5 Reasons Why Fitted Sliding Door Wardrobes Make Sense

Space – Our bedrooms, especially the master bedroom always seem to be cluttered with furniture and other things. You’re lucky sometimes if you can make your way around the bed let alone get in it! You look at your furniture and all of it is full to bursting point. What you need is more room, but not another item of furniture is going to fit. Well, help is at hand with fitted sliding door wardrobes as you will instantly create space. As they are fitted to any area shape there is no space wasted and because of all the storage elements you will need less furniture rather than more. Also, because there is no door opening allowance you can place other essential pieces very near to them.

Storage – The world’s your storage oyster with fitted wardrobes. Whatever your storage requirements, they can be catered for. Whether you are desperate for hanging rails, shelves, drawers, tie or shoe holders, all of these can be incorporated in and the great thing is that it’s all neatly tucked away behind those closed doors. The fact that they are purpose built for you is an added bonus.

Style – Fitted wardrobes have come a long way in the last few years and new designs are being launched all the time. If you choose wisely you can have an up to date design that will also look good in years to come. Once they are built in you will hardly recognize your room, such will be the transformation.

Savings – It is wrongly presumed that fitted sliding door wardrobes are very expensive but actually when you price them up and compare them to free standing items of furniture; they can actually work out to be cheaper. There are always many savings to be made and many deals to be done. So shop around and you are likely to find the design you want at the price you want to pay.

House Sale – When you are ready to sell your house, fitted wardrobes in the bedrooms can be a really positive selling point. Buyers these days with busy lifestyles just want to move in, hang up their things in the wardrobes and settle themselves in. There is nothing worse than having to trudge around the shops trying to find some free standing units that will fit the bedroom.

Check out our main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct for lots more information.

The Guest Bedroom - Designs to Impress Your Visitors

Guest bedrooms, by their very nature are usually only used occasionally and as a result tend to end up a little barren in design or worse, filled with junk and clutter! However, with a few well chosen items and an improved storage solution, the guest bedroom can not only be suitable for your guests but also make a great extra room for the home.

Firstly, why not put absolutely everything into the redesign? Instead of using furniture and accessories from other rooms in the house, if you have the available budget, you can start from scratch with some new items and pieces of furniture.

The walls always make a good starting point. A modern coloured paint will go a long way to stopping the room from looking neglected. A plum colour on one or two of the walls and cream on the other walls will stop the room from looking too dark. A neutral coloured carpet nearly always works well because sofa beds are often used in these rooms and the carpet will help to stop drafts. The neutral shades will work with any future colour schemes.

For the window area, a splash of plum and cream full length curtains will give the feeling that this is a proper room and not just something that is used once in a while. Blinds are probably not a good choice on this occasion as they can make the room feel a bit too clinical.

Clever use of furniture is vital for a room that needs a lot of storage. Walnut style furniture will help add depth and warmth and you could even make a headboard out of chipboard and wadding. Cover it with a plum and cream chequered fabric and this will help create a modern feel. Hold back some of the fabric and you could make a matching runner for the bed.

If you choose to replace the wardrobes and current storage areas, wardrobes with sliding doors would certainly make a sensible alternative for a guest bedroom. Storage options inside fitted wardrobes are plentiful and you can select what you think will be most beneficial, whether it’s rails, shelves, drawers, shoe holders or storage baskets. This will provide all the required storage space needed for general use plus extra storage for spare duvets, pillows, blankets and towels, which your guests will need. The beauty is it will all be hidden behind the sliding doors! Walnut is one of the popular finishes for this kind of wardrobe and if you have one door finished in white glass, it will provide a stylish contrast and add light to the room.

Your guest room is now ready for your guests as well as being a room that you can now feel confident in presenting to anyone.

