How to build a wardrobe around a window in any room to save space

When a narrow elongated room has a window at its end, its length can be reduced visually - by building a system of cabinets at the window and freeing up space from other large-sized items for storage.

In typical apartments, the window is usually located approximately in the center of the wall, most often short.

Next, you need to equip the cabinet with shelves, drawers, a bar, hooks or any other elements of the wardrobe.

Project implementation

In the piers, a rigid structure is mounted on the sides of the window opening, which requires a thorough fastening of the back to the walls so that it cannot tip over.

The corners on either side of the window are often empty or only partially used.

The internal illumination does not hurt.

When erecting a cabinet around a window, you can restrict yourself to installing two racks, but it is better to use the U-shaped version when the same racks are connected by a top shelf. You can attach a curtain rod or a tire to it, or use window-sill curtains:

If the apartment is small, every piece of space is valuable.

The larger the room, the deeper the dressing rooms near the window.

If textile window decoration is not provided, then the upper plane can be decorated with spotlights or suspensions, creating an illusion of a light curtain in the evenings.

Here, centimeters are idle in vain, although it is possible to use them to the fullest.

And in the space between them a sofa, a desk or a dressing table will fit perfectly.

It is better to calculate the cabinet height to the ceiling, so that it harmoniously fits into the space, being a continuation of the walls of the room.

What should be placed on the sides of the window so that this site is not empty, but is beneficial?

In this “snack” you can organize a reading corner by putting a chair there and hanging bookshelves.

Style Dictates Appearance

The cabinet design around the window can organically "fit" into the interior of any style. If the main motive of the room is a classic, then the upper part will be appropriate to decorate with cornices, fillets, and the front racks - with decorative strips.

It may not even be wardrobes, but rather mini-wardrobes.

In the children's alcove near the window it can be turned into a game "house".

Chinoiserie style will dictate a special color scheme and inlay of doors, and Provence will require light colors and blinds, layouts on glass surfaces with obligatory lighting inside, or batiste blinds behind glass. Modern Scandinavian style or minimalism will make it easier for craftsmen to do, as they require open, strict shelving without unnecessary decor.

Such solutions are relevant for bedrooms - both adults and children.

Such arrangement of the near-window space is very common in the West.

Types of closing surfaces used in the construction of a cabinet framing a window:

complete absence of doors,
deaf doors
combination doors
glass inserts on the facades,
textile or rattan weaving in a frame,
openwork doors with through thread.

To build structures of this kind, you need to build walls of drywall.

Bookshelves fill the areas on the sides of the window in the bedrooms, nurseries, living rooms, offices.

The latest door options themselves will become the main decoration of the room, without requiring other decorative elements.

Cabinets can be up to the ceiling, which is the best option.

Most often, these are built-in structures that are constructed at the stage of decoration or repair of the premises.

These cabinets are used not only for books, but also for exhibiting decorative items, souvenirs, photographs, and toys in children's rooms.

Depending on the purpose of the room, the filling of the cabinet can be very diverse, as well as the items that are stored in it.

In this case, they look like part of the architecture.

Between the cabinets there is usually a bench with a soft mattress.

Important Features

When developing a cabinet project around a window, the following steps must be taken.

Correctly calculate the depth of the shelves depending on their purpose. Books will need a maximum of 30 cm, and a wardrobe in the bedroom - 60 cm.
To think over the width of each wing - whether the racks reach the window opening, make a niche deep or depart from it, creating the illusion of perspective.
Determine the height of the shelves and compartments so that books, toys, and things fit freely on them. The distance between the surfaces can be different, it is not necessary to make the design symmetrical.
Place the door mechanisms so that they open from the wall, and the angle is more than 90 degrees.
Provide drawers, pull-out brackets if compartments are used as wardrobe cabinets.

It is necessary to determine the type of door: it can be oar, folding (accordion), sliding.

Convenient: I took a book and immediately sat down to read near the window.

