Wardrobe-chest of drawers: features of choice

A chest of drawers is, first of all, a piece of furniture that resembles a small cabinet with several drawers or storage compartments equipped with doors. This is a really convenient thing that allows you to save space, but there are also some features of choosing this piece of furniture.

First of all, you should figure out what kind of chest of drawers there are.

As a rule, they are divided by functionality:

1. Linen dressers. The classic version, which, however, can easily be used for other purposes. Drawers of such chests of drawers, as a rule, are quite voluminous, therefore they are suitable for storing not only clothes, but also dishes, books or stationery.
2. Dresser cabinets for books. Somewhat reminiscent of tall library cabinets, only smaller and narrower.
3. Wardrobes with a mirror. A great find in the bedroom or bathroom, especially girls will appreciate it. As a rule, it is a classic rectangular chest of drawers half a person's height with a mirror located approximately at chest level. Sometimes they have a recess in the middle where you could put a chair, they are often equipped with elements such as lighting, carved designs or additional shelves on the surface.

A lot depends on the size and shape of the chest of drawers, for example, whether the furniture in the room will look harmonious, but, first of all, whether the chest of drawers itself will fit into the niche that you have allocated for it.

For example, if you need to save space in the room, then a tall and narrow chest of drawers with fairly voluminous shelves and compartments inside is very convenient. It takes up much less space than the classic rectangular one, but due to its height, it usually accommodates more shelves (up to 8), and you do not lose a single centimeter.

Traditionally, chests of drawers are made of wood, so they have approximately the same appearance. However, there are also some differences in the types of wood.

• Oak. The first thing to say is the most popular wood species used in furniture production. Differs in strength, high cost, durability and beauty.
• Ash. A very flexible rock, capable of withstanding various deformations, as a result, it is quite strong. Ash dressers are generally very sophisticated.

• Cherry. The properties of this wood are similar to those of ash, cherry chests of drawers are very sophisticated. It is cherry that is most often used for carved wardrobes, rounded chests of drawers and any other furniture with glass or mirrored stained-glass windows. This breed is not so strong and hard, but it is easy to process, and also has a natural mahogany shade.
• Beech. A breed that surpasses even oak in strength. It can be easily painted in any tone, however, very often it is left unchanged - this applies to a more delicate light pink beech.

Even with such popularity of natural solid wood, one cannot fail to mention chipboard and MDF:

• Chipboard (particle board) - these are sawdust and shavings remaining from logging, glued with resin. Since this is, in fact, production waste, chipboard is inexpensive, and it is used very widely. It is quite dense, durable, so the wardrobes are made of good quality, especially for furniture for the middle class. However, when buying furniture made of chipboard, be sure to ask managers for certificates of compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards and GOST standards, since the resins that connect sawdust are often formaldehyde resins.

• MDF - these are dried fine wood fibers, practically wood dust, combined into a single canvas with resins. Resins here, by the way, are safer, the concentration of formaldehyde is several times lower, and in some cases this substance is generally avoided, preferring to replace it with paraffin and lignin. MDF is considered a completely environmentally friendly material, therefore its price is higher than the price of particleboard.

Thanks to modern production, wardrobes can be found in literally any color, however, natural colors are still very popular. Designers are used to highlighting several natural color groups in relation to what material the chest of drawers is made of:

1. Cream shades, sand: birch, pine, maple, ash, beech.
2. Brownish-yellow shades, ocher: oak, alder, teak, cedar.
3. Brown-orange shades, copper: cherry, teak, mahogany.
4. Dark brown shades, bitter chocolate: nut.
5. Black-brown, almost inky: rosewood, amaranth, ebony.

Also, speaking about the coloring of the chests of drawers, one cannot fail to mention the natural patterns on their surface, because it is these patterns in combination with the shade of wood that make the chest of drawers unique. The patterns on each copy will be different, because there are no two completely identical trees.

By the way, chests of drawers that have rather pronounced patterns on their surface should be combined with plain wallpaper and other interior items so as not to look flashy. The opposite principle is also valid in the case of plain unpatterned chests of drawers and, for example, curtains with beautiful bright patterns.