For more information about sliding wardrobe doors and bedroom design, please visit our main website at www.slidewardrobesdirect.co.uk

Attic Bedroom Design Ideas Including Sliding Wardrobes

Creating an attic bedroom is becoming more and more popular and not simply because an extra room is needed. Attic rooms are now being converted into master bedrooms with their own en suite facilities and features.

If you are lucky enough to have the available space to do just that, then here are a few ideas to enhance all of the attic’s best features.

It’s quite likely that most of the walls will have been plastered in order to bring out a more homely, warm feel. However, if you are able to leave one wall exposed with its “brick” textures, this is a really easy way of creating a feature wall as well as adding some character and charm. If you can use this particular wall to frame the headboard of your bed, then even better!

Your choice of colours will be important as many attics, by nature, can feel bare and barren. You could use a cream colour for the wall opposite the brick feature and you could perhaps mix it up with plum coloured side walls, blending the warmth with a modern edge.

It’s not always the case, but many attics possess those wonderful ceiling beams and if they have been left exposed, you can really make the most of them. Create a lovely contrast by painting the ceiling white or cream and leaving the beams exposed in their natural “wooden” state.

Although natural wooden floors are really popular in the attic, they do pose a few problems, namely a lack of warmth and the sound of shoes or heels for any rooms or neighbours on the floor below you. Carpets can solve both of these problems and choosing something neutral coloured will give it real lifespan even if you need to redecorate. If you do choose to keep the wooden flooring exposed, then at least soften it up with some thick rugs.

When introducing furniture, try a metal/brass bed frame which will again help with that contrast of beams and bricks. Dress it with a patchwork quilt to add pattern and the introduction of a few plum scatter cushions will lend a modern element to the overall appearance.

When it comes to the bedside cupboards, dressing tables and wardrobe, a natural wood finish with metal handles would certainly complement.

On the subject of wardrobes, it can not only be very difficult to actually get them into the attic room but you then have the additional problem of fitting them into the difficult angles and sloping ceilings. Using made to measure sliding wardrobe doors can certainly help to solve this problem. Not only do they fit into your available space but they can also be assembled on site, so no problems getting them up there.

To round everything off, try using curtains that are light in colour as many attic windows tend to be small and you want as much light coming through as possible. Accessorise with some stylish lamps, vases, mirrors and even some fresh flowers to help create a feeling of airiness. 

How to Make the Most Out of Small Bedrooms

Small bedrooms are common; in fact, we've all probably lived in a house that has had at least one small bedroom in it. The smallest bedroom in the home is often referred to as the “box” room and is often used for storage. However, if designed carefully, even the smallest bedrooms can be effective and useful.

What sort of bedroom will it be? A standard bedroom, perhaps, like all the others, a nursery room or even a spare bedroom that might double up as an office when empty?

Furniture and the layout of it, is the key element in making sure each room reaches its maximum potential.

Spare room – The first thing on your list of “must haves” for this room is a sofa bed. This immediately gives you the option of dressing it as bedroom (bed) or dual purpose room (sofa). Sofa beds are currently very popular and there are many designs, so choosing something that suits the room perfectly will be easy.

When selecting colours, make sure they are light or at least neutral. Lighter colours will help give the room a sense of size, while neutral colours will allow much more flexibility in your design.

Although curtains can often make a room feel cosy, they can also make small rooms feel even smaller. So, as you are trying to create a feeling of space, you could opt for some simple wooden blinds and a small drape, giving a much more airy feel.

Wardrobes with sliding doors will provide many of the answers to your storage questions and with doors opening from side to side, rather than outwards, this can be a great way of saving space.

Choose a bedside table that can be used both for your night light and storage with a few drawers in it.

If the room is going to be an office first and a bedroom second, then instead of the wardrobes, here you could opt for some small pieces of office furniture and equipment.

A nursery room – The beauty of nursery furniture is that by its nature it’s much smaller and is therefore suited to smaller rooms. A cot that doubles up as a small bed will be long lasting and won’t take up as much room as a standard single bed.

