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In our dwellings we have to solve a difficult task – it is necessary to place a lot of things in a relatively small area. For this reason, we try to use every centimeter of the area to the maximum. A striking example of this is the use of sliding doors in furniture instead of swing doors. Another example is filling the wardrobe. Properly selected, it allows you to use the entire available volume, and not just the area.
Organization of the internal space of the wardrobe
In order to properly organize the internal space of the closet, it would be nice to know what can be put there in general. Most often, the set consists of several shelves, a compartment for clothes hangers. There may also be drawers. These are the most common types of filling, but far from the only ones. There are also special hangers for trousers (trouser cases), skirts (skirt cases), holders for belts and ties, special shelves for shoes (shoe racks). Moreover, they can be stationary and retractable. They allow you to more compactly place clothes of a certain type and it is always in the allotted place.
All these devices are called wardrobe fittings or accessories, but the phrase “filling the wardrobe” is most often used. It more accurately reflects the essence – these are various devices for organizing the space inside.
Hangers and crossbars
Hanger rails can be placed parallel (1, 2, 4) or perpendicular (7) to cabinet doors. It is more convenient when the crossbar is parallel to the door – all the things that hang on it are visible. But in this case, the depth of the closet cannot be less than 60 cm – coat hangers with clothes take up just that much space.
If the crossbar is perpendicular to the door, the cabinet may be less deep – 40-45 cm. But in this case only the first thing is fully visible, all the rest are hidden behind it. Not very comfortable. You can solve the problem by installing a retractable system. In this case, it will be much more convenient to use.
It is often more convenient to place compartments for clothes on a hanger at the top of the cabinet, leaving the bottom for shelves and drawers. In this case, they put not ordinary crossbars, but movable ones. This device for filling the wardrobe is called “pantographs”.
There are different sizes of pantographs, but if you want to equip them with a ready-made, and not individually made option, look at the dimensions in advance and “adjust” the width of the compartment for them. After all, you still need to leave a place for attaching the mechanism.
Shelves and drawers
Filling a wardrobe is rarely complete without shelves and drawers. Shelves from the closet are made of different depths and heights – it all depends on what you plan to put on them, but the minimum shelf height is 30 cm. You can put several sweaters and T-shirts on it.
Most often, shelves are made of laminated fiberboard, but mesh can be installed. They take up very little space (in terms of thickness), which is also a plus if there are problems with dimensions. The second positive point is that if the mesh shelves are high, you can see from below what lies there (at least partially). Their disadvantage is the fixed dimensions that will have to be taken into account when planning. Although, a small error can be corrected by the planks on which these shelves can be laid.
Drawers can also be made of chipboard or mesh. The advantages and disadvantages are the same. In some cases, mesh boxes are called baskets. Lightweight and comfortable, they do not accumulate dust.
Devices for compact placement of things
Most often there is not enough space in the closet. Even if they are of decent size. Therefore, they try to develop the filling of the closet in such a way that the available volumes are used rationally. For example, instead of traditional shelves for shoes (mesh or chipboard), you can put a retractable shoe rack. They perfectly accommodate low shoes – shoes, sandals, boots.
Due to the fact that the shoes fit obliquely, it is better seen. If you use mesh shelves for shoes, due to the fact that the heels “fall through”, space is significantly saved.
Many problems arise with the storage of trousers, jeans. For this type of clothing, there is also a special device, which is often called a “trouser”. These are retractable straps on which double-folded trousers hang.
Usually they are placed under the shelves at the level of the belt, it is possible at the level of the shoulders. Above is not worth it – it’s inconvenient. In the upper part of the closet, it is better to place a pantograph or shelves for rarely used items.
Also in the filling for wardrobes there is a device for storing ties and belts. Scarves, mufflers, etc. can be stored on the same devices. This hanger is similar to a trouser rack, only it is smaller.
They are more convenient to place on the side in the clothing section. They are about 15-20 cm wide, so they won’t take up much space. Another option for placing such things is a drawer, divided by partitions into small squares.
What else is worth saying about the filling for wardrobes? At firms that make furniture, all (or almost all) sliding systems are solid. Each device also increases the cost of installation. If you have at least a little skill in handling a drill and a screwdriver (or screwdriver), you can mount it yourself by purchasing these devices from a company. Get a little cheaper. You can save more if you buy them through online stores or straight from China.
These are all devices that are used when filling wardrobes. The main thing is to place them correctly, determine the dimensions of sections and doors.
Internal planning: technical points
To develop the internal arrangement of the wardrobe, you need to decide on the number of clothes of various types that you plan to place in this furniture. For certain volumes of different types of clothing, the filling of the wardrobe is being developed. It will greatly depend on the location of the built-in furniture. For example, if the closet is in the hallway, you need to allocate space for outerwear. Since coats and raincoats are long, this compartment should also have a large height – 130-150 cm. You will also need to allocate space for storing hats / gloves / scarves.
Such departments, probably, will not be in the bedroom. But here a TV can be built in (there are also such wardrobes), which in the corridor will be absolutely useless. In general, think carefully about what you are going to store in each particular closet, measure the dimensions of bulky items, add at least 10 cm of freedom of action and apply these dimensions to the plan.
