Wednesday, 31 October 2012

Customising Your Bedroom Furniture Including Sliding Wardrobes


It’s important to have a sense of what you want to achieve when customising your bedroom furniture. What sort of final look are you going for? What will you need to accomplish the task? It’s also a good idea to research ideas and techniques before you begin.

Whether you have decided on a modern direction or have opted to take a more traditional route, it’s important to ensure that all of your bedroom furniture will be able to blend in with your new scheme. A piece of furniture that doesn't quite match can potentially ruin the whole theme.

There’s also the general kind of furniture to take into consideration. There are pieces of large and small free-standing furniture that are popular.  Alternatively, some prefer the uniform nature of made to measure fitted furniture. How you customise will depend very much on the kind of furniture you are dealing with.

It might be a good idea to consult furniture specialists who are experts in making pieces of furniture that specifically fit into certain locations. They can also advise on colour schemes and styles and let you know the pros and cons of each.

Sliding door wardrobes – Wardrobes with sliding doors are perfect for customisation and can really help with specific storage needs. You can decide how many shelves and drawers you would like and how you would like the interior of the wardrobe to function to suit your requirements in the best way possible.

Beds - Beds too can be custom made and made to measure and once more, you should consult specialists before making decisions regarding sizes and styles.

Above, we have mentioned some of the more expensive items of bedroom furniture that are customisable but if your budget is smaller, there are still things you can do to customise your room

Headboards – The easiest way to customise your existing bed is to either buy a new headboard or even revamp the existing one! Cushioned headboards are really popular at the moment and are sure to look modern. If you want to customise your existing one, you can do so fairly easily with some wadding, buttons and some suede fabric.

Handles – By removing all of the handles from your doors, wardrobes and draws, you can spray them a completely different colour to match your new theme. If your budget is slightly larger, a new set of handles can also help to transform each piece of furniture.

Painting – Sanding down existing pieces of furniture and painting them in a colour to complement your planned décor  is a great way to make big changes for little money. Give each surface a couple of coats of spray varnish (on top of the paint) to help prevent scratches. Once the re-done handles are also attached, you will have furniture that has been really nicely customised and works well with your interior design project.

For more information about the benefits of sliding wardrobe doors in your bedroom, please visit the website at Slide Wardrobes Direct.

Monday, 22 October 2012

How to Customise Your Wardrobe


Has your existing wardrobe been driving you crazy? It’s not big enough! It’s not wide enough! I can’t get enough in it! Sound familiar? Well, regardless of the size of your budget, there are things you can do to both its interior and exterior to make it look better and work better!

If your budget has no boundary, your fist port of call should be to invest in some made to measure sliding door wardrobes. They are versatile and bedroom friendly and can make a massive difference to the whole bedroom. From a storage point of view, there’s so much you can do with them, with personalised drawers, shelving and rails adding a new dimension. The personal touch can be extended to the overall design, so you can choose something that works perfectly for your room.

Your budget may be limited but there are still things you can do to transform your existing wardrobes before giving up on them!

Wardrobe Exterior – If you are sick of how your wardrobes look, then whether you are dealing with free-standing units or something fitted, there are ways to address the problem.

If your wardrobes have a wooden beading on the outside, you can very carefully remove it using a screwdriver and a small hammer.

Sand the doors down to give you a working base.

If handles are in the way, you can usually unscrew these from the inside before sanding.

Painting the doors is straightforward, give them a couple of coats of primer to help the paint stick and then apply a couple of coats of your chosen paint. You can then do the same with varnish to protect the painted surface.

Now you are ready to become really creative! Instead of putting the old handles back on, why not spend a few pounds and put a completely new set back on? They can make a real difference to the overall appearance.

Wardrobe Interior – There are also ways in which you can improve the inside of your wardrobe, making it more stylish and user friendly in the process.

Empty the wardrobe completely – be ruthless and throw things out that you won’t ever wear again!

Work out what you need the most and reshuffle accordingly, more hanging space, more shelving or more drawers?

