Fitted wardrobes - B&Q or Wickes?

mekondelta

I have a choice between B&Q and Wickes for fitted wardrobes. Both cost between 1050GBP and 1300GBP so not that much difference.

I think Wickes' frame system looks like a good way of putting them up and I prefer Wickes as a brand.

However, on both makes the quality of the laminate on the wood isn't always perfect. The doors always look great but the other bits on both makes always shows the joins on corners where the laminates meet.

Anyone have experience of either to share? Any help appreciated!

vansboy

We went for mirror fronted, by Stanley, from Homebase (on 10% discount day, the same time as the doors were 30% off!

Madae a framework for the shoes/clothes/drawers from the mesh type racks in IKEA. So 3 doors, each 30'' wide track & racking around £300ish. You do need someone to actually build it, though.

You might want to have a look at IKEA wardrode systems too.

VB

nearlyrich

We have Wickes wardrobes in our room, the shape of the room with sloping ceilings and chimney breast etc made the Wickes system the best for us. We put them in around 12 years ago and they still look great, they are ivory coloured with gold handles and they haven't discoloured or tarnished at all.

Five years ago we built a range of wardrobes/cupboards on the landing again there is a sloping ceiling, we used the Wickes doors in Pearwood.

The only problem we have ever had is the drawers were quite flimsy and the runners were not very good. They have redesigned them and to their credit when we asked about buying the new design runners for the drawers they sent us the full set free of charge after about 5 years.

njm_2

Unfortunately as this is mass produced flat pack furniture, known as KD (knock down in the trade – because of the fixings, not the quality), price is a prime consideration and quality does tend to suffer. Laminate boards are only produced by a couple of manufacturers and although there are different qualities, the price reflects the attention to detail. You will probably find that all the laminate boards look identical, because the finish does not contain real wood but a high quality photograph of wood under a clear laminate finish. The better (higher price) boards use a number of different photographs to give a more natural wood appearance. Unfortunately real wood has too many natural colour variations, defects and knots to satisfy the uniform look required by the retailers/customers.
The price difference between different wardrobe ranges relates primarily to the construction, style, and “actual” wood content of the doors, since the carcases are interchangeable.
Unfortunately it is not uncommon for the staff to misrepresent the true construction of the carcase material – it is obvious with kitchen units if they are white or beige, but less obvious with a surface that appears to be wood.
The poor visible joints between boards can be improved with careful construction – ensuring the joint is tightened fully and flush – and also ensuring that no adverse movement pulls the joint apart. The other problem, which can’t be overcome, is the fact that you need a very crisp cut to get a tight joint but this leaves a sharp edge – much worse than a paper cut!
It is certainly worth considering that it is in the company’s interest to use their best fitters for instore displays – if you are unhappy with that finish then you may not be overjoyed with the completed job in your home.
And, yes, I do design and make bespoke furniture for a living.

haribol_2

Hi

I fitted the Wickes Wardrobes about 18 months ago and they were great. They still look good and were reletively simple to put up.

Go for Wickes Wardrobes in my opinion.

Good Luck

mekondelta

SWMBO has made the decision for me. We went for B&Q as we preferred the look. The Wickes range looks to be better quality but the style/design wasn't quite there.

Will report on how easy/difficult it was to build in a few weeks when it arrives...

Thanks for all the answers!

pmtech

Hi

would not buy from either of them we have always gone to IKEA and had no problems good furniture and reasonably priced.

stellagypsy

If you have a Magnet Joinery Factory Outlet store near you I would look there before you make your decision - I got mine there and paid £800 for 2 bedrooms-worth of wardrobes but they retail in their showroom at over £5K and they are LOVELY - very sturdy, classy and top quality. Apparently they are selling them off as the insides are white and this has not proved popular with buyers (????). I can cope with that, they look a treat in my home.

Other than that we were going to buy from Wickes.

Stella