Do you know the difference between a cabinet and a closet? When many people learn a cabinet and a closet refer to two separate storage pieces of furniture, they are amazed. No worries! This article provides the answers to the most common questions regarding the issue. After reading this article, you will be an expert on cabinet vs. closet and will be able to choose the correct one for your house and organize it easier, depending on your needs.
First, let’s get some basic information on what is classified as a closet to differentiate it from other storage furniture:
What is Classified As a Closet?
Defining what a closet is and listing its qualities will make it easier to understand the differences between a cabinet and a closet. A closet is a tall wardrobe with a door for storing clothes or household items. It is often used for storing clothes but there are other types of closets for home appliances.
Closets used in the bedroom provide ease of use by opening extra storage space even in narrow spaces with their multifunctional structures. It is possible to see many closets in various sizes and features today.
What are the types of closets? What are closets for? Such questions are frequently asked by those who want to create order and organization in their home and those with many clothes, home appliances, and special needs. Thus, if you think clothes and home appliances take up the most space in a house, the types of closets are undoubtedly one of the most important questions. There are six main closet types:
- Walk-in closet: A walk-in closet is preferred to evaluate empty spaces at home. It helps to make most areas, such as bedrooms, living rooms, and children’s rooms, more organized in homes. In addition, a walk-in closet can be preferred in workplaces. These closets are camouflaged with the wall. There is a certain recess in the wall where the closet is placed. A closet is placed in this area.
- Reach-in closet: A reached-in closet is smaller than a walk-in closet and generally for hanging clothes. These closets are almost 3-8 feet with an arm’s length deep.
- Utility closet: A utility closet is used for home appliances and cleaning materials. You can store an iron, ironing board, or vacuum cleaner in a utility closet.
- Custom closet: A custom closet is a small room to store your unique needs, such as sports equipment, sportswear, or other materials a disabled person needs. Of course, if you do not have special needs, this does not mean you cannot have a custom closet. Then you can design it according to your taste and style.
- Linen closet: A linen closet perfectly matches your small space. Requiring a small area is an advantage for having a linen closet in your house. It can be built anywhere thanks to its smaller size.
- Pantry closet: Pantry closets are for storing food instead of clothes and home appliances. These closets can be both walk-in and separate from the walls. They prevent the mess from your kitchen and organize your kitchen stuff. They provide your kitchen with a better look and help you cook easier.
Below you will find the foremost differences between a closet and a cabinet:
Differences Between Closets and Cabinets
Now, it is time to look at cabinet vs closet in detail. Fundamentally, a cabinet is a piece of furniture that can be built in or separated, while a closet is generally a small room for storing clothes or other household items. Here you can find other qualities you need to know to differentiate a closet from a cabinet:
- A closet is often full-height and part of the building. On the other hand, a cabinet is a piece of furniture that is not full-height as in the bathroom and kitchen.
- A closet usually has a hanging rod for clothing with shelves, while a cabinet does not contain hanging rods but only shelves.
- A closet can be a separate room or a space and smaller. A cabinet is often used for storage and is larger than a closet.
- A closet generally has less storage capacity than a cabinet. You may consider your bathroom and kitchen cabinets vs. your closet in your bedroom.
- Broom closets can be in the hallway and bedrooms.
- A closet and a cabinet can have shelves and drawers.
Now it will be useful to mention different types of cabinets. There are three main cabinet types:
- Base cabinets: Base cabinets, sometimes called lower cabinets, are located under heavy countertops in the kitchen or bathroom.
- Wall cabinets: Wall cabinets are sometimes called upper cabinets or wall mounted. These types of cabinets are built into a wall and generally located in the kitchen, bath, laundry, or family room.
- Tall cabinets: Pantry cabinets and utility cabinets are also used to refer to tall cabinets. They have a vertical and tall, and dramatic look in the space. Tall cabinets range in height from 84 to 96 inches.
Are Cupboards and Cabinets the Same Thing?
Generally, many homeowners use cupboards and cabinets to refer to the same thing. Although they serve almost the same purposes, there are some details you need to know to differentiate a cupboard from a cabinet easier.
Here you can find fundamental differences between a cupboard and a cabinet:
- A cupboard is generally a freestanding piece of furniture, while a cabinet can often be built into a wall, as in kitchens and bathrooms.
- A cupboard is usually in the pantry or kitchen, while a cabinet can be in the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, and bedroom.
- A cupboard is for storing kitchen utensils such as cups, saucers, and plates in the kitchen.
- You may also find a cupboard as part of the living room furniture.
There are three main types of cupboards. You can find below the necessary information about these types:
- Built-in cupboards: These are not freestanding but built in a recess of the wall.
- Airing cupboard: This storage space is for storing hot water cylinders. They are usually found in bigger houses requiring higher demand for hot water where a combi boiler is not enough.
- Linen cupboard: A linen cupboard is built in a recess of a room to store household linen such as towels, tablecloths, and sheets.
Conclusion
This article serves the purpose of helping shed light on understanding cabinet vs. closet and cabinet vs. cupboard. After reading this article, we hope you can easily differentiate when you come across the above-mentioned storage furniture in a house and design them according to your needs.
Last thing to remember for closet maintenance. You must be careful to buy cleaning products specially produced for cleaning furniture materials to keep your closets clean. Using products that will damage the furniture can shorten the material’s life and cause you to spend extra money. Using cleaning materials suitable for the product while cleaning furniture makes cleaning easier and prevents damage to the closets and cabinets.
