The wardrobe is pivotal in setting the tone for the bedroom for most homeowners. Unless you have the luxury of extra space outside your master toilet dedicated to changing clothes, chances are the wardrobe will cover most of the visual space in your bedroom.
The wardrobe is not only a storage solution, but a reflection of the homeowner’s taste as well.
Choosing the perfect wardrobe design has a significant impact on your daily life. Being a crucial component of bedroom design, a well-designed wardrobe can streamline your routine, enhance your room’s aesthetic and provide you satisfaction for many years to come.
Let us explore how to make your future wardrobe a personal statement and a testament to smart design.
Types of Wardrobes
Free-Standing Wardrobes
Free-standing wardrobes are standalone, and their strong point is being versatile and, of course, movable. They are ideal for homeowners who want flexibility in the usage of their spaces.
They can come in various designs and sizes. However, they lack customisation and can take a lot of time to find the perfect ones.
Some homeowners opt for standalone wardrobes in a bid to save money by reusing them in the next home, only to realise a decade later that the wardrobe has either gone out of style or accumulated too much dust and grime.
Built-In Wardrobes
Having your wardrobe custom-made allows it to fit into your space perfectly.
Built-in wardrobes offer a seamless design that blends into your room architecture, maximises storage, and provides for your needs. They can become a good storage space in your home that can potentially accommodate odd or bulky items.
More importantly, they allow you to select the materials used in the fabrication and balance according to your usage, budget, and needs.
Having a custom-made wardrobe also allows you to create a closet exactly to your needs. You can adjust the height of your hanging rods for your elegant long dresses, create space for your bulky belongings, or convenient compartments for your shoes.
Styles of Wardrobes
Casement Wardrobes
Casement wardrobes have a classic design and swing-open hinged doors. They are the go-to for those who prefer a traditional design. The open swing doors allow for quick and easy access to the interior of the wardrobe.
However, it comes with a space penalty in front of the wardrobe. Homeowners with a small bedroom will find it challenging to negotiate the space, sometimes even while opening the doors.
Sliding Door Wardrobes
This is why sliding-door wardrobes are a favourite for homeowners. They are essential for creating a contemporary, minimalist look while being space-saving.
The doors commonly glide on tracks, which can sometimes be challenging to clean. However, there are options to upgrade to a trackless version, which allows for easier cleaning.
Sliding door wardrobes do have their own set of compromises. They have shallower internals, as space is needed for the doors to stack in front of one another. Your clothing can risk getting in the way sometimes, especially if you are of a bigger build. But they can instantly become a blessing if your room has limited floor space.
Depending on the number of doors, the accessibility of the wardrobe space will be limited at any one time. You will need time to slide the door to open fully before you can access any drawers inside, and noise will be generated during the opening and closing of the door. Should you opt for a three doors version, the design of the space within can start to become a challenge.
L-Shaped Wardrobes
L-shaped wardrobes fit well into corners, thus utilising often underused space. They are often a great choice to blend seamlessly into the bed area as a continuing design for homeowners who has a priority for storage spaces.
Alternatively, the shorter end of the ‘L’ can also be converted into a multi-functioning area such as a writing or display space.
Depending on the design, part of the L-shaped wardrobe can seamlessly be integrated and become part of the bedside cabinet for the adjourning bed as well. This will allow a continuous design theme throughout the room.
With an increased storage space, we can further explore incorporating a side display cabinet into the wardrobe. This multi-purpose cabinet can be used both as storage and as a showcase for your treasured accessories.
Walk-in Wardrobes
The epitome of luxury.
The walk-in wardrobe not only provides ample space for clothing but also allows the displaying of accessories and flexibility for storage: it creates a dedicated dressing area by design.
Imagine stepping out of the bathroom, away from the humidity, into a dedicated cove for dressing up. Everything is right within reach and customised according to your routine.
Choosing the Right Materials
As mentioned earlier, the beauty of custom-made cabinetry is that you can choose the materials (and of course the design) of your dream wardrobe.
This is one of the most important steps that many homeowners fail to consider before the design stage.
Every material has strengths and weaknesses. You will have to balance your usage needs, design needs, and budget. Balancing is key. Not all expensive materials are great, nor are all cheaper materials bad.
Knowing the pros and cons of different materials is essential for you to make an informed decision at the end of the day.
Core Materials
Materials usage in making a wardrobe can be complex. There is often a mixture of different materials for the fabrication of a good wardrobe. This is often done so that the pros of one material help to cover the cons of another.
