabinet is a niche;
• Concave. This type of radial cabinets are most often corpus rather than built-in;

• Combined or wavy. They are a combination of convex and concave elements that visually resemble a wave;
• Round. They have a full radial circle shape, but are rarely found in residential premises due to the fact that they consume a large amount of space.

In addition to the supporting structure, door elements are included in the basic set of the cabinet front.

They are of several types:

• Swing;
• Sliding;
• Folding;
• Shutters

As a rule, the first type of door elements is most often found in wardrobe products. This door movement system has a simple and reliable device, it consists of hinges that are installed on the side walls of the cabinet and the door leafs themselves.

Sliding door elements have a more complex system of movement of the valves, this mechanism includes guide rollers, wheels and motion limiters.There are sliding doors with shutters exclusively in wardrobes and the type of fixing guides There are two types:

• Upper suspension;
• Lower hung.

The first type of fastening is rarely used in cabinet-type wardrobes, more often in embedded models. The reason for this is that the main load of the door elements and the sliding system falls on the ceiling structure, which is extremely inconvenient in the presence of, for example, stretch or plasterboard ceilings, because additional strengthening of the ceiling will be required, otherwise it simply will not stand the weight. In the case of built-in models, one way or another, you will have to perform installation work.

Bottom-mounted fastenings transfer the support points of the door sections to the floor construction, due to which the system is considered more reliable and has a longer service life. Roller shutters are made of either aluminum or steel, the wheels, in turn, are made of plastic with a rubber coating, which ensures smooth and silent movement of the cabinet doors.

Products with folding doors - a hybrid swing and sliding mechanisms. Otherwise, this system is called “accordion” due to the fact that the principle of the movement of the valves imitates the folding of the furs of the accordion.The guide rails in the sliding cabinets are mounted at the top, the door leaf leaves consist of several parts, each of which is fastened with a moving element.

The doors of the cabinet, made in the form of roller shutters - a simple and democratic way to equip the wardrobe, the mechanism of the roller shutter is very similar to blinds and operates according to the same principle - the lamellae are securely fastened together and move along the guide flaps. The advantage of such a “door” is that you can easily replace a broken element.

In addition to the four main types, there are also models of cabinets with lifting doors. Despite ease of use and reliability, lifting mechanisms can be found not often, because at the expense of complex construction these mechanisms are quite expensive, besides, they can be used only in small modules of wardrobes.

Let us consider in more detail the design of all types of cabinets with their advantages and disadvantages.

So, wardrobes in their diversity differ in such characteristics as the dimensions of the structure, the design of the facade, the cost and functionality.Of course, modern wardrobes have slightly pressed their predecessors, but nevertheless, they are still quite popular among buyers.

A wardrobe consists of such elements as hinged doors, shelves and a mezzanine for storing things, as well as a compartment with a crossbar in the form of a wooden stick or pipe for hangers where clothes can be hung.

This product gives its owners the opportunity to make the most rational use of living space due to the mobility of the structure, the ability to assemble and disassemble it, and also move it to another zone. The wardrobe, in contrast to the closet, provides maximum access to storage systems, of course, it cannot be fully considered a modular design, but it is still possible to remove and install some elements from the internal configuration of the product, adjusting the optimum height of the shelves.

A wide product range with its variety of options for the design of the facade and colors make it easy to choose a product for any interior - from traditional classics to cutting-edge styles.

The advantages of cabinets with hinged doors is that they have:

• Wider variety of model range;
• Silent opening mechanism for door elements;
• Democratic value;
• The service life reaches several decades.

The disadvantage of these systems is that additional space is required to open the valves, which is not always convenient to use.

Sliding wardrobes with a hinged door system are rare. As is known, this type of products has, basically, two types of the mechanism of movement of the pile:

• With sliding doors. Their advantage lies in the simplicity and ease of use, it is also important that this system of door movement saves space, as it does not require space for opening doors, as in swing models. The service life of sliding structures reaches 10 years, which is significantly lower than that of swing mechanisms, so this fact can be attributed to the shortcomings.
• Folding mechanisms for the movement of door leaves. They combine the benefits of sliding and swing systems. They occupy less space than hinged, but at the same time, unlike sliding mechanisms, give full access to the interior of the cabinet.

Cabinet and built-in models of wardrobes also have their own features and characteristics. So, the built-in design does not have a full-fledged frame, its components are door folds. In some cases, a roof or floor is installed, for example, if the apartment has a suspended ceiling or uneven floors.

