A recent Hettich market research study explored the consumer’s mind on
their expectations for sliding doors in furniture design.
The study revealed that consumer preferences were driving the trend
towards sliding doors in furniture design, with factors such as ergonomics,
functionality and design scoring over side-mounted doors and flaps.
Sliding door ergonomics
Sliding doors score well on ergonomics and convenience parameters as
they don’t get in the way when open, especially in space constrained locations such
as bedrooms or offices. Sliding doors do not present any risk of injury when
left open in kitchens and bathrooms. Sliding doors also never move out of reach
when opened and are always easy to use.
Design creativity with sliding
doors
Sliding doors play an important role in carrying modern interior design through
into furniture because large surface doors provide the key to creating spaces
with a purist look while reducing necessary gaps to a minimum.
The new InLine sliding door system for flush fitting unit fronts meets
the most exacting demands on practical functionality and aesthetic appeal. The first
sliding door system without handles, InLine allows doors to be opened in
response to a light pull on the door's outermost edge. InLine XL for doors weighing
up to 60kg and InLine S for doors weighing up to 20kg are ideal for a wide
range of applications; InLine XL is recommended for wardrobes in addition to pantry
units in high-end kitchens while InLine S is ideal for sideboards in living rooms
and offices, kitchen wall units, or mirrored cabinets in the bathroom.
With features including infinitely variable soft-closing force, option
of flush opening doors, and various adjustment options for perfect gap alignment,
InLine sliding door systems offer a premium solution for furniture design.
SlideLine M from Hettich is a new single-track sliding door system that functions
as a practical silent design element in living room units, shelf systems,
kitchen wall cabinets and bathroom furniture. SlideLine M lets closefitting sliding
door fronts weighing up to 30kg glide back and forth with effortless ease on
furniture of any type. Once the furniture is in place, the system can be
mounted by just one person on all top panels in standard gauges of 16, 18, 22
and 25 mm. A single profile is sufficient for running two doors in front of
shelf rows fitted one above the other. The optional soft-closing Silent System
is integrated out of sight.
Hettich’s SysLine S sliding door system for inset doors offers an
impressive smoothly floating action and luxurious ease of movement.
Particularly quiet, smooth running performance helps to cut noise levels in the
office. The optional Silent System optimises it further for soft, automatic
closure. As the soft-closing mechanism is fully integrated in the runner
profile, no storage space is lost. With no profiles in the bottom panel, the
sliding door system helps to provide a neat look and easy access to cabinet
contents.
Sliding door functionality
A major finding of Hettich's market study was the importance attached by
consumers to the practical aspects of cabinet doors, particularly to ease of
opening and closing. The linear movement facilitated by sliding doors combined with
low forces needed to open them, and the convenience of soft, gentle and silent
closing action are some of the features appreciated by consumers.
TopLine sliding door systems from Hettich now come with all-new soft-closing
units that perfectly match consumer expectations for sliding door units.
Hettich offers the new soft-closing system for TopLine M capable of closing
doors weighing up to 35kg both gently and quietly. In future, TopLine L will be
available with a newly developed soft-closing unit delivering less opening
force, less noise and the option of adjusting the soft-opening force to door
weight and preferred closing velocity.
The soft closing system also features a more
optimised design with a reduced casing size and minimised gap between profile
and soft-closing unit. TopLine L will also bring the option of soft closing to
all doors on three-door units. The new centre-door soft-closing element lets the
centre door close quietly and gently.