Let us now examine a range of materials commonly used to make up the main part of your wardrobe.
Plywood
Very thin layers of wood are literally peeled from peeler logs and subsequently glued together with a resin mix. It is then subjected to high heat and pressure to form panels. The “three-layer panels” are often used in Singapore and Malaysia.
The cost of synthetic wood, such as plywood, is definitely lower compared to solid wood. Plywoods are made with wood strips, so their surface tends to look more like real wood. The different “grades” of plywood frequently differ in how smooth and how “real” they tend to look like solid wood.
Plywood also tends to hold up better in terms of its strength and is less likely to sag or split under pressure.
MDF
MDF or Medium-density fibreboard is also a popular choice. The average pricing of MDF is relatively cheaper than plywood as well.
The manufacturing process of MDF is very similar with plywood, just that they start off with a mix of hardwood and softwood fibers instead of wood strips. This means that there are no grains in the final product.
Aesthetically they may lose out to plywood, but it is for the very same reason that MDF is a much more versatile material. They are very easy to cut and will not splinter or crack along the edges. This means that intricate designs such as curves, sharp angles, ridges, etc., can be made possible.
However, MDF has lower strength than plywood. It is more susceptible to warping, and to make matters worse, it is also denser. This means a heavier material, which ultimately adds to the warping woes.
MDF also absorbs moisture faster than wood, therefore adding a protecting layer is highly encouraged. We will discuss this later in the section about surface material. On-site cutting or alteration of MDF is highly discouraged as there can be a lot of dust being released into the air during the fabrication process.
Particle Board
The weakness of both Plywood and MDF is their long off-gassing period. Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the common off-gases that are emitted by these materials. Have you ever opened a new cabinet to have a strong odour and eye-tearing sensation that assaulted you? That is the effect of the off-gassing from such materials.
Particle board is made by combining sawdust with resin and formed by heat pressing. It is supposedly an eco-friendly product made from waste wood stock such as sawdust, wood chips and shavings.
Care has to be taken to avoid those fabricated with non-eco-friendly resin, which can be harmful to health.
The main draw for such particle boards is that they do not have an off-gassing problem compared to other fabricated boards, such as plywood or MDF.
Solid Wood
Solid wood often adds warmth and instant elegance to any wardrobe. It is structurally durable and possibly timeless.
It is uncommon for HDB homeowners to use solid wood for their wardrobes. This is not only because of the high price tag but also because of the much higher maintenance effort required.
Wood is highly susceptible to moisture and high humidity in general. The wardrobe is a place to keep out the dust, which also means that it is often closed up, and any excess humidity cannot escape.
Thus, the aesthetic longevity of a solid wood wardrobe will depend highly on its usage and maintenance regime compared to other synthetic woods.
How about termites? Well, let’s not even go there.
Metal
For a refreshing design, some homeowners prefer to use metallic materials for their wardrobes to create a modern and industrial look.
Depending on the fabrication method and surface coatings, they can be sturdy and bring a unique aesthetic to the room.
However, metals are not as easy to customise nor as versatile as wood. Some intricate designs may require the fabrication of specialised moulds, which can quickly escalate the cost by many folds.
Surface Materials
As we have previously discussed, each kind of core material has pros and cons. To help overcome the weaknesses, surface materials are used to achieve the ideal results that homeowners are looking for.
High Pressure Laminates
High Pressure Laminates (HPL) are a popular choice as they have a very big variety of colours, patterns and even feels that mimics other materials. For example the grains of real wood, the shiny reflective and streaks of marble surfaces, just to name a few.
They are a good choice to apply on the surface of other synthetic wood not only for aesthetic purposes, but they also protect the core wood from moisture and wear.
The weakness of laminates would be their ends. Laminate sheets are adhered onto the core material and their ends would be exposed. These ends are usually wrapped by other materials such as PVC.
Which leads to the other weakness of laminates – joint-lines. There is a fabrication limit to which a piece of laminate comes in. They are subsequently trimmed down to the required size. If a relatively large area that needs to be covered, such as TV consoles, tall shoe cabinets, or other feature walls: There will often be a line which has to run across the entire surface.
Polyvinyl Chloride membrane
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), or commonly known as vinyl.
If you remember those white internal plastic feeling surface inside your cupboard twenty years ago, high chances they are pasted with PVC membrane.
PVC nowadays have improved on their strength and have a slightly more colour selection today. They are a common edging material used to treat the edge of exposed materials, such the end of the laminates which we have mentioned earlier.