The cabinet around the window is an opportunity to create a private reading corner inside it or to mount a desk. The only drawback is the lack of mobility, it cannot be moved, you have to remove the entire structure.

However, a fabric curtain instead of a door would be appropriate.

However, this may not be built-in, but ordinary furniture, ordered clearly by the size of the window sections.

Advantages and disadvantages

First, consider the pros and cons of such cabinets. Just note that such furniture is suitable for storing a variety of things, for example:

children's toys
bedding
clothes and linen
kitchen utensils
all kinds of useful little things used in everyday life.

The cabinet around the window can be used to store books, magazines and newspapers, souvenirs and jewelry, and if you wish, you can put a TV in it. Other advantages of such cabinets include:

universality - you can install furniture in any room, including a bedroom, a nursery, a living room, an office, a kitchen and others,
practicality - cabinets originally frame the window opening, allowing you to abandon heavy curtains,
usefulness - an enlarged window sill can be equipped with a desk / desk, and additional built-in drawers and cabinets will help keep everything you need for work and study at hand,
aesthetics - the craftsmen making such cabinets can offer a solution for any style of interior, thanks to which the furniture looks laconic in the room.

Disadvantages, unfortunately, also exist. The design of the cabinet around the window should be carried out by an experienced specialist who takes into account the dimensions of the room, layout and a number of other factors. Installation itself is quite complicated, and often requires alteration of part of the room or the formation of a niche that will be reserved for a cabinet.

A certain difficulty lies in the closure of pipes and heating devices. This reduces heat transfer, and also significantly complicates access to utilities in an emergency or during repairs. The immobility of cabinets around a window is also a drawback that should be taken into account.

On both sides

In this case, all available space is used to the maximum. The symmetrical arrangement makes the living room neat, attractive, and the cabinets themselves are both open (without wings) and closed. If desired, you can create an asymmetric design with different dimensions and the number of compartments.

Corner cupboard

This solution is suitable for cases where the window is closer to an adjacent wall. Thanks to this, the installation of the cabinet is greatly simplified, and in addition, its design can be made semicircular, which reduces the number of sharp corners in the room. The disadvantage of such cabinets is their small capacity, as a result of which they are used to store all kinds of little things (for example, children's toys, cosmetics, personal hygiene products).

In the center of the window

This option is more suitable for large rooms. The cabinet is located under the window or above it, so it does not block the flow of sunlight, making the room more comfortable. If the layout of the apartment provides for huge panoramic windows, then the closet can close a small part, providing additional space for storing things.

Between the Windows

One of the most practical solutions that can be used on the balcony and loggia (in rooms with several window openings). In this case, the cabinet looks attractive, not standing out from the general concept of the interior.

With working area

By setting a table in front of the window, you can get a beautifully lit space, perfect for fruitful work. In addition, you can use a small table, the ends of which will abut the cabinet and not impede the passage.

Facades and decor options

In terms of design, you can not limit your own imagination. Using modern furniture facades from particleboard and MDF, you can stylize a wardrobe for any direction, from art deco to loft.

If there are built-in doors, then they can be both with fittings, and without it. To do this, just install a special mechanism that opens when pressed. As a result, the facade of the cabinet will not break out of the general style of the room.

It is not at all necessary to close the entire cabinet. By leaving several shelves open, you can “unload” the structure visually, making it lighter, airier.

Types of opening mechanisms

There are a lot of mechanisms designed for cabinet cabinets. If funds allow, it is recommended to use models with closers. They provide a smooth closing of the wings and eliminate the effect of slamming, while maintaining the design of the cabinet.

Doors, drawers and shelves can be hinged, sliding and swinging. There are many options for execution, which allows you to choose the most suitable for a particular room.

Pitfalls - what are the nuances of the interior with the closet built-in at the window

The disadvantage is that visually the room with a cabinet around the window seems smaller. This is due to the fact that several square meters are allocated directly under the furniture, which occupies the entire wall. Such a solution is not suitable for rooms, the entrance to which is located next to the window, since the cabinet will block the passage.

