How To Plan The Wardrobes And Other Storage Furniture Keeping House Help In Mind?
Indian households typically employ domestic staff for daily maintenance and chores. Primary concerns revolve around securing valuables and preventing damage to furniture surfaces during cleaning, particularly scratches. This leads to wardrobes being commonly kept locked. Domestic staff members are generally restricted from accessing clothing storage areas.
However, with both partners in modern households pursuing careers, there’s an increasing need for domestic staff to take on more responsibilities.
Is there potential to reimagine furniture design and layout to facilitate safe and appropriate access for domestic staff where needed?
3 Ideas To Design Storage Furniture To Safely Give Selective Access To The House-hold Help
Categorize items requiring different types of storage & security access needs
Design furniture with features identified to manage each category of item
Plan furniture layout to include the different type’s furniture with feature required to store different item types
1) Categorize Items Requiring Different Types Of Storage & Security Access Needs Items At Homes Usually Can Be Classified Into 4 Types:
- Valuables like Jewelry,
- Personal items like expensive & exclusive clothing.
- Non-personal items like towels, bed sheets, pillow covers, night wear, under-garments and Gym clothes
- Seldom used seasonal items like travel items, suitcases, back packs, winter wear, & quilts.
Valuables like jewelry and watches require compact storage solutions with specialized compartments for organization. Due to their high value, enhanced security measures including reliable locks are essential to restrict access.
Personal belongings need a well-structured storage area. Items such as party attire, work clothes, formal & casual wear. Dresses, folded garments, sarees, and accessories etc. should be taken into account.
Locked wardrobes provide excellent storage for these belongings. They take up the majority of space in any wardrobe.
Additionally, wardrobes can be organized into a HER area for women’s clothing, accommodating full-length garments and accessories like scarves. The HIS area primarily needs storage for folded items plus hanging space for suits and outerwear.
Non-personal items include items like towels, night wear, gym clothes and undergarments. These can be stored in drawers without locks & security.
A Chest of drawers serves well for everyday clothing items. When laundry is completed daily, household staff can organize these items in drawers while keeping primary wardrobes secured. This allows household members to continue their work commitments while ensuring clothing storage is managed efficiently without security concerns.
Seldom used items like travel
Goods like suitcases, backpacks, and seasonal clothes don’t need a secure storage space. But they need a good volume and can be kept in lofts above the wardrobes. The depth of the loft can be more than the wardrobe depth and it can project outside the wardrobe depth to accommodate suitcases in standing position. The depth of the loft should be more than the width of the suitcases.
2) Design Furniture With Features Identified To Manage Each Category Of Item.
| Item type | Access to house-hold helper | Security Lock required | Type of furniture best suited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuables | No | Yes | Wardrobe with lockable drawers with specialized accessories to organize jewelry, watches etc |
| Personal | No | Yes | Wardrobes with lockable doors |
| Non-Personal | Yes | No | Chest of drawers |
| Seldom Used | Yes | No | Loft with depth more than suitcase width, so that suitcases can be stored in standing position |
SLIDO provides secure locks for made-to-measure, customized wardrobe sliding doors.
3) Plan Furniture Layout To Include The Different Type’s Furniture With Feature Required To Store Different Item Types
Sliding Door Wardrobes
Floor to ceiling, wide doors for better access, does not require much space in front of the wardrobe, hence suitable even for small rooms, contemporary interior design possibilities with glass/ mirror panels.
Hinge Door Wardrobes
Most suitable when wardrobe width is small requiring less wide doors.
Wardrobes With Overhanging (Projected) Loft
It will be very convenient to store the seldom used items like travel suitcases. We suggest that you consider having at least one wardrobe with loft
Chest of Drawers
The large & deep drawers are very useful for non personal items. Do consider having a chest of drawer in every room if possible.
Furniture surfaces must satisfy 2 important criteria.
They must be easy to maintain to avoid scratches. Also the surface must look contemporary, rich and elegant.
We recommend the you consider Colored glass, Mirrors, Scratch resistant Acrylic boards with glossy or matt finish. For this we suggest that you review the SLIDO Design Collection.
The SLIDO Design Collection
In this we give you the choice to select from a wide range of materials, colors & finishes. You will have the opportunity implement your creative ideas and make your interiors unique.
Our showroom team will guide you through our unique Design Collection, and our Design Catalog and a vast library of design samples. Rest assured that the SLIDO team will help you find the perfect wardrobe sliding door design solution for your home.