However as adhesive are necessary for them to stick to the surface of the base core materials, there are always a risk of them coming off as time goes by. This is the culprit to the many “bubbles” at the bottom of wardrobe drawers many homeowners complain about after using the wardrobe for a number of years.
To make things worse, sometimes the carpenters uses adhesive with high VOCs in a bid to save cost. This will result in homeowners getting stuck with glue smell on their clothes for months after moving into their newly renovated home.
Melamine resin
Melamine resin is typically resistant to stain, heat and fire. As a surface material, it keeps out the moisture and renders scratch-resistant property as well.
In fact, melamine resin is the main ingredient used by leading brands for surfacing solutions and other laminated countertops, even suitable for use in the kitchen.
Moreover, Melamine features a uniform and smooth surface which can be very easy to use, especially for within the wardrobe.
It is also an affordable material by itself. However, is sometimes not preferred by smaller carpenters because specialised tools and machinery may be required to resin and core material to glue and pressed together, unlike PVC membranes.
But given the right fabrication machineries, it is possible to produce boards which has all 6-sides being finished by melamine resin. These will be the best application for the Melamine resin when using as a surface material.
As usual, always try to make sure that the resin being used does not contain any VOCs. Many times, manufactures try to cut corners by using cheaper adhesive substrates.
Glass & Mirrors
Glass and mirrored surfaces can be the perfect addition to your closet, making your wardrobe look and feel classy and contemporary. They are crucial for designers to make your room look larger or more spacious.
However due to their low strength, they cannot be used as a core material. They are usually being framed by, or are attached to the surface of other core materials.
For safety reasons, always make sure that you are using tempered glass or mirrors. Do not order via the internet from unknown origins, only to injure yourself or your loved ones should they break unknowingly.
Design Considerations
Designing your wardrobes starts from the drawing board. But there are many things to consider that includes the looks, function, practicability and many other factors as well. Let’s take a closer look at some important ones which can affect your design.
Aesthetic
The aesthetic of your closet should complement the overall design of your room.
If you choose to go with a standalone wardrobe, it may be a good idea to use that as a centrepiece and have the rest of the room complement it instead. The design of the standalone wardrobe should be pretty much fixed, and it will, therefore, be easier to have the rest follow.
If the wardrobe is to be custom-made, then you can have the freedom to tailor your wardrobe to match your preferred overall style for the entire room.
Functionality and Practicality
Consider how you want to use your wardrobe, your habits, and your daily routine. Nobody complains about having too much space, but when pressed to make hard decisions, would you need more storage space or more accessibility?
While sometimes smart designs can give us the best of both worlds, if a compromise is necessary, which would be the priority for you?
Having these considerations thought out together with your loved ones, will help you make a better decision.
Costs
Of course, every design and material choice has a price tag behind them. Consider setting your budget early to avoid disappointment at the end of it. This can also help your designer to propose the appropriate design accordingly.
The last thing we want is to get all excited, only to realise that it is way beyond the budget. Not only is a dream dashed, but time is wasted as well.
What is important however, is to really look for the value instead of the cost alone.
The cheapest materials may not always necessarily be the way to go. Many factors can be at play at the same time.
Maintenance
Which leads to the point about maintenance.
Some materials and furnishing are much easier to maintain and require minimal upkeep. They may not be the cheapest, but they could be the most value for money.
You may want to go for clean lines and avoid intricate designs before you realise that you’ve got to wipe it down for the many years to come. Imagine wiping each individual pane of a fluted panel design with a damp cloth every other week, worse if they are laid horizontally.
A well-designed wardrobe can also help to lessen daily maintenance. For example, having your custom wardrobe built all the way to the ceiling is a great way to avoid dust accumulation at the top of the wardrobe—something that a standalone wardrobe is unable to avoid!
Look out for the wearing out of accessories and decor like hinges, door knobs, mirror holders, drawer tracks, and sliding doors’ tracks. You would not want to worry about your mirror falling off one day.
No matter where you are on your renovation journey, we will be here to help you along the way.
At FurnTec, we value innovation and we are the manufacturer of new age cabinetry material that is low in formaldehyde, scratch resistant, highly resistant to moisture and anti-termite at the same time.
If you would like explore in using FurnTec innovation in your next project, feel free to contact us at +65 8181 9917 and link us up with your preferred designer / renovation firm. Alternatively, we can also provide you with our preferred list of renovation partners for your selection.