Installation of such a cabinet is a laborious and time-consuming task. It is necessary to make accurate measurements and correctly fix each structural element, which will help to avoid the appearance of backlashes and other shortcomings.

Pros and cons of the cabinet around the window

The advantages of such a cabinet are obvious:

The arrangement of furniture on both sides of the window always visually increases the area of the room, fills it with air.
Significantly saves space, allows you to create convenient and functional storage locations.
Creates an original interior. Graceful facades will decorate the room. If there are open shelves, then you can place your favorite interior items on them - original vases, photographs, figurines, candles, flowers in a cache-pot.
The vertical lines of the built-in furniture will create a visual effect of a high ceiling, which always looks very advantageous and increases the volume of the room.
Such a non-standard arrangement of furniture on both sides of the window is suitable for any room in the apartment: kitchen, living room, bedroom, nursery and office.

You should not be particularly carried away by the depth of such lockers, at the risk of cluttering up the interior and lowering the level of natural light in the room

The smaller the room, the more compact the structure can be erected around a window opening

Narrow and long cabinets visually raise the ceiling of the room

When planning this arrangement of furniture, you should be aware that there are few disadvantages of such a configuration, but nevertheless they exist and this will have to be taken into account:

they should not be made too deep so that the walls do not interfere with the penetration of light into the room - the width of the wall panel should not exceed 30-50 cm,
you’ll have to do the whole set only for an individual order, it’s better to use the services of a designer, so it will take time - it’s impossible to quickly create such an interior,
such an interior will cost a little more than buying a standard set of cabinet furniture,
will have to analyze the market and find a reliable furniture manufacturer, make a general sketch of the room, taking into account the style features of the interior, make the correct measurements,
the window framed by cabinets cannot be curtained with curtains or traditional curtains - you will have to say goodbye to them. Only rolled, Roman and blinds will do.

Open shelves around a window in the attic room

Built-in cupboards around the kitchen window

Cabinets with open shelves around the windows of the living room

Design of different rooms

For a children's room, such an arrangement of furniture will be very useful and functional. Open cabinets in the nursery near the window will help you easily and conveniently arrange all the necessary items, gadgets, toys and books. If your boy or girl is involved in sports, then you can free up space in the room for installing sports equipment or a computer table.

In the children's room, it can be cabinets or racks for storing a variety of things

Thinking over the design of the nursery and placing the furniture around the window in the nursery, it should be remembered that the space of this room should be primarily safe. To do this, it is better to place the closed sections below, and open the shelves around the window in the nursery to make it higher, so that the child can not climb on them to the windowsill.

For a window located in the center of the wall, symmetrically placed cabinets are best suited.

In the bedroom, such a design looks very original and allows you to conveniently arrange all the home decoration. A vertical closed cabinet around the window in the room creates a single composition and allows you to create a unique warm atmosphere in the bedroom, closed from prying eyes.

Lockers located around the window will become a stylish addition to the interior of the bedroom

In such an interior, the window loses its dominant role and, as it were, dissolves in the surrounding objects. Accents can be put on light (lampshades, sconces, floor lamps, lights) or decorative (paintings, stained glass, carpets) objects.

The combined design of the wardrobes with the bed can significantly save space

For a small room, placing furniture on the sides of the window would be just the perfect solution. Traditionally, cabinet furniture was located in our apartments along the wall, thereby significantly reducing the total area of the room. In addition, if the room is not only small, but also narrow, then the cabinets around the window in the small room will give it a more convenient shape, free up space for other furniture. The space organized with the help of such a design solution will always be winning and will bring a lot of pleasure to its owners.

Between the cabinets you can place a cozy place to relax

Non-standard rooms are also suitable for installing cabinets on both sides of the window. If the room has a bay window, a sloping ceiling or a built-in arch above the window, then such a design solution will only improve the interior, give it a special style and add comfort. The ergonomics of such a space are undeniable. For a good result, it is better to resort to the services of a professional designer.