The components of the cabinet are fixed directly to the walls, floor and ceiling, therefore installation of this type of construction always requires installation work. Embedded models are not amenable to transportation, and the point is not that they cannot be dismantled, the reason for this is completely individual measurements, which makes the design unique for one room, where it was originally installed according to the project. For example, already on the second floor of the same house or simply in other rooms, and even more so apartments, the required geometry of the space, its width and length, the optimum ceiling height, etc., may not coincide.

Cabinet models of wardrobes, in turn, have a frame, though not always full-fledged. These products acquire such advantages as the ability to transport, mobility and versatility of the design. Ready-made models of cabinet cabinets are much cheaper than custom products. It should be borne in mind that the hull models, although partially, but still attached to the walls, therefore, the presence of plasterboard boxes on the wall structure may be a reason to refuse to buy a cabinet wardrobe. But at the same time the absence of additional frame elements allows you to fully use the area available for storage.

Regardless of the type of construction that the future owner of a wardrobe or closet wants, he initially needed to make measurements of the room and the part where it is planned to install the product. It is important not only to calculate the width, length, height of the space and fix the usable area, but also to take into account the presence of switches, sockets, door and window openings and the doors and casement windows, window sills, heating systems, etc.

Only after measuring the space, the dimensions of the structure are approximately determined taking into account the baseboards, all kinds of gaps and irregularities. The cabinet can be either low on legs or it can fill the entire space from floor to ceiling. The next step is to determine the allowable depth of the product. According to the standard, it reaches 0.6 m, but it can be either more or less.

There are some optimal parameters that are not recommended to break.

Otherwise, the product may become potentially dangerous in use, for example:

• The width of the horizontal shelves should not exceed 1 m, otherwise they can bend, but also have a shelf width less than 0.4 m is not recommended for the same reason.
• The length of the bar for hangers on average should be no more than 0.9 m, otherwise the crossbar will sag.
• If the width of the box for linen exceeds 0.6 meters, then the bottom should be made of chipboard plywood, not fiberboard, otherwise it can be deformed.

Initially, it should be noted that finding the product of the desired color range is not a difficult task, especially the possibility to order a design according to individual parameters, but to decide on the desired color scheme and, most importantly, choosing it right will be more difficult.

Designers have developed three main aspects that should be considered when choosing the colors of cabinets.

In other words, a harmonious combination of colors and shades is intraprobela. It includes four basic concepts of color solutions in interior design of a room, which are determined using the color wheel:

• Monochrome concept. The principle of the monochrome combination of colors is to choose one color, either cold or warm. The interior, in turn, uses three of its variations: the main shade, lighter and darker. The façade of the cabinet is most often made to match the walls or in light colors, and the body is dark, which visually reduces the dimensions of the structure.
• The concept of combination on the principle of similarity. In this case, the basis is the choice of one color, it is considered the main one, and the remaining two are located on the color wheel at an angle of 15-25 degrees. It is important that the angle of inclination on the color wheel, for both the second and third color, be the same.

• Contrast combination. Two opposing colors are selected on the color wheel. To determine which color is opposite to the main one, you can draw a straight line from it that passes through the center of the circle. It is advisable to choose the colors of soothing tones so that the contrast is not too catchy and repulsive.
• Accentuation. This principle of combination, unlike the others, contains four colors for a combination, the first three are more often chosen according to the monochrome concept, and the fourth is chosen by it according to the principle of a contrasting combination.

It is important to take into account that, in addition to color solutions, textures, prints and various patterns can be present in the room's décor. It is very rare to find a completely monochromatic design of the facade of a wardrobe or room decoration. It is necessary to adhere to several basic concepts of combination, not forgetting about your own preferences and originality.

The most common concept is the combination of the cabinet front with wallpaper in uniform colors and textures. Thus, the product seems to be masked and becomes less noticeable. This is beneficial for small areas, since the space is visually freed from the cabinet structure array.

Another combination, on the contrary, focuses on the product, making it dominant in space. It looks very impressive if the cabinet has an unusual design or decor of the facade, but it should be borne in mind that this will lead to a visual loss of free space, which is unprofitable for small spaces.

In addition to finishing materials, it is possible and even necessary to combine color and textured wardrobe design with the rest of the furniture. Most often this is carried out through a single design of buildings of various interior items.

This factor is individual for each person, but its application in practice allows you to create in the room a unique atmosphere and atmosphere that favors or induces one or another action and mood.

