Which should I buy?
Sliding doors look so sleek, but will your kids’ fingers get caught in them?
When should you purchase sliding doors and when should you purchase hinged doors?
Which is more expensive?
Which is more practical?
On my mission to create the ideal closet for all of you, I met with Hila Harel, this week, owner of Harel Design Custom Closets and here’s what she had to say:
Depends what you need:

Sliding doors
- Sliding-door closets are actually less expensive than hinged closets at Harel, because they are easier for the company to build.
- You can customize each section of the closet as you wish.
- The sliding doors made by Harel Design are strong and do not fall off the sliders (as do the older closets you may own).
- Harel’s sliding doors will not smash your kids fingers due to their soft-close doors.
- You can turn the large doors into oversized mirrors and enlarge the room.
When planning a sliding-door closet keep in mind it’s limitations:
- The outer sections of the closet must be even. A sliding-door closet is divided into two or three even sections, as small as 60 cm and as large as 160 cm. Only one section can open at a time. If many kids share a room, the layout of this closet needs to be planned carefully to avoid fights in the morning while getting dressed…
- There is more wasted space inside these closets due to the systematic way it is built.
- Sliding-door closets take up more depth than hinged closets and the minimum width is 120 cm. This will not work for many bedrooms.
The main reasons to select a sliding door closet are both for its sleek, clean design and to create the correct traffic flow in the room. In many bedrooms, there is simply not enough space to open the doors of the closet and also stand comfortably to select your clothing! Sliding doors in many instances are the only solution.
Hinged Doors
- Hinged door closets at Harel cost more than sliding, due to the fact that they are highly customizable with many interesting options.
- Unlike sliding-door closets, the closet section breakdown is also customizable.
- They integrate well with desks and bookshelves in the bedroom.
- There is less wasted space inside the closet.
- Hinged-door closets take up less space when closed, but more space when opened.
- The drawers do not need to be behind closed doors as in a sliding-door closet and it takes only one motion to open the drawer. (They are “motion-minded”
In many bedrooms, a sliding door closet is not practical after considering the many needs of the people in the room. A hinged door closet for many bedrooms is the only way to go.
Contact me here to schedule a closet design appointment for your home.