Convenient workplace between cabinets in the bay window of a country house

Comfortable sofa between open racks in the living room

Varieties of cabinets around the window

The main design task is to make the living space comfortable and stylish. For this, many non-standard solutions are being developed that make the life of a modern person more comfortable.

A laconic closet or a shelf in the tone of wall decoration organically fits into the wall between the windows

For example, a desktop may be integrated into a cabinet section. It can be placed directly under the window so that light falls on the work surface. Very often it is used in the kitchen for the convenience of housewives during cooking. This combines the area of the desktop and window sill into a single surface.

Cabinets with a table - a practical solution for a small room

Please note that in the children's room this table configuration is very undesirable - the table should not adjoin the window. In the children's room there should be a gap between the table and the windowsill, which will not allow you to climb onto the window.

It is possible to combine a side cabinet with a working area. This design is often used where the dimensions of the wall opening are not the same. On a wider wall, it’s convenient to integrate a work area with a table for a computer, shelves for books and gadgets. Such a zone will require special lighting for the convenience of work. On a large and wide table you can easily sit with sewing, drawing, embroidery and other hobbies. All materials are conveniently stored on adjacent shelves, closed by facades.

Teenager's room with a balcony window, decorated desk and corner cupboard

For the cabinet, the location of the library in cabinets around the window is very interesting and functional. It often happens that book lovers do not have enough space to place their library, so additional shelves will not be superfluous. Traditional curtains that collected dust will have to be replaced with functional and modern roller blinds or blinds. Such an office looks very modern and attractive.

Roller blinds optimally fit into the design of the cabinet with cabinets around the window

Internal filling options

Designers offer a huge number of options for the convenience of the interior. Cabinets can be filled at your request with various drawers, shelves, narrow and wide sections, vertical and horizontal storage compartments:

The boxes are narrow. Designed for storing small items - jewelry, various collections, tools for hobbies. Boxes can be divided into sections for ease of search.
Boxes are wide. It is convenient to store clothes, linen, household items in them.
Boxes are deep. They are often built into cabinets that are built into the bedroom. They are convenient for storing bedding, large bedspreads, pillows and blankets.

Hangers can also be integrated in window cabinets. It can be sections - hangers for bathrobes and other home clothes. To do this, use small hooks in shallow cabinets. If it’s convenient for you to store home outerwear there, then for this it is better to use a deeper one - with a special crossbar on which the shoulders for dresses, shirts, trousers, suits are placed. They must be closed by facades, so that the contents are not visible.

Capacious wardrobes in the interior of the bedroom

Wardrobe around the window - interior design features

An illiterate approach to the breakdown of the area of an apartment gave rise to a type of narrow but long rooms. To put the cabinet along a long wall does not allow a small width. Access is being violated. Furniture creates problems moving around the room. And on a small wall a window opening is often made. Someone's creative thinking has led to the spread of cabinets around the window.

They are a built-in design of enclosed sections or open racks. The layout is made taking into account the fact that the window opening will be in the center of the entire ensemble. Here is a list of the main features of this cabinet:

Individuality. The need to build a cabinet leads to the development of individual projects taking into account personal requirements. But in the end you get a model that no one else has,
Use the drop-down territory. The window frame, along with the corners, usually remains aloof when arranging furniture. This option will allow you to turn an empty area into a functional area,
High level of functionality,
Extremely unusual appearance
Natural highlight. Sunlight will create an unusual highlight effect,
Ability to add additional functioning objects to the ensemble. It can be a desktop or a niche for installing a TV.

