Choose a modern wardrobe by measuring the space first, deciding between hinged and sliding doors based on the clearance in front of the unit, then matching the internal layout to the proportion of hanging to folded clothing you actually own. Finish and colour come last, once the practical decisions are settled, because a wardrobe that looks right but functions poorly will frustrate you every morning.
Modern wardrobe design has moved towards cleaner fronts, handleless doors and more considered interiors. That gives plenty of choice, but it also means two units that look similar from the outside can behave very differently in use. The points below are the ones worth working through in order.
Take three measurements of the wall width: at floor level, at waist height and near the ceiling. Older UK properties are rarely uniform, and a difference of twenty millimetres will decide whether a unit fits an alcove. Measure the ceiling height and subtract at least fifty millimetres for delivery and positioning clearance.
Check the route into the room as well as the room itself. Doorway widths, stairwell turns and low landing ceilings cause more delivery problems than the bedroom ever does. Flat packed units avoid this entirely, which is one reason they suit upstairs bedrooms in terraced and semi detached homes.
Finally, mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape and check the door swing of the room, the position of the bed and whether you can pass comfortably in front of the unit.
Hinged doors need clear space in front, typically six hundred millimetres or more for a full swing. They give complete access to the interior in one movement, which makes finding things easier, and they generally cost less.
Sliding doors need no clearance at all, which makes them the practical choice in narrow rooms or where the bed sits close to the wardrobe. The compromise is that only half the interior is accessible at any one time, and the running gear needs occasional cleaning to stay smooth. Designs across our modern sliding wardrobes UK sale range include soft closing runners, which prevent the jolt that loosens door panels over time.
This is the decision people regret most often. Count roughly how much of your clothing hangs and how much folds. Someone with a wardrobe of dresses, shirts and tailoring needs long hanging space and very few shelves. Someone whose clothing is mainly knitwear, jeans and casual layers needs the opposite.
Full length hanging requires around sixteen hundred millimetres of clear height. Double hanging, with two rails stacked for shirts and trousers, doubles capacity in the same footprint but suits only shorter garments. Many larger units combine both, with a shelved tower in the centre.
Look for adjustable shelving rather than fixed. Needs change, and a shelf that can move on pins is worth considerably more over the life of the unit than one that cannot. Internal drawers are useful but expensive, and a separate chest of drawers usually offers better value for the same money.
A two door unit suits a single occupant or a guest room. Three doors work well for a couple in a modest room. Four doors and above are worth considering only where the wall genuinely allows, since a wide unit in a small bedroom quickly dominates the space.
Wider is not always better. Two narrower units placed apart can work more elegantly than one large block, particularly where a window or radiator interrupts the wall. Where the room does allow a substantial run of storage, the larger designs in our modern 6 door wardrobes UK sale provide a full dressing wall in a single coordinated finish.
Matt finishes are forgiving, hiding fingerprints and light scratches, and they suit smaller rooms where a reflective surface would feel busy. High gloss reflects light and can make a room feel larger, though it shows marks and needs regular wiping with a soft cloth.
Timber and timber effect finishes add warmth and work well against neutral walls. Oak and walnut tones remain reliably current, while very pale finishes suit rooms with limited natural light.
Mirrored doors serve two purposes at once, providing a full length mirror and bouncing light around the room. They suit narrow bedrooms particularly well. Options in our modern mirrored bedroom furniture UK sale range apply the same treatment across coordinating pieces, which keeps a small room feeling open rather than cluttered.
Look at panel thickness, which is stated in most product specifications. Eighteen millimetre panels on the carcass sides and top indicate a unit built to carry weight. Thinner panels are acceptable on back boards but not on structural elements.
Soft closing hinges are worth having. They reduce the impact that gradually loosens screws in chipboard and they make the unit quieter in a shared room. Adjustable feet matter in older homes with uneven floors, since they allow the carcass to be levelled without shimming.
Check that wall fixings are supplied, and read the assembly information to understand how much work is involved. A large wardrobe is usually a two person build regardless of the design.
A wardrobe is the largest object in most bedrooms, so it sets the tone for everything else. Matching the finish across the bed, bedside units and drawers produces a calmer result than mixing tones, particularly in a small room where every surface is visible at once.
Buying pieces together also avoids the difficulty of matching a discontinued finish later. Our modern bedroom furniture sets UK sale collections are designed as coordinated groups for exactly this reason. If you prefer to build the room gradually, note the finish name at the point of purchase so later additions can be matched accurately.
At Furniture in Fashion we publish full internal and external dimensions so you can compare capacity properly rather than by appearance alone, and free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes applies across the bedroom range.
Freestanding wardrobes can be moved, taken with you and rearranged as a room changes, which suits anyone likely to move house or reconfigure a bedroom. They also cost considerably less and arrive ready to assemble rather than requiring a fitter.
Fitted wardrobes use awkward space more efficiently, particularly around chimney breasts, sloping ceilings and full height walls where a standard carcass leaves dead space above. The compromise is permanence: they stay with the property and they are far more disruptive to change. For most UK bedrooms, a well chosen freestanding unit combined with additional drawer storage achieves a similar result at a fraction of the cost.
A middle option is to place two or three freestanding units side by side along one wall, which reads as a fitted run while remaining moveable. Matching finishes and equal heights are essential for this to look deliberate rather than accidental.
Consider where the light falls. A wardrobe interior positioned away from the window will be dark, and a battery operated strip light inside makes a genuine difference to finding things quickly. Some units include this as standard.
Think about noise if the bedroom is shared or if someone leaves earlier than the other. Soft closing hinges and runners are worth the small additional cost in that situation. Consider the floor as well: heavy units on carpet will settle over the first week, so plan to adjust doors after they have bedded in.
Finally, read the assembly details before ordering. Large wardrobes usually arrive flat packed in several boxes, and it is worth knowing whether the boxes will fit up your stairs and whether you have somewhere to lay panels out flat while you build.
Around six hundred millimetres in front of the unit for a full swing, and slightly more if you want to stand comfortably while the door is open. Sliding doors remove this requirement entirely.
Approximately sixteen hundred millimetres of clear space below the rail. Shorter garments such as shirts and jackets need around one thousand millimetres, which is why double hanging works well for that clothing.
Neither is better overall. Sliding doors suit narrow rooms and tight layouts, while hinged doors give full access to the interior and usually cost less. The clearance available in front of the unit is the deciding factor.
Yes, and it is one of the more effective choices. The mirror reflects natural light and removes the need for a separate full length mirror, which saves both wall and floor space.
Eighteen millimetres on the sides, top and base indicates a carcass built to carry the weight of a full rail. Back panels are typically thinner, which is normal and does not affect structural performance.
Making your own wardrobe can take three quite different forms, and choosing the right one…
Sliding door wardrobe prices in the UK fall into three brackets: ready made freestanding units…
Wardrobe smells come from three things acting together: moisture, still air and worn clothing in…
Bar stools can often be shortened, but only some types, and telling them apart is…
Cut down your wardrobe by emptying it completely, sorting by category rather than by shelf,…
Building a built in wardrobe follows a fixed order, and the two stages that decide…
This website uses cookies.