First of all, when choosing a chest of drawers, you should focus on what you are going to store there, and do not forget that the purpose of the chest of drawers will differ depending on the room, so a lot also depends on the location.

For example, if you choose a closet in the hallway, be guided by the fact that, most likely, you will store shoes, clothes and things there that are not so often used in everyday life - various tools and similar accessories.

The chest of drawers in the hallway should not be large: the room is often narrow and free space is never superfluous. It is categorically not recommended here to put voluminous or carved chests of drawers with a surplus of decor - this, firstly, in most cases does not correspond to the design of the hallway, and, secondly, such decorations wear out quickly, and the chest of drawers takes on a sloppy look.

Very often wardrobes are used in living rooms - after all, this is both a convenient storage for many things, and a stand for decorative items, and by themselves they very well complement the interior.

In fact, there are no strict restrictions on the choice of a chest of drawers for the living room - everything really depends, rather, on the style of the room and its correlation with the style of the chest of drawers.

By the way, chests of drawers with transparent glass doors can look very elegant in the living room, especially if you use this piece of furniture instead of a wall, for storing sets or any other beautiful dishes. It will look like a proper decor within a decor. And it will also be a very practical move, because when receiving guests you don't have to go far.

The same goes for using a chest of drawers as a bar counter.

But in the case of choosing a dresser-wardrobe for the bedroom, you should focus on what you will use it for - store clothes, small trinkets (like in the hallway, for example), books, or it will be something like a dressing table for you.

With the last option, everything is clear - as a rule, it is a horizontally elongated chest of drawers with several compartments (for cosmetics and some wardrobe items) and with a mirror at about chest level.

If you use a chest of drawers as a closet for storing clothes, then it is recommended to pay attention to furniture with large drawers, there should be at least four of them (for linen, outerwear and underwear, as well as a spare compartment) and strong doors, because they will open often.

In the case of choosing a chest of drawers for books, pay attention to wide or tall, but narrow copies - this way you can put more books on display with the spines first and you do not have to go deep into the shelf in order to find the one you need. This principle, by the way, is effective in any room, be it even a living room or a classic library.

The principle of choosing a chest of drawers for a nursery is similar to the principle of choosing a living room. However, remember that you may need an additional toy compartment.

When choosing a chest of drawers for the bathroom, pay attention to its size - it should be compact, because, as a rule, there is not much space here. In addition to the small size, a mirror is desirable, and it is better to prefer cabinets with doors to open shelves.

It will be just great if the chest of drawers combines shelves and drawers. The former are suitable for storing hygiene items, and the latter are suitable for various textiles, towels or sponges / washcloths.

If you do not know how to place a chest of drawers in a room, but you are sure that this is exactly the piece of furniture that you want to purchase, then pay attention to some ideas for its location.

For example, here is a very successful and practical option for the location of this piece of furniture, and even more than one, in the living room. The dresser closet that stands next to one of the sofas plays a very interesting role: on the one hand, it is invisible from the center of the room, which visually increases the space, and on the other hand, it delimits the living room into a recreation area and a free space area.

The same cabinets that are located against the wall play not only the role of a beautiful, appropriate decor that successfully framing the fireplace. They are also functional: they can accommodate books, an old service, and even a piece of equipment. Of course, this combination of furniture is very successful.

Another option is a long high chest of drawers, repeating exactly any shade of furniture already in the room, complementing its color scheme. In this case, the wardrobe will not just be a good purchase, it will attract the eye and can become a real accent of the interior, and if you do not mind its similar role, take note of this option.

And here is an interesting chest of drawers with a mirror, which can be located both in the living room and in the bedroom, as long as it matches the interior. Note that it is wide enough but not bulky to save space. The mirror helps to visually expand this space, and the surface is a comfortable table top, on which you can put both flowers and a lampshade or a service.

You may also be interested in this option with the location of the TV on the surface of the cabinet-chest of drawers, as, for example, here. This greatly saves space, makes the chest of drawers even more functional. And if you look closely, you will notice that the dishes are located behind the glass, that is, the chest of drawers already plays a double role, and this, undoubtedly, attracts.

Further, see an overview of the cabinet-chest of a Russian manufacturer.