Each color has its own psychological effect on a person’s mood.But at the same time, one should not forget about individual and personal perception. Each person can associate colors with completely unexpected moods. It is important to take into account the fact that each color in the interior has its own character:

• Red. Sufficiently aggressive color, almost not suitable for recreation areas, but the design of a private office or a modern kitchen area is quite capable of red shades. They will provide energy for the whole day.
• Green. The main superpower of this color is relaxation. Green will help to relax and recharge with positive energy after a hard day.
• Blue. This color is associated with severity, but at the same time has a soothing ability. So the design of cabinets of working areas and offices in blue is the best solution, it will help to tune in to work.

• Violet. Despite its spectacularity, this color is not recommended to be used as the main color, but purple is perfect for creating accents.
• White. The color of purity and tranquility, according to psychological perception, it is considered neutral, but visually expands the space and creates an atmosphere of freedom.

• Gray. It is considered to be gray as a neutral color, it does not create moods, but at the expense of its coldness it is able to soothe and, consequently, relax.
• The black. It is considered the leading color in terms of perception ambiguity - for some it is a symbol of brevity and taste, while for others it causes a feeling of anxiety. In any case, it is easy to fit black color into any interior, but designers do not recommend using it in large quantities.

Brown. Most cabinets in brown colors are made from natural wood species - luxury products, or from materials imitating wood. It is a warm and cozy color.

Wood classification of brown shades should be given special attention:

• Wenge. Dark woody shades, ideal for creating contrasting combinations.
• Oak. It can be from the lightest, slightly pinkish to deep dark shades. Luxurious color for the facade and for the body of the product.
• Nut. It has a dark yellow shade of warm tones, quite versatile color for all types of decor.
• Cherry. The lightest and most tender color of wood is precisely cherry, which fits perfectly into the interior of rooms for rest and sleep, for children.
• Beech. Like a walnut, you can consider the color of beech rocks versatile, varying in the light color range of shades.

Another interesting concept of color design is the “seasons”, it contains at its core four basic principles of combination, but the choice of shades and gamma is chosen according to the favorite season of the owner:

• Summer. The main colors are blue and white, the interior is complemented with blue, green and beige tones.
• Autumn. Warm scales of red color in combination with blue, yellow, brown, black and gray shades.

• Winter. They are based on blue, red, brown and white colors of either cold or very warm colors.
• Spring. Juicy and vibrant shades of colors such as green, red, blue or blue, white or beige are taken as a basis.

Basically, for the manufacture of cabinets used materials such as:

• Chipboard - chipboard. One of the most affordable, but at the same time, quality materials.It is used for the manufacture of internal components of the product (dividers for shelves) and body elements;
• Chipboard, chipboard. Thanks to lamination, it becomes a reliable material with a long operational life, it is used to make body elements, shelves and facades.
• Fiberboard Durable, lightweight material for making the back walls and the bottom of the drawers;

• MDF - finely dispersed fraction. In terms of its use it competes with laminated chipboard, but it has several advantages - moisture resistance, ease of painting, which adds to the range of furniture stores. The disadvantage is the high cost;
• Natural wood. Used in the manufacture of luxury models of the class, natural material provides a guarantee of quality, durability and environmental performance of the product, but at the same time increases the cost of the cabinet;
• Rattan. Decorative material from tropical vine is used to decorate the facades;

• Bamboo. It is decorative, as is rattan;
• Lakobel or frosted glass. It has a variety of colors, is used for facades.

Cabinet fittings are mainly made of metal, such as steel, chrome or aluminum,but there are plastic and wooden parts - handles, hinges, fasteners, furniture locks, rods, turning mechanisms and holders. There are designs without handles - their doors open after pressing and are supplied with closers.

Some people have the word “wardrobe” associated with a massive wardrobe, behind one of the valves of which there is a hanger section, and beyond the second - drawers and shelves. Yes, the models presented on the furniture market about three or four decades ago looked like this, but modern design and functional components turned the wardrobe into an interior object indispensable for a private house or apartment. Today, the internal components of the wardrobe are equipped with an augmented set that includes drawers, horizontal shelves, rods, mezzanines, and sometimes modular elements.

If we talk about the department of a cabinet with a barbell, here the models can be presented in two different configurations. This rod for the hanger, fixed end way. Most often, such structures are equipped with a sliding element, they can be found in shallow structures or in cabinets, where the hanger section takes up little space and is quite narrow.Opening the sash, the owner will see only one set of hangers with clothes, but pushing the bar will open access to the rest of the wardrobe items. From the point of view of ergonomics and rational use of space, this is a very convenient option. The second type of bar placement is longitudinal. This is the standard way of staffing the department for hangers, it allows you to accommodate as many things as possible, but it is important to know that the minimum depth of such a product must be at least 0.6 m.

