Which Wood Is Best for Kitchen Cabinets? A Buyer's Guide
The kitchen is the toughest room in the house for wood: steam, heat swings, and doors opening thousands of times a year. Choosing right starts with knowing these three stresses.
Sliding vs. Hinged Wardrobe Doors: Which Is Right for You?
Choosing between sliding and hinged wardrobe doors isn't just about looks — it comes down to room width, the rail's load capacity, and how you access the inside.
The same question comes up every time someone orders a built-in wardrobe: sliding or hinged? The right answer depends on your room size and daily habits, not just looks.
Where the real difference lies
A hinged door swings fully open, showing the whole wardrobe at once — but it needs clear floor space in front to open. A sliding door runs on a rail and takes up none of the room, though only half the wardrobe's width is open at any time, making the covered section a bit less convenient to reach.
- Is the room narrow, or is a bed right in front of the wardrobe? Go sliding — a hinged door will hit the bed or won't open fully.
- Do you need fast, full access to the whole wardrobe at once? Hinged is more convenient.
- Working with a tight budget? Hinged doors usually skip the rail and rollers, so they're simpler and cheaper to build and repair.
- Does the sound of the door matter to you? You'll need a quality rail and rollers — a cheap sliding door starts squeaking after a few months.
The point rarely mentioned
The most common complaint about sliding wardrobes, after a year or two, isn't about the door's look — it's noise and a door that's grown heavy to move. The cause is almost always the same: a cheap roller and rail not built for the door's weight. A solid-wood or veneered sliding door is heavier than the door the rail was originally sized for, so the rail should be chosen together with the door material, not after it.
Nobody asks about a good rail when placing the order — but it's exactly what shows up two years later.
What to ask the workshop
Before ordering, ask three things: the rail's type and brand, its load capacity relative to your chosen door's weight, and whether the roller can be repaired or replaced without dismantling the whole wardrobe. A workshop that answers these three clearly will probably build the wardrobe right, too. To see what such wardrobes look like in practice, check out our project gallery.
If the decision is still hard, a simple rule helps: measure the clear space in front of the wardrobe. If you have at least the width of one door panel (about 60 to 90 cm) of open floor, a hinged door is the easier choice; if not, sliding is the only option. For choosing the door material, you can also get ideas from our cabinet wood guide, since the logic for choosing a finish is the same for both.
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Wooden Folding Accordion Doors: Where They Beat a Hinged Door
A folding wood door closes up like an accordion and opens almost the full width of an opening; for laundry closets, utility rooms, and tight wardrobes, it can be more practical than a hinged or sliding door.