Measuring the interior
Before anything else, you must take accurate measurements of the wardrobe. This is true for free-standing, built-in, or any other wardrobes. You need a clear idea of the space you have to work with. The most accurate tool to measure your wardrobe interior is a tape measure. Tape measures are flexible enough to measure curves and corners; they have accurate markings at small increments, and they are long enough to measure large spaces. When measuring, you must ensure the tape measure isn't bent to get accurate measurements.
You should start by measuring the height, width and depth of both the interior and exterior of the wardrobe, noting down the measurements as you go. After that, you need to take note of and measure any notable features or obstructions. This includes, but isn't limited to, curves, hanging rails, shelves, and extra corners. If you are building a built-in or walk-in wardrobe, you should also use a stud finder to locate and note down the studs in the wall. Lastly, you should double-check your measurements. It's not uncommon to misread a measurement or make a mistake when writing it down. Double-checking your measurements prevents any issues later down the line. The last thing you want is to find out you made a mistake after you've already bought the materials.
Assessing your belongings
If you want to make the most out of your wardrobe, you need to know what you're going to store in there. To do this, you want to go through the belongings you want to store and decide how you want to store them. Drawers and shelves are more space efficient for individual items than hanging rails. That being said, hanging rails can be useful for things such as dresses, coats, jackets and formal wear. Hanging rails keep these items from getting creased and allow quick access when needed. As for storage containers, these are best kept on shelves or at the bottom of the wardrobe, depending on their size and whether they can be stacked. The final thing you want to consider is anything you want to store in the future. If you frequently buy new clothes, you need to account for that when building your wardrobe interior.
Deciding on the layout
Once you know what you are storing and how you can decide on the layout of your wardrobe. The primary goal of your layout should be to minimise wasted space while maximising accessibility. Wasted space is space that will never be used. This is an issue because it consumes space that would be usable in other parts of a wardrobe.
This is best illustrated with an example. For this example, we will use a simple wardrobe with only a hanging rail and a shelf. The interior of this wardrobe is 150 cm tall; the 2 cm thick shelf is placed 115 cm high with the hanging rail below it. Aside from clothes that hang down to 95 cm below the shelf, all of your other belongings are stored in 25 cm containers. With this layout, the 20 cm space at the bottom is too short for the storage containers and the 33 cm space above the shelves is too short to stack the containers two high. The extra 8 cm at the top and the 20 cm at the bottom of the wardrobe are wasted. Simply moving the shelf and hanging rail 5 cm higher would allow enough space to fit more storage containers at the bottom. This small change effectively gives you 25 cm more usable vertical space. This example is very simplified but it makes it clear how optimising your layout to accommodate your belongings can make a big difference.
As for accessibility, you want the layout to be easy to access. Drawers, for example, can only be accessed from the top. Because of this, it's important to put them low enough to view and access the contents. On top of this, you should prioritise easy access to anything you use regularly. This could be anything from a uniform to a handbag. You don't want to waste time every time you take it out.
Choosing the materials
Lastly is choosing the materials. There is a range of options available for building your wardrobe interior. What you choose will depend on a mix of personal preference and budget. You also have to consider the style choices of your bedroom and the wardrobe itself. Having a coherent style is the key to a beautiful wardrobe. The most common materials used in a wardrobe interior are wood, glass, and metal. Unlike wood, glass and metal are usually only used as part of the wardrobe interior. Wood is a classic option that fits well in most wardrobes. Glass can be a good way to give your wardrobe interior a sleek modern look. Metal on the other hand can be useful for parts such as hanging rails, shelves or handles. It works particularly well with minimalist or industrial styles.
Once you have chosen your materials, you should research how to put them together. This will vary based on the type of wardrobe and the mix of materials you are using. You will likely use a mix of nails, screws, dowels, and adhesives. Using the right thing in the right place is important for your wardrobe's durability.
All that's left to do is procure the materials and tools, and put it all together. I hope you found this guide on how to build a wardrobe interior useful. Good luck with your building.
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