When determining the height and width of the shelves, do not forget to subtract the thickness of the chipboard if the furniture is assembled from this material. It just seems that 18 mm is not much. If there are, for example, five shelves, then the material will take almost 10 cm in height.
When determining the size and number of doors, dividing the wardrobe into sections, pay special attention to sections that have sliding systems. The fact is that the doors are not exactly 1/2 or 1/3 of the width of the cabinet, but a little more. Specifically, more than twice the width of the profile. That is, if you have three doors in a wardrobe 180 cm wide, then by opening one of them, you will get less free space than 60 cm.
Therefore, the width of the drawers (and the sections in which they are built) should be slightly less than the width of your doors.
And the second point concerns the depth of the cabinet. If a pantograph or hanger holder with clothes is installed, the minimum width is 60 cm. When installing a retractable hanger hanger, 45 cm is enough. But note that the retractable structure itself should be no more than 40 cm in length – you still need room for freedom of movement doors.
Popular wardrobe filling options
As you understand, there can be a lot of options here, but there are several basic configurations that can be modified to suit your own desires.
Which departments should be
Conventionally, the entire height of the wardrobe can be divided into three zones: lower, middle, upper. Shoes, some types of household appliances (vacuum cleaners, for example) are usually placed in the lower zone. At the top, high mezzanine shelves are most often made, which are used to store things that are rarely used. There you can also remove out-of-season items.
The entire middle part is usually occupied by shelves, drawers, departments for hangers. It is with their placement that you usually have to tinker. To make everything convenient for all family members.
How to organize a small closet inside
Any filling of a sliding wardrobe in the vast majority of cases has a certain number of shelves and departments for hangers. This is the easiest and most economical option. Usually they are two-door – the recommended width of the door leaf is no more than a meter, which is observed in this case. The smallest sliding wardrobe is just over a meter wide. They are usually installed in the corridors of small apartments. Two doors are also made if the length is slightly longer – up to 180 cm.
There will not be much variety here, but it is quite possible to install a couple of boxes if necessary. Here, retractable devices for compact placement will be very useful. A trouser will definitely be needed.
Medium size
If the width of the wardrobe is 180 cm or a little more – about 2 meters, most often it is divided into three sections. These models are also called three-door, since most often the number of sections coincides with the number of doors. With a width of 2 meters, each of the sections is obtained in a width of about 60 cm (including partitions). This is a fairly convenient format – not too wide and not too narrow, with such a length of shelves there will be no problems with chipboard sagging even if its thickness is 14 mm.
By increasing the length of the cabinet to 270 cm, it can still be three-door – the width of the door is still less than a meter. But at a high height, such doors are already quite massive and require good fittings (guides and wheels must be of good quality so that the sliding is smooth). So already with a width of more than 240 cm, 4 doors can be planned. In this case, there can be three sections. Just to access each of them you have to move two doors.
The first and third sketches consist only of shelves and compartments for clothes on hangers. The place is distributed differently, but there are a lot of shelves. All others have added drawers and/or slatted baskets.
Drawers can be located at the very bottom. Leaning on the lower part, they give the entire structure increased rigidity. But the lower drawers are not very convenient to use – you have to bend low. Therefore, more often they are raised higher so that they are approximately at a level above the middle of the thigh or at the level of the belt. But in this case, a reinforced jumper under the bottom drawer is necessary – to give greater rigidity to the entire structure.
Pay attention to the mezzanine – the upper compartments. In the above options, they have the same size as the sections, but this is not necessary. If necessary, one mezzanine can be located above the two sections. It is only important to correctly calculate the thickness of the material for the shelf so that it does not bend.
Sliding wardrobe for 3 meters
With a sliding wardrobe length of 4 meters, XNUMX sections are made, and there may be more doors. There is more space, but there is not much difference in the filling. Just more of the same shelves, pantographs and drawers / baskets. There can be many combinations. Choose the option that suits you the most, but you can also change it – according to your needs and tastes.
A few more options for the internal filling of large cabinets in the photo gallery. There are some interesting ideas about organizing storage on open shelves – in baskets or plastic boxes. This, by the way, is a budget replacement for drawers, as well as a way to modernize the filling of a sliding wardrobe without problems and special costs. If you decide that there are few drawers and a lot of shelves, it is not necessary to order boxes and suffer with their installation. A good replacement is boxes or baskets of the right size.
Interior arrangement of the corner wardrobe
To make the corner cabinet convenient to use, it is necessary to ensure the availability of things located in the corner. The easiest way to do this is with clothes hangers. There are several options. The easiest to implement is to install two clothes bars without a partition between the sections. In this case, the width of the cabinet on both walls should be the same, and the rack to which the crossbars are attached adds the missing rigidity.
The second option is that one part of the closet has a smaller depth and “behind the wall” it will be possible to place output clothes. It is not used very often.
And another way is to install a spinning rack in the corner. They can be found in stores specializing in commercial equipment.
Only choose a model with a stand – it will support the shelves from above, giving rigidity and stability. The rest of the filling of the closet is not much different.