You can use a chest of drawers for a nappy changing area, with a changing mat placed on the top. A few well situated shelves can store important items such as wipes, powders etc. Baskets under the bed can be an ideal home for toys.

Nursery designs are of course varied and often childlike, but it’s still important to keep colours light and airy.

A standard bedroom – The same rules apply for a straightforward small bedroom. Keep beds small or have them built in (with storage space underneath), fitted wardrobes and furniture that is generally light in nature to go hand in hand with a light colour scheme.

To find out more about how to incorporate sliding wardrobe doors into your bedroom design, please visit out main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.

Choosing Wardrobes to Match Your Bedroom

Wardrobe type - Fitted sliding door wardrobes are by far the most popular currently available and it’s easy to see why. They can be tailor made to fit your bedroom and they make the best use of any available space, which also makes them ideal for all of your bedroom storage. If you prefer not to go down the fitted wardrobe route, there are still plenty of free standing units on the market that are stylish and classy.

Perhaps you have already revamped the rest of your bedroom and your wardrobes are the last piece of the jigsaw, allowing you to draw all the elements together. If the plan is to blend them in with existing furniture, your decision making needs to be spot on. Selecting a whole range of bedroom furniture of the same design, should obviously not a problem but if you are looking to incorporate sliding door wardrobes into an existing scheme, your planning will need to be more considered.

Measurements - It doesn't matter what sort of wardrobes you have decided upon, you will still need to get all your measurements just right. Measuring up should be your very first task before you head out wardrobe shopping. In the case of fitted wardrobes, you will be asked by the supplier to provide precise measurements anyway. However, if you fall in love with a free standing unit in a shop and impulse tells you it’s exactly what you have been looking for, you need to ensure that when it’s delivered to your home that it’s not too small or even worse - it’s far too big for your bedroom!

Style - The style of your room will be important. If you crave a modern looking bedroom but are also fond of antique furniture, then you have a crucial decision to make because it’s unlikely the two styles will work together, in fact they are more likely to clash.

Colours – Colour selection is another thing to plan carefully. Choosing darker wardrobe colours is likely to make your room feel smaller and of course darker. Lighter coloured wardrobes can help to create a larger, warmer feel, whilst wardrobes with a mirrored finish will help create an illusion of space as it reflects light around the room. What colour are you walls? If you do have very light coloured walls, then this might be the only occasion when darker wardrobes could work by adding some depth and warmth to the room.

Choosing wardrobes for children - If you are preparing a room for a child, then fitted wardrobes could be the best option. Themed, free standing furniture for children may look very cute initially but the child will quickly grow up and the furniture will date, so some fitted wardrobes along one wall, will not only give the room design longevity but will also be great for hiding all those toys!

For a full range of sliding wardrobes for the bedroom, please feel free to visit us at our main website - Slide Wardrobes Direct.

Top Tips for Installing Sliding Wardrobe Doors

With a good set of instructions to hand, installing your own sliding wardrobe doors doesn't need to be as complicated as you might imagine.

Here are just a few tips and pointers to get you started:

Preparation – As with any DIY job, the better your planning and preparation, the smoother the job is likely to go. Measuring up will be a vital part of this, because millimetres really will make a difference, especially if it’s too wide or too narrow! Your measurements at home will need to be accurately relayed to whoever you are purchasing your sliding door kit from.

Before your kit arrives, you could prepare the site in advance by (if required) cutting sections out of the skirting and cornices which will allow the frame to fit. Some gentle skills with a Stanley knife and a small chisel and hammer will be needed as you tackle these areas.

It’s also a good idea to clear the decks and to allow plenty of room in which to work and manoeuvre.

Assistance – Ideally, installing your new sliding wardrobe doors is a job for two pairs of hands, so make sure you have enlisted the help of a co-worker before you attempt to hang any of the doors.

