Wardrobe guides and tools

Plan a wardrobe in five steps.

  1. Measure your wall

    Measure your wall width and ceiling height.

    Measure the width at three heights and use the smallest.

  2. Plan the inside

    Choose what goes inside, based on what you hang and what you fold.

    Shirts need about 3 ft (920 mm) of hanging height.

    Long dresses and gowns need about 5 ft 3 in of hanging height.

  3. Pick the doors

    Pick hinged or sliding doors.

    Hinged doors need clear floor about one door wide.

    With sliding doors, part of the wardrobe is always behind a door.

  4. Pick the board

    Pick the board for the box and the doors.

    For the box, plywood gives you a grade to check: MR, BWR or BWP.

    We found no standard that ranks HDHMR above plywood for doors.

  5. Estimate the sheets

    Then estimate the plywood sheets.

    Example: an 8 ft hinged wardrobe takes about 12 sheets.

For wardrobe makers

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I make wardrobes

Every number on these pages is an estimate from a worked example.

How these numbers are made

Each number comes from the same planner that wardrobe makers use, applied to a stated example build. Each page says which measurements and materials it uses.

The assumptions behind each number, such as the sheet size and the saw cut, are stated next to it.

Every computed number is labelled an estimate. Check sizes with your maker before anything is cut.