Central 3 Sliding Wardrobe Doors, Made to Measure in London
Three panels per door with a wider band through the centre and two narrower panels above and below it. The layout that puts a horizontal feature at eye level, in mirror or glass, framed by timber.
The Central 3 door, drawn
Two 30mm cross rails divide the door into three panels in a proportion of roughly one to two to one: on a 2400mm opening, 551mm at the top, 1102mm through the centre and 551mm at the bottom. The wide centre band runs from about 630mm to 1730mm above the floor, which is exactly the height at which a mirror is used, so a mirror centre with woodgrain above and below gives a landscape mirror at head and shoulder height set into a timber door. The proportion is set at the design stage rather than fixed, so the centre can be made a little deeper or shallower to suit the room.
Panels per door three, in the proportion 1: 2: 1 · Centre band 1102mm on a 2400mm opening · Outer panels 551mm each · Centre spans about 630mm to 1730mm from the floor
Getting a Central 3 door right
Six things a designer checks before a wide-centre door is drawn.
The centre height
The band should cover from waist to just above the head of the tallest person who uses it. On a 2400mm door the 1102mm centre does this; the designer adjusts it for taller households.
Centre material
Mirror, for a reflection at exactly the height it is needed; frosted glass, for a light band across a dark door; or a contrasting woodgrain for a purely decorative band.
The outer panels
Top and bottom are the same height and normally the same material, so the door reads as symmetrical. Woodgrain or paint both work; the bottom panel also takes the knocks.
Central 3 or Central 400
Central 3 gives a wide band, about half the door. Central 400 gives a narrow 400mm strip. The first is a mirror you use; the second is a line you look at.
Rails across the run
Both rails are cut to one drawing, so the centre band runs from wall to wall across every door as a single horizontal panel of mirror or glass.
Ceiling height
The proportion scales with the door, so Central 3 works from 2200mm to 2800mm without redrawing. The centre grows from 1002mm to 1302mm across that range.
The Central 3 door at three ceiling heights
How the Central 3 door divides at three common opening heights, drawn as three doors on a 3000mm opening. Panels are listed from the top of the door down.
| Opening | Door | Panels, top to bottom |
|---|---|---|
| 2200mm opening | 2140mm high × 1030mm wide, three doors on 3000mm | 501mm woodgrain · 1002mm mirror · 501mm woodgrain |
| 2400mm opening Most rooms | 2340mm high × 1030mm wide, three doors on 3000mm | 551mm woodgrain · 1102mm mirror · 551mm woodgrain |
| 2600mm opening | 2540mm high × 1030mm wide, three doors on 3000mm | 601mm woodgrain · 1202mm mirror · 601mm woodgrain |
Three Central 3 doors on one opening
Across a 3000mm opening the two rails run unbroken at the same heights on all three 1030mm doors, so the centre band becomes a single horizontal strip of mirror or glass across the room, roughly 1100mm deep, with timber bands above and below. The middle door runs on the back track, 88mm behind the outer two, and every meeting overlaps by 45mm. It is one of the most architectural of the twelve layouts because the run reads as three long bands rather than as three doors.
Door width 1030mm, three on 3000mm · Bands across the run three · Centre band one continuous strip 1102mm deep · Tracks two, 45mm overlaps
Planning a Central 3 wardrobe
Five decisions, in the order your designer makes them.
Banded doors, built
The York shows banded doors across a run: walnut woodgrain top and bottom, frosted glass between, black rails machined to one drawing so the horizontals read as continuous lines. It is 3000mm wide, 2400mm high and from £4,995 fitted.
Central 3 takes the same idea and widens the middle: one deep band of mirror or glass through the centre of each door with equal timber panels above and below. Where the York uses four bands for pattern, Central 3 uses three for a mirror at exactly the right height.
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Read the guideTrusted by London homeowners
“We had 2 wardrobes and a dressing table fitted from Metro. The fitters were very friendly and professional. The fitting team was also knowledgeable and they finished everything sooner than expected. The dressing table was left off of the order, but has been ordered and fitted in few days. Really impressed with the turnaround time with Metro. All in all a great experience. Would highly recommend them.”
“Superb job completed by fantastic workmen.So neat and tidy, professional and considerate. V pleased with the product.”
“I was very pleased with my wardrobe fitted by Metro. By having a custom design I could have exactly the spacing and layout I wanted. They came out to me so we could match the colour to my existing inbuilt wardrobe. Any changes I wanted in the design Mike was quick to do and send me updated previews. It also came in considerably cheaper than a well known wardrobes brand. A couple of snagging issues as you'd expect, and other than some mild chasing I had to do they put it right and all was good. I'd happily recommend them.”
Questions about the Central 3 layout.
A sliding door divided by two cross rails into three panels, with the centre panel about twice the height of the two outer ones. On a 2400mm opening that is roughly 551mm, 1102mm and 551mm from the top down. The wide centre is usually mirror or frosted glass and the outer panels woodgrain or paint, giving a landscape mirror at head height set into a timber door.
By the depth of the band. Central 3 gives a centre panel of about half the door height, wide enough to use as a mirror. Central 400 and Central 300 give a fixed 400mm or 300mm strip, which is a line across the door rather than a usable mirror. Choose Central 3 if you want to see yourself in it; choose a 400 or 300 band if you want a detail.
Yes. One to two to one is the starting point. The designer can deepen the centre for a tall household or shallow it to align the rails with a windowsill or picture rail. The rails are then machined to that drawing on every door so the bands still line up across the run.
From about 630mm to 1730mm above the floor on a 2400mm opening: waist to just above head height for most adults. Standing a metre or two from the wardrobe, you see head and shoulders to the hips; step back and you see more.
Yes, better than most banded layouts, because the proportion scales with the door. On a 2200mm opening the centre band is still about 1000mm deep and the outer panels about 500mm. Only below about 2100mm do the outer panels start to look like strips, and a Central 400 is then the cleaner door.
Banded doors carry more rails and panels than single-panel doors and cost a little more. Sliding wardrobes start from £900 per metre (Level 3 of our price guide, or £1,020 per metre with mirror or glass doors at Level 4), fitted with a 10-year guarantee; a three-door banded wardrobe about 3000mm wide sits nearer the York at £4,995. The exact price for your opening is confirmed in writing after the free home design visit.
A mirror at the right height. One design visit.
Our senior designer measures the opening and the people who use it, sets the centre band to them, and brings mirror and woodgrain samples so you can see it in your own light.