Instructions – No matter how tempting it might be to disregard the instructions and forge your own independent path to successful wardrobe installation, don’t! More time spent with instructions in hand now (provided they are coherent) is less time spent pulling hair later on.

Tools of the trade – We have already hinted at some of the tools that will come in handy for the job and it is well worth knowing how many tools and which kind you will need before beginning the assembly process. You don’t want to be half way through and realise you can’t continue because you haven’t got the appropriate tool to hand.

Contents Check – Before you begin, it’s worth knowing that all of the pieces that are supposed to be in the pack are in the pack! A missing screw can put the job on hold as quickly as an absent screwdriver. By checking the contents, you will also begin to build up a picture of what needs to go where.

Hanging doors – Once the frame is in place you are ready to hang the door/s. Tilt the door towards the wardrobe and slot it into the top track. Swing the bottom of the door into place and gently lower this into the bottom track. Rinse and repeat with other doors.

Adjustments – If something isn't quite right when the doors are in situ, you can make small adjustments to the height of the doors by moving the screws that are found on the top side of the bottom wheels.

Admiration – Clear up, sit back and admire your handiwork!

For more installation tips and to see a full range of made to measure wardrobes, please visit our main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.

5 Of The Most Original Bedroom Designs

To be completely original is difficult these days, but there is still plenty of scope to draw out unique elements and flavours in design.

Favourite Destination – Start by finding a photograph of your favourite destination and get it enlarged. Apply it to the wall, above and behind the head of your bed, to create a mural. You can then theme the rest of the room around it by drawing out its colours. For example, if your picture is of the Greek Islands, you can paint the walls and floorboards white. Accessorise in “Greek” blue to create that classic blue and white combination and if needed, warm it up with reds and oranges.

Music – If you are a music lover or musician, there are lots of ways you could incorporate music into bedroom design. You could go for a modern, recording studio feel, with wooden floors and a few instruments strategically placed around the room and a microphone and stand in one corner. The walls could be filled with live music history, with prints of your favourite bands and performers. If that sounds too busy, you could tone it all back and just have a vintage gramophone in one corner and a large print of a musical note behind the bed.

Travel – Similar in theme to the “destination” design, but on a much grander scale! How about using map of the world mural wallpaper on one of the feature walls, where you can trace all the places you have been and those still on your “to do” list. Shades of light blue will work well for the rest of the room. Accessorise with globe lighting and other travel related items on some floating shelves, perhaps even things you have picked up on your own adventures. Finish off with some sandy coloured cushions and rugs and your world is ready to explore!

Fashion – A much more feminine feel here and you could go in many different directions. How about sacrificing a few of your favourite fashion items and hanging them on neutral coloured walls? You could even frame some classic fashion magazine issues and put them above the bed. Accessorise with knitted cushion covers and even a scarf over a lamp. Drape some colourful jewellery over mirrors and have some of your expensive pairs of shoes on display!

Pop Art Meets Family – Perhaps an unlikely combination, but one that could be completely unique! Paint all bedroom walls white for a modern, clean look. Dig out your favourite family snaps and get them made into large images in a pop art style (there are specialists that can do this really well). Arrange them over your headboard to create a colourful focal point. You can now have lots of fun accessorising with primary colours, with bright rugs on top of white floorboards. Glass fronted wardrobes will complete a contemporary and stylish theme.

If you are looking to incorporate made to measure wardrobes into your bedroom scheme, please visit our main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct for more information.

How to Design a Modern Looking Bedroom

Keeping up with the latest trends can be difficult and knowing what is “in” right now isn't always clear but there are ways in which you can stay in touch with what the marketplace tells us is modern and happening!

A little bit of research can go a long way to telling you what is hot and what is not. When you are out shopping, take a few minutes to check out the “home” departments in shops and it won’t take long to get a good idea of what is currently being marketed as modern. Some you will like, some, not so much!