The second section is designed to store personal items and wardrobe items when folded. In this part of the cabinet, besides the shelves, drawers can be placed. Most often there are no more than 4 of them and they are of relatively small size and are intended for storing underwear or other small items at the discretion of the owner. In terms of functionality, most models of wardrobes are supplied with additional shelf anchorages, this allows users to independently choose the height of the shelves and their number within the allowable range.

Wardrobes,consisting of modular elements - design designs that are incomparable in their functionality and individuality with a single piece of furniture, which is why the configuration of modular cabinets should be given special attention. In fact, modular furniture is a complete design, in its composition having several cabinets of various configurations, purposes and sizes.

The basic elements of modular cabinets include racks with open and closed storage systems, corner modules (if the construction is L-shaped), TV cabinets, side sections, wardrobe elements, cupboards, bookcases, dressers, sideboards, etc. e. All these elements are fastened together with intersection ties, which turn individual elements into a complete cabinet design.

Wardrobes are slightly different from wardrobes in their internal structure, but their important feature is the ability to select internal storage system modules at the sole discretion of the owner.In this case, the question arises: how to properly plan the useful area of ​​the cabinet and make it as convenient and functional as possible?

The impact on the equipment of the wardrobe has a number of personal belongings and items of clothing, the available free space inside the design and budget of the client.

Based on the financial capabilities of the customer and its requirements, an initial sketch is created with several options for the location of the storage system elements. Also taken into account are the dimensions of the structure, on which the number of departments / sections of the product depends.

Having a small area, the client, as a rule, chooses a design with one or two sections, but even in such a small cabinet you can fit rods for hanger (most likely, across the body to save space), shelves, a couple of drawers and shelves for women things or bags.

Designs of large sizes, respectively, have a large number of configuration options. In such cabinets you can already store seasonal items, shoes or bed linen. By the way, there are even special modular drawers for bedding - their peculiarity lies in the presence of fragrances for linen.For the beautiful half of the manufacturers have provided not only modules for storing cosmetics, but also the entire built-in dressing tables, but more on that later.

In order to make the most functional use of the cabinet space, it is recommended to divide the storage system into three zones:

• Entresol - top shelves. Used to store items that are rarely used, for example, extra sets of blankets, pillows, seasonal items and other non-essential items.
• The main storage sections are the middle of the cabinet. There are items of clothing most frequently used.
• Lower sections - shelves below. This zone is most often used for storing shoes, travel bags, etc.

In addition to bars, drawers and horizontal shelves, there are also additional elements, the installation of which is carried out depending on the requirements of the owner and the belonging of the cabinet.

It can be:

• Tie box;
• Bryuchnitsa;
• Handbag;
• Hanger for belts;
• Jewelry storage cells;
• Roll-out basket;
• Shoe shelves;
• Sheds for kitchen cabinets;
• Pantograph, etc.

Popular and very original design equipment has become such an additional element such as LED lighting. This element can be both decorative and functional.The exterior lighting of the cabinet is considered decorative. It demonstrates its design and makes it part of the light design of the room. Functional, in turn, is considered the interior lighting, it is necessary when the main lighting is not enough, this problem is especially acute in the overall design of wardrobes.

And finally, a complete set of transformer cabinets, otherwise they are called matryoshka cabinets. This is an unusual idea for one-room studios or modern small-sized apartments. Such smart furniture combines the functions of several interior items at once, and at the same time efficiently consumes space.

In addition to the basic design of the cabinet, the transformer can be added:

• The table. This can be either a dining area, a coffee table, or a desk;
• Bed or sofa. The sleeping section can be part of the sofa and hide in its design until the need for use appears, or it can be simply framed by the wardrobe shelves;
• Children's house or play area.

When choosing it is important to consider several key aspects that have a great influence on the final result of the purchase of the cabinet.

It is recommended to follow these characteristics exactly in the sequence in which they are located:

• Dimensions of the room and design;
• The material from which the product is made;
• Build quality;
• Functionality;
• Spaciousness;
• Registration of the facade;
• Reviews about the manufacturer.