Drawers – Why not use a small free-standing chest of draws and actually place it inside the wardrobe? If you don’t have one, charity shops and second hand furniture shops are places you can pick one up cheaply.

Shelves – Using the same theory you used for drawers, place a small set of bookshelves inside the wardrobe.

Rails/Hanging Space – If you have created more hanging space from your clear out but don’t have any rails, you can easily pick them up from DIY stores (measure up carefully).

You can apply the same theory for shoe holders and clothes dividers to complete your wardrobe customisation.

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

Sunday, 21 October 2012

Shaker fineline sliding wardrobe doors | Slide Wardrobes Direct

Shaker fineline sliding wardrobe doors | Slide Wardrobes Direct
Due to popular demand, we have just launched our fineline range of Shaker sliding wardrobe doors.
The door itself is a three panel door where the center panel (fineline) is 300mm high, which gives the door a very contemporary look. Perfect to showcase accents of colour, compliment textiles in the room or simply breaking up natural or block colour combinations.
20 safety glass colours to choose from and 4 contemporary woodgrain colours. Only available at Slide Wardrobes Direct
As always, our Made to Measure doors are manufactured in our factory in Newark and all systems come complete with matching track sets, wall and bottom framing and softcloses for every door. You order online, and we deliver to your door FREE!
Shaker Fineline sliding wardrobe doors Walnut frame/ black top & bottom panel and soft white Fineline center panel, Exclusive to Slide Wardrobes Direct

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Saving Space with Sliding Wardrobes


If our bedrooms are cluttered with piles of clothes, both clean and dirty and other things we might have acquired over the years, it can be really hard to convince yourself that this room is meant to be the most tranquil and relaxed place in the home! You would love to light a candle and read a good book and spend some time just chilling out on your bed but you can’t find a space for your feet, let alone the candle!

It’s become quite clear that you need to come up with a solution to create more space in your bedroom, so that you can turn it into a sanctuary of calm and rest.

The great news is that an easy solution is at hand in the form of sliding door wardrobes. It really cannot be underestimated what a transformation they can produce in your bedroom. Let’s have a little look at why:

Wider – The majority of sliding wardrobes tend to run from one end of a wall to the other meaning that in general, they are much wider than your average free standing wardrobes. This means you now have enough storage space for all those piles of clothes around the room and the knock on result is more space in your room.

Doors – One of the biggest advantages of sliding door wardrobes is the doors themselves. They are single-handedly responsible for creating much of the extra space in your room. Because they slide from left to right or right to left they don’t use any “room” space when being opened. This means that some of your furniture can be really close to your wardrobes without you having to worry about moving it all when you want to get inside.

Illusions of even more space – Most sliding wardrobes are built from floor to ceiling so they help to create the illusion of space. If you go for doors with a mirrored glass finish, then this illusion will be enhanced even further.

More – These are not just wardrobes with a bit of hanging space; they can actually be a complete bedroom storage solution. You can get them built and made to measure and specify exactly what kind of storage facilities you want to find in them. So, you can decide to have some drawers and shelving to go along with all that great hanging space. You’re really only limited by the dimensions of your room and your imagination.

And less – With pretty much everything now safely tucked away in your purpose built sliding door wardrobes, it stands to reason that there is now considerably less clutter and less furniture in the rest of your bedroom! Perhaps all that extra space has allowed you some room for a comfy chair in one corner, where you can finally sit and relax with your book.

Friday, 12 October 2012

Most Popular Bedroom Storage Solutions


If there’s one thing that always seems to be at a premium in the bedroom, it’s free space! Sometimes we need to be creative in order to find those extra few inches of storage space that could make all the difference. Let’s take a quick look at some popular bedroom storage solutions.

Under the bed storage – This is often wasted space but you can fit a huge array of containers, air tight bags and even mobile drawer units under the bed. This sort of storage is ideal for summer/winter clothes when they are out of use or if it’s a child’s bedroom it can be really useful for putting toys safely out of the way.