What sections is the cabinet around the window

Depending on the circumstances, the cabinet sections can be arranged in the following options:

Bottom row. The solution is not new at all. It was widely used in the Soviet period for the equipment of wall "refrigerators". Cabinets are mounted in a row under the windowsill. This gives not only an increase in usable area, but also significantly reduces heat loss. Today, such a solution can be used for children's or bedroom rooms. Suitable for storing toys, blankets and other items that need to be often removed
Lateral columns. Looks good with the correct centering of the window. You can symmetrically arrange the same sections or mount a wardrobe on one side and a bookcase on the other. There are many options. In this case, the space under the window can be used especially efficiently. The most common decisions are to set up a desk, a pair of armchairs or a narrow sofa,
Top row. It is rarely used as a separate window decoration. Most often, the upper rows of mezzanines and cabinets are added with a full framing from floor to ceiling. This approach can serve well in the halls, bedrooms, kitchens, hallways. Take to the top all that you rarely use. As they say out of sight. Unload the usable area and provide high-quality storage at the same time.

Cabinet with working area

One of the organic solutions for playing on the window sill in small rooms is the arrangement of the workplace. These are the most common options for children and living rooms. It can be not only the installation of a full-fledged computer desk. Most often, one bar is mounted across the width of the entire wall. At a distance from the window, it becomes the upper bar for the side sections of the lower row. It not only looks beautiful. There is an advantage of natural light. This has a beneficial effect on the psyche and vision. This is often the way a place is arranged for teenagers. Two mortise lamps mounted on the sides will be very handy.

The main guide when choosing the width and height of the countertops will be:

The overall dimensions of the room. The passage between the table and other furniture should not be less than 30 cm. It is better to sacrifice the depth of the table. Also consider the need to put a seat,
The table should reach a person to the waist in a sitting position. This is the best option. The average is 60 - 65 cm,
A seated person requires a minimum of 50 cm of tabletop length. This is if you sit with your elbows pressed to your sides. For a more free movement of hands, it is better to increase the indicator to 70 - 75 cm. Then you can work without interference for the hands.

Wardrobe with a sofa on the windowsill

Often, instead of a window sill, a sofa is mounted. This solution has a lot of advantages:

The recreation area does not take up space in the room itself. Anyway, the place below the window is usually not occupied by anything,
Bottom storage boxes. Very frequent companions of such a sofa. They allow not only to save space, but also increase the overall capacity of the cabinet,
Natural light source. You can easily read your favorite book or the latest issue of the newspaper. There’s no risk of spoiling your eyesight,
Relax with an overview of nature. This is certainly not about cities. There is a famous panorama - cars and hurrying people. But in country houses and cottages this approach will simply allow you to relax and enjoy the greenery and picturesque views. For this purpose, the sofa is made without a back,
Looks beautiful in the interior. In this case, the recreation area becomes the central key point. Pay more attention to stylistic focus. All other furniture should be in harmony with the center.

Do not make the seat too narrow. It should be at least as deep as the seat of a standard chair. Although, it is better to exceed these indicators. Sitting on the couch provides for a certain deviation of the human body from its axis. So just measure the seat of your favorite chair. You can throw 5 - 6 cm on top. The width is limited only by the window opening.

Window bed design

In excessively compact bedrooms, a bed can be mounted under the window. This of course will allow you to organically fit the bed into the setting, but not the best option for windows facing the street of the road. If the walls and openings do not have increased sound insulation, then you can forget about a quiet sleep. In this case, the head of the bed can be located on two principles:

Head to the window. This option is used when installing a double bed. Having a single bed in this way is not worth it. It will take a lot of space in the back of the room and will look lost
Head to the side. The basis of the berth is an expanded windowsill. At the bottom, several drawers are mounted. A good option for one person. This solution is sure to appeal to children.

If you need to put a bed next to the window opening, take care of high-quality thermal insulation and the absence of drafts. Otherwise, you will freeze and get sick more often.

How is the built-in wardrobe around the window

When designing a built-in wardrobe around a window, all the general requirements for this type of furniture are valid. Niche preparation will be required. First carefully measure the wall. Measurements are made in all directions at 3 points (bottom, center, top). If significant discrepancies in the readings are found, the central part can be divided into 2 zones and measured in two places. Levels are 80 and 160 cm from the floor. After all the manipulations on leveling the surfaces and organizing a niche, measure everything again. Moreover, the niche will have to be measured on the outside and inside. The window opening will undoubtedly complicate the task. There is a need to plan the bottom row, sides and top separately. All this requires separate measurements. Deviations should not exceed 15 - 20 mm. In this case, you should end up with a single design. For these purposes, you can hire a specialist.

