It's not just what you see on the outside... what's on the inside counts, too! Although many wardrobes can look very similar from outside, with the doors closed, behind those doors can be a very different story, with huge variations in quality from one manufacturer to the next.

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Fitted wardrobes are brilliant. They offer fantastic storage space, they look like they were built into the house and can even improve your house value, too. Built in wardrobe retailers will generally sell one of two types of wardrobe: full carcass or front frame wardrobes.

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We're often asked by customers... firstly, how much do fitted wardrobes cost? And secondly, which is best... front frame or full carcass wardrobes? Let's explore the differences, advantages and disadvantages of each so that you can make an informed decision.

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We manufacture and supply both full carcass and face frame fitted wardrobes to customers all over the East Midlands. Because we understand both, we can give the pros and cons of each without any bias towards one product.

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The front frame method is, as the name would suggest, based on a frame that is created at the front of the space, onto which the doors hang. Sometimes this is known as a face frame wardrobe. Some of the biggest fitted wardrobe retailers on the market (eg Sharps and Hammonds) offer front-frame wardrobes. Sharps only offer this, whereas Hammonds offer both face frame and full carcass, with very limited colours.

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A front frame wardrobe doesn't have backs or sides, meaning that when you open the door you can see your interior walls.

There are some benefits to this method... the first being that you get to make the absolute most of every millimetre of space, with internal storage going from wall to wall and from front to back. If you have a particularly narrow and small home with tight stairs, it might not be possible to get full cabinetry panels up the stairs, meaning a front-frame wardrobe is more suitable for you.

There can be cost savings too. Whilst our full cabinet wardrobes actually come out cheaper than front frame wardrobes from "the big two" in the market, our face frame wardrobes offer even bigger savings.

There are some disadvantages to front frame, depending on your perspective such as  the fact that you can see your walls, which isn't necessarily ideal. You'll likely scrape belts, shoes, hangers and other objects against the walls, scratching and marking them which makes them look unsightly.

If your wardrobe is going against an external wall, there is a higher likelihood of your clothing and other items inside getting cold and damp, as the coldness transfers from the wall particularly in an older house. This can cause mould and for clothes to have that musty smell, especially if they're seasonal items in the wardrobe for months at a time.

For this, we recommend using damp-proof paint on all the walls where the front frame wardrobe would go.

Furthermore because there isn't the cabinetry inside, when you open your wardrobe doors, you don't get a premium-feeling wardrobe. For some, this is OK as it's a functional item. For other customers, the look is everything. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

Because the doors are hung on a frame, over time this could warp, particularly if you've chosen a retailer who uses MDF or cheaper, thinner wood. The doors could become misaligned over time and drop, requiring occasional tinkering to level everything up.

Our face frames are made from the same strong 18mm MFC as our full cabinetry together with wall fixed battens and often doubled up/back to back 18mm glued and screwed. 

Finally... you're paying a large outlay for your new fitted wardrobes, so shouldn't you get something premium? Some of the bigger high street names charge more than double our usual prices but for front-frame wardrobes... you're essentially paying double for half the furniture!

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ON TO OUR FULLY BUILT INTERNAL CARCASS WARDROBES

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A full carcass wardrobe is what most people tend to aim for, because they want to open their doors and enjoy beautiful, bespoke cabinetry that's made to measure for their space, not a front frame with some spacers and some off-the-shelf doors.

The advantages of full carcass wardrobes are numerous as previously mentioned, you get to enjoy stunning cabinetry in a range of different colours, finishes and décors, for something really special. 

Truly Made To Measure rather than made to look like it's bespoke. With full carcass wardrobes, each cabinet section is made to your exact requirements down to the millimetre, so you get exactly what you want.

This also goes for sliding door wardrobes, which can also still have beautiful cabinetry behind the doors.

Full cabinetry offers better noise insulation, aiding with stopping noise ingress from the adjoining wall. It also stops cold air and dampness from any external walls, which is one of the main reasons fitted wardrobes should have backs.

Approximately 80% of your fitted wardrobe is what's behind the doors... so why wouldn't you want the best?

By choosing a fitted wardrobe with solid 18mm thick MFC carcass you get a much stronger wardrobe that's likely to last a lot longer. Thanks to our specialised joint system, we can offer 5 years guarantee on all our products and their fitting.

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The materials that are used and the quality of the components in wardrobes in general (From Argos to Wren to Ikea) can vary, but this is what we offer:

• 18mm MFC on all five panels

• Full edging on all visible sides

• Wide-angle soft close hinges

• Soft close drawers, as standard

• Matching decor panels, plinths and framing

• Cabinetry & doors can either match or contrast

 

When it comes to the thickness of the material, this is important when it comes to quality and longevity of the wardrobe. We've all seen cheap wardrobes with floppy 4mm thick hardboard backs that never last very long. The thickness of the panels isn't just about how nice it feels, it also contributes to the structural integrity of the furniture.

Spend your money wisely on something that's well-built and well designed.

 

Which version is right for you is a very personal thing, of course. You can choose whichever you think will suit your requirements or your preferences the best. Either way, to upgrade your home storage, we definitely think fitted wardrobes are worth it. 

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