Bed settee/Fold down bed – When the bed is in its “up” position, there is immediately more floor space and therefore more storage space and we have already highlighted the possibilities for storing things underneath the bed.

Fitted sliding door wardrobes – Perhaps currently the most popular storage solution for the bedroom, they are so versatile and are able to store a multitude of things, often at the same time! Tailor made to a particular space, these wardrobes really are an asset to any bedroom.

Shelving – Shelving is another really versatile form of storage. Shelves can be fully visible on your walls or can be neatly tucked away inside your wardrobes, and you can have as many of them as your space will allow. Containers and baskets work really well with shelf storage too.

Light stands – Instead of having space consuming stands either side of the bed, that serve no other purpose than to provide you with light, why not use a small set of chest of draws on either side, so you still get the light you need but you get extra room to put things as well.

Bunk beds – Especially suited for the kids’ room, bunk beds have evolved a lot over the years and many of them are now packed full of storage opportunities, including drawers, cupboards and even desks with their own drawer units. This can certainly be a good way of freeing up some floor space.

Ottomans – A resurgence in popularity means that the ottoman makes our list of effective bedroom storage solutions. Typically placed at the end of the bed, concealed storage capacity can actually be quite generous and of course it can double up as a seat when required. Modern designs mean they can look good in any bedroom and they can be a great place to put your extra duvets, pillows and other bedding.

Saturday, 1 September 2012

Top 5 Things to Consider When Redesigning your Bedroom


There are probably a lot more than 5 things to consider when redesigning your bedroom, but the 5 listed here are perhaps the most obvious ones.
Budget – This is a really good place to start because everyone will be working under the restraints of their own budget. The size of your budget will inevitably dictate the scale of your redesign. If it’s something you have been planning for a while, then you may have been putting some money aside each month, which will really help when you get started. If you have decided on a whim that you simply must redesign, then your budget may be smaller and the amount you can achieve likewise. It might be worth pricing up all the things you would like to do beforehand and set your targets accordingly.
Time and Preparation – This could be a redesign that has no deadline attached to it and therefore you can take your time and do a little bit whenever you want. However, it might be that your project is in preparation for a special event, in which case you have a definitive completion date to meet. If this is the case, then preparation is crucial! What equipment and materials will you need to get the job done quickly? Knowing exactly what you need, will make the process much smoother, so work out what tools, paints, wallpapers etc, you will need ahead of time. Making last minutes decisions about colours and accessories could lead to disaster, so manage your time carefully.
Design Plans – This should be part and parcel of the preparation phase but it’s an element that needs attention. Will your theme be modern, traditional, minimalist or something completely unique? This will dictate the furniture you use, the lighting, the colours and the accessories. The more prepared you are, the easier the job will seem when you start.
Recycling and Reusing – If you are on a tight budget or you just don’t like throwing old things away, with careful planning, you may well be able to recycle things you have used before into your new scheme. Sometimes a quick paint job and a furniture reshuffle is as good as a complete overhaul! Painting existing furniture is another way to save money and yet still make changes. If you only have a few pounds spare, it’s amazing how a handful of new accessories can transform an old bedroom.
Storage – It’s possible that your bedroom itself doesn’t actually need a major redesign; it might simply be a case of improving your storage solution. Perhaps you have an ancient, bulky, freestanding wardrobe in a corner. The wardrobe itself seems to take up half the room and the space inside it has long since been filled. It could be time to consider installing fitted wardrobes along one wall, with sliding doors to save even more space with all that extra storage room inside.
By Slide Wardrobes Direct
Manufacturer of made to measure 

Thursday, 5 November 2009

Sliding wardrobe doors. How to Do It Yourself with stunning results.

Slidewardrobesdirect.co.uk
Fitting Sliding Wardrobe doors couldn't be easier. Give a designer look to your bedroom and utilise every inch of storage space. Here is how.

We make our made to measure sliding wardrobe doors to your own specification and here is a useful guide on how to fit them yourself. Our product can be installed by anyone with basic tools and diy skills.
Your sliding wardrobe door kit has been made to your measurements and is easy to install by any competent DIYer.


