Sliding Door Wardrobes or Hinged Door Wardrobes?

If you are thinking about purchasing a new custom built wardrobe sliding doors or even just replacing wardrobe doors to give your room a new look, it can be hard to decide what type of doors to install. There are two types of wardrobe doors – hinged and sliding, understanding their advantages and disadvantages will help you make the right choice.

This article illustrates the benefits and limitations of hinged wardrobe doors vs. sliding wardrobe doors, but it can be hard to find the answers to all of your questions online. If you would like to speak to a leading Melbourne wardrobe company call Versa Robes to ask questions or book a free in-home design and quote.

Hinged Wardrobe Doors

Hinged wardrobe doors are hung on hinges and rotate out as they open. Traditionally hinged doors were used on a more classic style of wardrobe to suit provincial / Edwardian / Victorian designs and decor’ but times have changed and hinged doors can be used to achieve a sleek modern look by creating clean straight lines.  A hinged door can be incorporated into most built-in, walk-in and custom built wardrobes.

Benefits:

– Hinged doors are ideal for larger rooms, as they allow maximum access to your wardrobe.
– One of the more important benefits of hinged wardrobe designs is that the doors are affixed to a door frame. As no track is required the result  is there is more internal robe space.
– Any room with wood floors, especially antique wood floors, will benefit from hinged doors because unlike sliding doors, tracks do not need to be affixed to the floor to allow the doors to function.
– The back of the door can be used to store a full length mirror
– Repairs to a hinged style wardrobe door are usually easier as hinges are easily replaced.
– Easy to maintain and clean

Limitations:

– Hinged wardrobe doors need more space to open, the door swings outward into the available space of your room.
– Hinged wardrobe doors may need to be smaller, thinner, lighter to reduce weight and stress placed on the hinges, this can make them less sturdy or they may not achieve the “look” and style you desire.
– Hinged doors tend to be more expensive than sliding doors for the same opening size.

Sliding Wardrobe Doors

Sliding wardrobe doors use a track system to ‘slide’ open and closed. They can add a modern feel to wardrobes or achieve a contemporary style in a room, however by adding a sliding door with a routed pattern it may achieve a more traditional look. Sliding doors can also be incorporated into a walk in robe.

Benefits:

– A sliding wardrobe door requires little space to open.
– Mirrored sliding doors can be utilised to make your room look bigger and give a room a lighter feel, as they reflect all of the natural light coming in through your windows.
– There is more choice in the materials used for sliding doors which includes mirrored and coloured glass finishes.
– A robe with sliding doors also allows you to place a chair or other furnishings in front of the storage unit without compromising the accessibility in anyway.
– Sliding doors provide a more modern look to your room

Limitations:

– Sliding doors move along the tracks very easily and can bang on closing if the operator is not careful.
– Frameless mirrored sliding doors provide a great modern look, but fingerprints can often be a problem.
– Over time, a sliding door can develop jamming issues due to dirt and dust being trapped. A regular clean and vacuum is required to keep the tracks clean.

After weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of both types of wardrobe doors you should consider which type of doors will best complement the interior décor and style of your room. There are many different materials wardrobe doors can be made from – mirror, glass, routed MDF, vinyl wrap, melamine, a range of colour board, and framed or frameless wardrobe doors. For more inspiration check out more articles on the Versa Robes blog and the wardrobe gallery or better still call and speak to one of our wardrobe consultants to have your questions answered and book a free in-home design and quote.