Today, every owner of their own home is trying to equip it as best as possible, namely, to choose the design and furniture that matches it. It's no secret that at the moment a wide range of wood products is presented in specialized stores. But what if you want to pick up the original version?
The size of Russian apartments is quite small for a comfortable stay of an average family, so many people use various tricks to save at least a few meters of usable space. One of these is the closet. This piece of furniture is very popular, because it not only does not take up extra space in the room, but is also very practical to use. However, high-quality furniture is quite expensive these days, so many people are thinking about how to make a built-in wardrobe with their own hands. Let's try to deal with all the features of furniture production at home, and also talk about what materials andtools for this will be required.
General information
Everyone can make a built-in wardrobe with their own hands, but it is important to understand here that this is a very painstaking process.
In order for furniture to be of high quality, functional and beautiful, you must consider the following points:
- what materials will be used;
- what set of tools will be required during the assembly process;
- according to what scheme will the installation be carried out.
In addition to all of the above, you must also be able to create technical drawings. If you do not have such experience, then in this case it is better to contact a professional designer who will develop a project for you in accordance with all technical standards.
Which materials to use
Before we talk about how to make a built-in wardrobe with your own hands, let's first figure out what materials are best to use. This is a very important aspect, because today you can find a huge variety of raw materials on sale, but not all are suitable for the production of interior items.
Many people think that wood is the best material, but it is not well suited for built-in furniture. The thing is that natural breeds are very sensitive to the level of humidity in the room, and if there are strong drops, they will become unusable very quickly. If you are still very categorical in this matter, then when choosing raw materials, select only straight wood, in whichthere are no defects such as knots, cracks or outgrowths. In addition, the boards must be impregnated with special antiseptic solutions.
Very often built-in interior items are made from lining. However, it is only suitable if you make a frame with a reinforced structure, since the material itself is heavy and has low performance.
In some houses you can find a built-in drywall wardrobe. It is not difficult to make it with your own hands, since this material is easy to process, but it is also not the best solution. GKL has a large weight and low strength, so it is best to use it only for finishing the cabinet. To extend the life of drywall, it is necessary to putty it, and to give an aesthetic appearance - a decorative finish.
The ideal choice for the production of built-in furniture at home will be laminate, MDF or fiberboard. These materials are low cost, very easy to work with, and immune to moisture changes.
Required tools
So, we have de alt with the materials, so now let's deal with the necessary tools.
To make a built-in wardrobe in the hallway with your own hands, you will need the following:
- meter;
- building level;
- jigsaw;
- electric drill with various attachments;
- screwdriver;
- mallet;
- self-tapping screws;
- guides;
- freezes;
- fixing brackets;
- rod holders;
- rack hangers;
- double sided tape.
All tools and necessary consumables are sold at any hardware store.
Furniture Design
Design includes work on the creation of a technical drawing of the cabinet and its design. However, first you need to decide on its size. But here it is important to take into account the geometric shape of the niche in which the furniture will be installed.
To correctly take all measurements, follow these guidelines:
- first of all, the back wall is measured: top, middle and bottom;
- then comes the front;
- at the very end, height measurements are taken from the “rear” and from the “front”.
It is worth noting that errors must also be taken into account, because otherwise a built-in wardrobe, made by oneself, simply will not fit into a niche or there will be very large gaps between it and the wall, which will ruin all the aesthetics. It will not be very pleasant if you cut out the shelf, and it turns out to be too wide or narrow. Therefore, before starting to cut materials, carefully perform all measurements, taking into account errors. If the shape of the niche has an irregular shape or uneven walls in the house, then the shelves may not be rectangular, but trapezoidal. It all depends on the individual characteristics of a particular home.
When the measurements are completed, you can begin to develop a technical drawing. Toto do everything well, you must be able to draw. In the absence of such skills, it is better to contact a professional designer, since his services will cost much less than the subsequent alteration of the cabinet. If you order a project, you will need to provide measurements, as well as tell about your preferences for materials. Based on these data, the master will develop a drawing that will take into account all the nuances and smallest details.
If you are going to make a built-in wardrobe with your own hands, then it should be not only practical and functional to use, but also beautiful. But it will be impossible to develop a good design without any experience and practical skills in this area, so it is best to order a ready-made design project from a qualified specialist. At the same time, it is important to take into account the fact that the more exotic and original the cabinet is, the more difficult it will be to assemble it. Therefore, it is better to give preference to furniture that has a simple and conservative design.
When the interior design and drawing are ready, you can start the process of manufacturing and assembling furniture. How this is done will be discussed later.
Sawing and fittings
So we came to a direct answer to the question of how a do-it-yourself built-in wardrobe is made. Step-by-step instructions will be discussed further, but first you need to purchase materials and cut them. It is recommended to entrust this to a professional who, based on measurements and a technical drawing, will be able tomachine to cut perfectly to the millimeter.
Contacting experienced professionals is more preferable because:
- Furniture makers work directly with material manufacturers, so you can save around 20 percent.
- Furniture manufacturers use laser equipment, so cutting will take much less time and the work will be done better.
- The blanks will be edging the cuts, and you do not have to do it yourself. The selvedge is very important as it reduces the damaging effects of moisture on the materials, making them last much longer.
If you chose laminate or MDF as a material, then their thickness should be at least 16 mm for cabinet walls and 25 millimeters for doors. It is better to buy imported accessories, as they are of higher quality and reliability.
