A wardrobe goes by many names. Its called an almirah or a closet. It can also be called a cabinet. Its usually enclosed with doors.

In all cases mentioned above, a wardrobe is a space which is used for storage. In a utility, the storage cabinet could be used for storing cleaning supplies. In a bedroom, the wardrobe could be used for storing clothes, linen or any number of things. A wardrobe in a kids room might become a wonderful place for storing toys. To make things simple, a wardrobe is a place for storage.

When getting your home interiors done, its essential to understand what type of wardrobe you want to go for. This is important because, depending on what your usage is, the requirements from the wardrobe could differ a lot. Lets discuss the various types of wardrobes here.

This is largely based on the space available. A wardrobe could be a single door or have multiple doors depending on the space available. If a window is present in between, you may go for two full height wardrobes on either sides and have a smaller cabinet below the window. You could have a wardrobe going from floor to ceiling if needed.

Structurally, a wardrobe could have either hinged doors which open and close on hinges or sliding doors which have channels to slide them across. In addition, a wardrobe could have no doors and could be an open wardrobe. A walk-in wardrobe usually has a door to enter the walk-in space and does not have individual doors for the individual cabinets. A sliding door wardrobe looks neat since doors are usually wider compared to hinged doors. It also needs lesser space in front and is a good option where space is a constraint. But this kind of wardrobe cannot be opened fully. In addition, we will not recommend a sliding wardrobe for a kids room since kids have a tendency to bang things up.

Linen closet should ideally have large shelves with no drawers. A wardrobe for shoes should also have no drawers but shelves need to be closer together. A wardrobe for general wear clothes should have a mix of hanging rods, drawers and shelves depending on the expected usage. From arrangement of shelves to requirement of spaces for special purposes like lockers, iron boards etc can identify what you need in a wardrobe.

We have discussed in great detail about the various finishes possible. These are all possible in wardrobes as well. We have also separately discussed the many generally well known design styles. All these can be used to identify what kind of wardrobe you are looking for.

Its extremely essential to respect the space available and ensure that a wardrobe does not come in the way of ventilation or lighting. Its also important to understand how much storage is needed. Many people end up with too many drawers or too many spaces for hanging clothes and end up with empty spaces while many clothes do not have a place to go. Proper management of space and selection of the right type of wardrobe to suite your style, requirements and budget is extremely important.