Proportions for different sized alcoves?

[GrahamB]

I am going to make some fitted wardrobes to go in alcoves either side of a chimney breast. The alcoves are different sizes with one about 90cm wide and the other about 120cm.

My question is do I make the doors for both wardrobes the same size but have a different sized frame/surround or make the surround the same and have different sized doors? Or do I split the differing and have different sized surround and doors?

What's the best from an aesthetics perspective?

 

[MikeG.]

Graham,

there are lots of potential approaches to this.

Firstly, is there still a fireplace, or is the breast just a flat wall? If it is a flat wall with no fireplace, then do you have to fit the wardrobes into the alcoves, or could you overlap the doors and frames in front of the chimney breast?

If the latter, then you could have two identical cupboards.

If that isn't possible, you absolutely must keep the frame sizes the same. Anything else would look silly. However, you could add a blanking-off panel, or you could have 2 doors one side, and 3 on the other.

I am sure there are some Sketch-up people out there who will do you a quick scheme.........but a back-of-an-envelope sketch will soon sort this out!

Mike

 

[BradNaylor]

Mike's basically said it.

2 options;

1. Simply make 2 different sized wardrobes to fit in the 2 alcoves. Keep the frames the same as each other and have different sized doors. It will look fine.

2. Make the 900mm alcove 'bigger' by extending the wardrobe in front of the chimney breast by 300mm. Your 2 wardrobes will then look identical with the doors closed. Inside, some usefull shallow shelves can be incorporated on the face of the chimney breast which is now enclosed within the wardrobe.

Do not fiddle about with blanking panels, different sized frames etc in order to accomodate doors of the same width. It will just look like you've bought them from MFI!

Fitted furniture should be just that - custom-made and fitted.

In answer to your PM query, out of preference for wardrobe doors I would use 22mm MR MDF and would use concealed kitchen door hinges. For lay-on doors use ordinary ones and for inset doors use cranked ones with an appropriate back-plate. I get mine from Winzer Wurth - they will advise you at one of their trade counters.

http://www.winzerwurth.co.uk/Trade_Outlets.html



Cheers
Dan

 

[GrahamB]

Thanks guys,

Hadn't thought about making the smaller one slightly wider and covering more of the chimney - seems obvious now

Dan thanks for the advice on the doors and hinges.

Graham