Installing the frame
So, how to make a built-in wardrobe with your own hands? The assembly process begins with the installation of the main frame. If you have not done this before, then it is better to first watch the training videos, which show in detail the entire process from start to finish. There is nothing shameful in this, since even experienced furniture makers sometimes use such materials. The video will allow you to see the sequential editing algorithm with all the nuances.
Built-in furniture differs from stationary furniture in that it does not have its own frame. The niche itself acts as a floor, walls and ceiling. Therefore, as a basisa false panel is taken on which the fittings are mounted. When installing the supporting frame, it is very important to make everything even, especially if your apartment has curved walls. If the frame is installed unevenly, then in the future this will lead to a roll of the doors and they will not be able to close tightly.
To hide the gaps between the frame and the wall, MDF panels are used, from which tabs of the desired size are cut. The installation of the frame is carried out strictly according to the level. Self-tapping screws are used for fixing. The slots are closed with decorative strips, which are planted on double-sided tape or construction glue. The friezes should be made of the same material as the wardrobe, so that everything looks harmonious and in unison.
Preparing doors
In built-in furniture, the facade functions as a door. The coupe principle is most often used, in which the doors simply slide off to the side, and the fittings are attached to the inside of the niche. In this case, the guides can be installed both at the bottom and at the top. The first option is preferred as it is quieter and more reliable. The only exceptions are the corner built-in wardrobes, which are also quite simple to do with your own hands. They use a different door opening/closing system.
The first step is to mount the hardware. If it is at the bottom, then you will also need special frames. The top location of the guides is only possible if the facade is made of lightweight materials.
In most cases for mounting doors2-3 guides are used, which are parallel to each other. Thus, you can mount several doors, which will increase the practicality of the cabinet. To ensure that there are no gaps between them, the facade slabs should be overlapped. The minimum margin is 20 millimeters. The number of doors depends on your preferences, and the order of their installation can be any.
It is worth noting that the guides can also be installed from the outside. A do-it-yourself built-in wardrobe will be an excellent solution for apartments with limited free space, since the fittings can be fixed along the wall. In addition, such furniture has one big plus, namely the absence of dead zones. The door will open fully, giving access to all cabinet shelves at once.
Fixing shelves
So, we already know how to assemble a built-in wardrobe with our own hands, but this is not the end of all the work. Still need to install shelves. It's best to do this before installing the doors, as they will restrict space and make it much more difficult for you to work inside the power tool cabinet.
After assembling the frame, the internal space is marked for the mounting brackets. To ensure that the shelves are installed evenly, all work is carried out using the building level. At this stage, it is very important to fit the canvases to the interior space. But here you should be extremely careful not to cut off too much.
If the dimensions of the cabinet are very large, and the widthshelves more than 800 millimeters, then an additional mount is installed in the center. This will reinforce them to prevent them from buckling under too much stress.
If you are going to make a built-in wardrobe in the bedroom with your own hands, then it should have slightly different design features. In it, you can use a corner rack to install and fasten shelves. This will allow more rational use of the internal space and eliminate the presence of dead zones.
Painting and installation of facade panels
If you want a built-in wardrobe made by yourself to be beautiful and easy to clean, then it is better not to veneer the doors with decorative materials, but to paint them. The choice of shade is best done before the installation of the shelves, so that the paint has time to dry well. Acrylic enamels will be an excellent option. They have a rich color and a shiny surface, and also tolerate wet cleaning well. As a more budget option, you can use drying oil, but in this case, the panels must first be primed to increase the level of paint adhesion.
Inside the cabinet it is also better to use paints that are easy to clean. You should not buy cheap options, as they can leave an unpleasant smell and marks on clothes. It’s better to immediately purchase high-quality dyes so that you don’t have to redo anything later.
To make the built-in closet in the hallway built with your own hands beautiful and harmoniously fit into the interior of the room, it is recommended to consult with the designers. advice caninquire about the choice of paint or finishing materials.
Lighting and finishing
A built-in wardrobe made by yourself will be much more practical to use if you install a lighting system in it. This is especially true for large interior items. As lighting fixtures, it is better to use LED lamps that are built into the ceiling of the cabinet. They provide good illumination, are highly reliable and consume little electricity. In addition, they do not heat up, so the risk of fire is completely excluded.
Finishing should be started only after a thorough inspection of the cabinet for various defects. Inside there should not be any protruding sharp objects that can ruin clothes. Self-tapping screws must be closed with decorative plugs. So they will not be visible and will not tear your wardrobe items.
If desired, you can hang mirrors on the door leaves. This will not only make the furniture more attractive, but also visually expand the interior space of the room. But in this case, it is recommended to strengthen the supporting structure, since the weight of the panels will be very high. Do-it-yourself built-in wardrobes also look great (some photos are presented in the article), decorated with various patterns and abstractions. There are quite a few ideas for decorative finishes, so you can easily choose the right option that fits perfectly into the interior of your apartment.
Conclusion
So, we figured out how to assemble a built-in wardrobe with our own hands. Home-made furniture is better than factory-made furniture, because you have complete freedom of action when making it. You will be able to design an interior item in accordance with the characteristics of your home. In addition, it will cost significantly less.
As it turned out, you can do many things with your own hands, the most important thing is to have a desire. If you follow all the tips and recommendations described in this article, then you will certainly succeed, and the furniture will be no worse than if you ordered a ready-made wardrobe in the store.
