Sliding or hinged wardrobe doors: how to choose

The right door is usually decided by what is in front of the wardrobe. Measure the clear distance from the face of the proposed wardrobe to the bed, a chest of drawers or a wall. Hinged doors swing into that zone; sliding doors stay within the wardrobe line. In a generous room either will work and the choice comes down to looks. In a tight room the decision is often made for you.

Opening a hinged door reveals the full width of that section, so you can see and reach everything at once. Good-quality concealed hinges allow fine adjustment in three directions, which makes it easy to keep the gaps between doors crisp as the timber settles. If a door is ever damaged, it can be removed and replaced on its own.

Hinged doors also leave the whole internal depth free for hanging, because there is no track at the front. They suit period rooms, where a panelled or framed door looks at home, and they pair naturally with internal lighting that switches on when a door opens.

The drawback is swing room. Wide doors need a clear arc, and in a narrow bedroom a door may hit the bed or block a walkway when open.

Sliding doors need no clear space in front, which makes them the natural answer for long runs in compact rooms or where the bed sits close. Large panels create a calm, unbroken face, and slim-framed glazed sliding doors, which we make and fit, can make a wardrobe feel lighter and more like part of the architecture.

The trade-offs are access and depth. Only part of the wardrobe is open at any one time, because the doors pass each other. The track and door overlap also take up some of the depth, so the carcass must be deeper to keep full hanging space. Tracks need occasional cleaning, and the doors need a level, carefully set-out head and floor to run well.

Both door types can be made in the same materials: painted lacquer, oak or walnut veneer, fluted timber, fabric panels or glass. Hinged doors show vertical gaps between leaves, which can be used as a design line; sliding doors show overlapping planes, which suits a more contemporary room. Mirrored sliding panels can make a small room feel larger, while mirrors fitted inside hinged doors keep the room calmer.

There is no rule that a room must have only one type. A long wall can take sliding doors across the main run, with a hinged door on a return section. Pocket doors, which slide back into the carcass, are a further option where you want full access with a door that tucks away when open.

At the drawing stage we can show the door type on the elevation and mark the swing on the plan, so you can see exactly how the room will work before anything is made.