Since such furniture does not have its own case, these functions will lie on the walls of the prepared niche. In the presence of skews not higher than 3 cm, you can use fake trims. Such slats with a width of up to 12 cm at the same time will allow you to hide some flaws in the finish.

Underwater fireplace - what are the nuances of the interior with a cupboard built in by the window

Not without some problems. The most frequent becomes being directly under the window of the heating sections. The best solution is to simply leave this area open. Installation of cabinets becomes irrational. It will be practically impossible to use them for their intended purpose. They will also begin to trap the heat generated by the heater. As a result, the room will become noticeably colder. If for the living room this is acceptable, then for the nursery and the bedroom it is categorically not suitable.

If sections of radiators are located under the window, then the front slats can be carved. Perforation will allow free flow of heat. In this case, the sash will play rather a decorative role.

There is another pitfall. Even through sashes will help to ensure that some of the heat will linger under the window. This can lead to increased fogging of the windows. You understand that a large amount of condensate will irreparably destroy furniture. To avoid this, use special compounds that prevent fogging of the windows. Most often, they need to be washed with glass. The procedure will have to be repeated several times a year. There are homemade tricks. For example, a composition of alcohol with glycerin or a weak saline solution.

Another solution is the arrangement of ventilation. If the design of the window provides for micro-ventilation, then use it without hesitation. This is such a mode when one of the sections opens slightly with a minimum gap (the gap does not exceed 0.4 cm). For humans, this is practically not noticeable, but the condensate will disappear. If this is not possible, then equip any type of artificial ventilation in the room.

Internal filling

The design features of the cabinet around the window in the room make a special approach to the planning of internal contents. Rods and bulky items like cabinet elevators will be inappropriate here. Their installation will significantly reduce the efficiency of the use of internal space. But then, drawers and shelf systems come in handy. Do not forget, all the boxes are best placed in the bottom row. This will simplify access to things and save you the risk of dropping it on your head. It is better not to make large branches. But it’s not worth too much - the cabinet will look like a bar with honeycombs.

Follow the rule of the golden mean. Narrow pencil cases, book racks, medium-sized lockers with sashes will organically fit into the design of the system. All of these types provide for the breakdown of shelves with the lack of overall sections.

Facades - types of designs and decor options

The types of facades used can be divided into:

Open. Doors are missing
Closed
Mixed. Part of the cabinet end is covered by sashes, and part remains open. In this embodiment, it is better to observe symmetry. Otherwise, you may experience a sense of chaos and disorder.

The main material can be any type of wood board:

Chipboard (Particleboard). Phenols, formaldehydes, or a mixture thereof act as a binder during molding. Pressed under high pressure. The use of synthetic resins makes the material less susceptible to moisture. Density depends on chip size. Often used because of the affordable price tag. Material is afraid of showdowns. Even the secondary tightening of screws at one point will cause the material to crumble. When heated to a small extent, they begin to emit harmful volatile substances,
Chip Oriented (OSB). Large chips are located at different angles. This approach increases strength. The most reliable are plates of 4 categories. They hardly absorb water and can last up to 50 years. Furniture can be disassembled without the risk of crumbling planks. Minus with the release of toxins during heating is maintained,
Fibrous (fiberboard). Pretty strong stuff. Not very resistant to moisture. It also has a low sheet thickness, which makes its use limited. It can be ennobled by lamination, which significantly increases its characteristics,
Fine (MDF). In fact, this is a type of fiberboard with average hardness. Pressed using urea resins. This reduces the level of toxin release by an order of magnitude. The safest type of stove. The use of wood with a fine fraction significantly reduces the friability and porosity of the material.

And of course, natural wood is worth mentioning. Not everyone can afford such a pleasure. But the high price tag is compensated by durability, high-quality appearance and long service life.