FITTING TIPS:
Make sure there are no water pipes or electrical cables in the area of installation


Your sliding wardrobe kit will contain:
  • 2 X WALL LINERS (pieces of 18mm mfc 100mm wide by 2800mm long, the same colour as the track chosen. to be used as striker plates for the sliding doors to close neatly on to.
  • 1 x BOTTOM LINER for bottom track to sit on (in 2 pieces if run is longer than 2.5mtrs these need to be butted to each other)
  • TOP TRACK
  • BOTTOM TRACK
  • FULLY ASSEMBLED SLIDING DOORS (The number of which will be determined by your measurements. Remember, our sliding wardrobe doors are made to measure)
PREPARATION
Prepare the area by removing any coving that might be in the way of your wall liners as they will go all the way to the ceiling, do the same with the skirting if you want the wall liners to go to the floor (skirting boards are normally 18mm thick, same as your liners, so you might choose to cut them down to the skirting)

STEP 1: FITTING BOTTOM & WALL LINERS IN A WALL TO WALL SITUATION
 
  1. Fit wall liners
    Cut the wall liner to size minus 2mm, drill 5mm holes (in the centre of the width of the liner) 500mm centres, place liner in position, check it is vertical with a spirit level and pack behind the liner as necessary. Fix wall liner to wall with countersunk screws ensuring all the screw heads are flush with the surface of the liner

  2. Fit bottom linerCut the bottom liner to size minus 2mm, drill 5mm holes (in the centre of the width of the liner) 500mm centres, place liner in position, check it is level and pack underneath as necessary, this is essential to ensure the smooth running of the doors. Fix bottom liner to floor with countersunk screws ensuring all the screw heads are flush with the surface of the liner

WALL TO END PANEL SITUATION
(Only read this if your sliding wardrobe is to fit between the wall and an end panel)

  1. Mark on the back wall the ordered width dimension

  2. Attach fixing blocks, 4 to the back, 2 to top and bottom of the panel, making sure that they are flush with the edges, place panel against back wall, check is vertical with a spirit level and secure, use small screws to screw the block into the panel and big screws to fix to the wall.
  3. Continue fitting the bottom and wall liners as per the WALL TO WALL SITUATION INSTRUCTIONS but remembering that your end panel works as one of your wall liners

STEP 2: INSTALLING THE TOP & BOTTOM TRACK
  1. Install the top track first. this will be delivered cut to the ordered size minus 2mm. Decide the fixing positions. set the front face of the top track 2mm from the front edge of the wall liner or end panel. Screw the track through the prepared holes into the ceiling using suitable screws. Avoid overtightenning as this could distort the top track
  2. Install the bottom track. Decide the fixing positions. Locate the front edge of the floor track around 30mm back from the front edge of bottom liner so door will hang vertical. Screw the bottom track through the prepared holes into the bottom liner using suitable screws.

TOP TIP: Position the bottom track on the floor or over bottom liner unscrewed, place a door vertically on it and engage on the top track, once you are happy with the door position, screw the bottom track in place. This will ensure vertical positioning of your sliding doors.



STEP 3: FIT THE SLIDING DOORS TO THE TRACK
  1. Installing the sliding doors: Tilt the doors and insert the top guides into the rear channel of the top track. Insert the bottom rollers into the rear groove of the bottom track. Be careful not to scratch the bottom track. Repeat with the second/next door using the front channel and groove. For multi door applications, alternate doors on tracks.
  2. Adjust the sliding doors: For vertical adjustment of each door, use a philips screwdriver on the bottom rollers. Once happy with the final adjustments, lock the anti jump device into bottom track

As you can see fitting sliding wardrobes is simple, you can really get that Italian styling sliding wardrobes in your bedroom at a fraction of the price.At Slidewardrobesdirect.co.uk, we have taken the mystery out of fitting sliding wardrobes so they are accessible to all.

slidewardrobesdirect.co.uk