The first two aspects were discussed in the article above, so you can go directly to the third - product quality. Of course, it is worth remembering that the quality depends largely on the material of the construction. In the cabin or after assembly on site it is imperative to check all connecting elements and the strength of their attachment, then examine the case and the facade of the product for the presence of deformations, cracks, chips. After that, you can begin to check the mechanism of movement of the valves. Even if these are ordinary hinges, it will not be superfluous to open and close the doors several times.All moving elements of the storage system must be freely connected to each other, the same applies to the door leaf.

The fourth factor is checking the storage system and taking into account the individual needs of the future owner. If the design is made to order, it will be a fundamental factor in the design. The same swing and spaciousness of the product.

Another aspect is the decoration of the hull and the facade. Drawing and texture elements of the structure should be symmetrical. If the doors are instructed by a mirror or frosted glass, it is important to clarify with the consultant the presence of a film that prevents fragments from mechanical damage.

In most cases, the wardrobe is the most eye-catching piece of furniture, so not paying attention to the peculiarities of its design and design is more likely to consciously spoil the ideological composition of the room. It is important to harmoniously combine the taste preferences of the owner with the style of the room. Experienced designers have developed many concepts for combining various pieces of furniture, textile design and room decoration to create an ideal space.

When a potential owner of a wardrobe or closet is determined with the size, functionality and purpose of the product that he wants to buy, it is time to decide on the style.

Here are some simple tips to follow:

• Classic interiors in sober colors and soothing colors with open arms take wooden models into their ensemble, the facade of which is made of natural rocks or imitates wood;
• Products from MDF in most cases are decorated according to modern styles, and therefore for minimalist interiors or high-tech style rooms they are ideal;
• If the room has in its style of vintage or decorated in the spirit of retro, then, oddly enough, the original addition of such a space will be a product decorated with antique.

With the help of decorating the facades of products you can achieve unexpected results in the design of residential areas.

There are several variations of decorative decoration cabinets:

• Mirror design of the facade. Installing a mirror on the doors of products is the acquisition of not only decorative properties, but also functionality.With the help of mirrors visually expands the space of the room, as well as, if it is a wardrobe, it becomes an indispensable element during gathering. In addition, the mirror surface can be decorated according to the decor of the entire interior.

• The front of the cabinet can be made not only of one material, but also have decorative inserts made of frosted glass, plastic, wood with carvings, etc. The color range of these elements and their texture are also chosen according to the style of the room.
• The body and door leaves can be painted with enamel, it provides a smooth and matte surface. After painting, you can glue the facade with patterns.
• A popular innovation in the design of cabinets facades that quickly won the hearts of designers and owners is photo printing, which has replaced stickers. This type of decoration consists in drawing an image on the casement doors. It is important to concise combination of the body and the image, its color range and the range of the entire room.
• Cabinets can be not only unusually decorated, but are also able to represent a whole work of art in their own right, for example, have hand-made platinum handles, wood carving,be assembled from natural wood planks without coloring or have an extraordinary hull in the form of an old boat, geometric figures or figures of animals, plants.

Types of mirror decoration:

• Fusing Fusion of a large number of multi-colored pieces of glass into a single composition.
• The painting. Creating an acrylic drawing on the surface of the glass.
• Photo printing. Direct application of UV printing on the surface of the mirror and coating the image with a film for protection.

• Sandblasting equipment. Abrasive surface treatment of glass to create a variety of patterns and patterns.
• Combined way to design. Combines several types of decoration.

Placement of the cabinet in the room requires special attention. In most cases, it is the closet that is the most bulky piece of furniture in the room, and therefore it simply cannot go unnoticed.

When placing the cabinet along a free wall, it is desirable to choose a structure that fills the entire space, then the products will be visually perceived as a wall. In this case, it is recommended to choose a solid model of the wardrobe from the floor with roller shutters to the ceiling.or a wardrobe.

Creating an alcove is a fairly popular version of the location of cabinets. For this, two absolutely identical constructions are required. They are located at some distance from each other, and the space between them is filled at will - it can be a bed, a soft set, bedside tables, a work area, etc.

Location on one side of the opening - the standard version of the location of the cabinet.

Creating an arch - the location of the cabinets on the sides of the door or window opening, you can also install a mezzanine to create a single structure.

The location in the corner is most in demand for corner models.

• Wardrobe for the hallway.
• Built-in wardrobe in the attic.
• Built-in wardrobe, located under the stairs.

• Wardrobe modular wardrobe.
• The Tiffany kit includes a wardrobe, chest of drawers and a cabinet for the TV zone.

Recommendations on the choice of the cabinet, you can learn from the video below.