You don’t necessarily need a large budget to revamp your bedroom, but obviously the bigger the budget, the further you can go with your project. If your budget is generous, then you might decide to get rid of all the old things and start from scratch, but with a smaller budget you may need to mix and match and be a bit more creative with existing things.

We can look at smaller budgets a bit later, so for now let’s assume you can start with a blank canvas.

Free standing or built in furniture? The size of your room may help to make this decision easier, with smaller rooms perhaps better suited to sliding door wardrobes that are built in etc. However, whichever way you go, try to choose simple lines and designs. Usually, less fussy is more effective, but you need to consider each piece of furniture on its own merits and also whether they work as an ensemble. If the blend isn't right, there is little chance of achieving your goal of a modern looking bedroom.

The decoration process – This is also crucial, and regardless of the furniture you have chosen, if the decoration isn't right then things could go very wrong here! Many modern types of wallpaper can make a big impact, so it’s important to choose one you like. If it’s particularly striking, using it on just one feature wall and using complementary colours on the others is a good idea.

Accessorize - If your budget is limited, then accessorizing is the quickest and most cost effective way to bring your bedroom bang up to date. A new duvet cover, curtains, some scatter cushions and new lampshades can deliver a complete transformation! Avoid choosing items that are an exact match and instead, use complementary colours, tones and patterns. You could finish the job off by choosing some simple yet classy pieces of art for the walls but try not to overdo this and end up with something that looks too busy and cluttered.

For much more information about how sliding wardrobes can help create your modern looking bedroom, please visit our main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.

How to Make the Most of Wardrobe Space

If you are about to purchase new sliding wardrobes, then this task will certainly be easier. If you are trying make the most out of the space in an existing wardrobe, then it’s the perfect time to have a good clear out. All those things that don’t fit any more, you don’t like any more or have been eaten by something lurking in the depths of the wardrobe can all go as you start to create space!

So, are you ready? The wardrobes are empty? Good, we can start! If you have wardrobes with doors that open outwards then you can cleverly place a hook on each door and these hooks can be the new home for all of your belts. You can even get a tie holder to hang on one of the hooks and that’s your ties sorted as well. This makes accessories such as ties and belts, easily accessible in your new sensible storage solution.

Categorise your clothing

How you categorise is entirely up to you, but being organised will certainly help you make the most out of available wardrobe space. For example, sort tops, skirts, trousers and dresses in order of length and if done correctly you should still have plenty of space left at the “shorter” end. Alternatively, you could sort clothes into occasion categories. So, smart, dressy clothes can go at one end of the wardrobe and casuals at the other. Not only does this help to organise the space but it will also make things much quicker when you are looking for clothes in the morning, provided you know what day it is of course!

Jumpers and sweaters are by nature thick, heavy and clumsy to store, so during the summer why not put them into air tight storage bags and put them under your bed, which will free up much more space in the wardrobes for the appropriate items in the current season. For those damp, cold British summers, the jumpers are best folded neatly onto wardrobe shelving.

If you don’t have an alternative cupboard or storage place for your shoes, then shoe racks are absolutely essential and can be placed one on top of another at that “shorter” end of the wardrobe.

Handbags can be particularly tricky to store tidily and if care isn't taken, they can quickly lose their shape. Try placing them in baskets at the top of your wardrobe, they will be out the way and won’t have anything falling down on them and damaging them.

If your wardrobe is big enough (built in wardrobes often provide more storage space), you could put a small chest of drawers in one of the corners. This could be perfect for underwear, socks and other smaller items.

So, as you can see there are lots of ways to optimise your wardrobe space, so good luck!

For more information about sliding wardrobe doors, please visit our main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.

5 Of the Most Creative Bedroom Storage Solutions

It doesn't seem to matter what size your bedroom is, space is always at a premium! Whether it’s a single, a double, a guest room or a room for the children, finding places to store things soon becomes an issue. So, we have put together some creative but simple ways in which you might be able to improve the storage situation in your bedroom. (Don’t panic; hanging clothes from curtain poles didn't make the list!)

Wardrobe Sliding Doors – Built in wardrobes can make such a massive difference to bedroom storage that we simply had to have it as our number one tip! Floor to ceiling hanging space can seem like a revelation if you have been used to cramming clothes into a free standing wardrobe. Shelves and drawers can also be contained within this space, which of course frees up other areas around the room. The addition of sliding doors ensures that you don’t need that vital opening space that so many other wardrobes require.

Built in Bed – This is especially useful for smaller bedrooms or “box rooms”. With a little careful planning, a single or double bed can be built on top of a storage space, which can either have drawers built in or for more permanent storage, a hardboard lid can be placed on top (doubling up as a base for the mattress)  and contents placed inside, effectively turning the bed into a giant storage box.

A Cupboard over the Bed – The space above your bed is often completely wasted, especially if you are in dire need of extra storage. Storage units or cupboards can be purpose built at the sides of the bed and continue over the top, effectively giving you bedside and overhead storage in one package.

Under the Bed – Most of us have probably stuffed things hastily under the bed, when we don’t know where else to put them and often they are simply left to gather dust. However, there are all kinds of storage solutions for under the bed, including drawers, small mobile storage units or even air filled bags. Nobody really gets to see under the bed, so it’s a great chance to utilise some valuable space.

Customising drawers and wardrobes – If you need to get more into your storage spaces without them overflowing, customising them can bring a little order and organisation. Simple drawer dividers can be a great way of fitting in more items and make them easier to find! In wardrobes too, things like specialised hanging shoe storage can make a massive difference and also help you to avoid rummaging around for odd shoes! Perhaps if you have some corner space left inside your wardrobe, you can put in a small chest of drawers that may have been taking up space on the bedroom floor.

To find out more about how made to measure wardrobes can help with your bedroom storage solution, please visit our main website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.

Wooden vs. Glass Wardrobes - Made to Measure

Choosing a wardrobe that is finished in either wood or glass is really only a matter of personal preference or perhaps what works better for your interior design. Both are extremely popular choices and you can have a modern and stylish appearance whichever way you go.

Traditionalists may prefer to opt for classic wooden wardrobes and those who prefer something with a more contemporary feel may choose wardrobes that are glass fronted. Let’s take a brief look at the benefits of both options.

Wooden Wardrobes – In general, a wooden finish will help to create a warmer feel in a room, especially if the grain is exposed or enhanced. If you have a loft bedroom with sloping ceilings and chunky beams, then wooden wardrobes will complement this look nicely.

Another advantage for a wooden finish is that it tends to be relatively easy to match it up with existing wooden furniture. For example, a walnut coloured bed frame and dresser will obviously blend really well with wardrobes with a walnut finish. So, if you are intending your room to have a natural feel, with lots of earthy tones, then wooden wardrobes will be absolutely perfect.

From a safety point of view, a child’s room might be more suited to wooden wardrobes rather than glass ones.

Glass Wardrobes – Glass furniture, by its very nature seems to exude that contemporary and stylish theme and it is often thought to have a calming effect, so it certainly helps to promote a feeling of peacefulness, which is ideally what you want in a bedroom.

If your room is small, then furniture with a glass finish can help to create the illusion of space and if you have a mirrored effect you also get the benefit of light being reflected around the room, again enhancing the notion of a larger space.

Frosted glass can also make the room feel mellow and relaxed as well as looking really stylish, perhaps with frosted panels on wardrobe doors creating an interesting feature that you could build the rest of your decor around.

Longevity is also a great benefit of glass wardrobe doors and if looked after properly, they are likely to outlast the rest of your bedroom furniture!

So, wooden vs. Glass, is there a winner? Not really, I think we would call it an entertaining, high quality draw and your choice should be based on the plans you have for each of the rooms in question.

For lots more information about made to measure wardrobes in various stylish finishes, please visit the website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.