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What should go inside your wardrobe?
Start with what you own, not with the wardrobe. If you hang most clothes, give hanging the most height. If you fold, choose drawers or shelves. Put everyday things between waist and shoulder height. Our 8 ft wide example wardrobe has about 7 ft 2 in (2175 mm) of free height in one section.
- Short hanging
- about 3 ft (920 mm)
- Shoe rack
- about 2 ft (600 mm)
- 3 slim drawers
- about 2 ft (618 mm)
Five layouts that work
Each one is drawn to the same height, so you can see what each one gives up.
Drawn to the same height for one section of our example wardrobe. Clothes drawn to proportion, not to size.
Long hanging + shelf
Long hanging and 1 shelf.
Jackets, blazers and short coats on hangers.
Short hanging + drawers
Short hanging, a shoe rack and 3 slim drawers.
Shirts and tops on hangers, small things in drawers, shoes below.
Drawer tower
4 slim drawers.
People who fold most clothes and want to see them at a glance.
Shelf tower
6 shelves.
Folded sarees, towels and bedding in piles.
Shoe rack + shelves
4 shelves and an angled shoe rack.
Many pairs of shoes, with folded things above.
Which one is yours?
Match the first line that sounds like you.
- I hang almost everything: shirts and tops.Short hanging + drawers
- I hang jackets and blazers more than anything.Long hanging + shelf
- I fold everything and hate digging for it.Drawer tower
- I keep sarees, towels and bedding in piles.Shelf tower
- Shoes are taking over the room.Shoe rack + shelves
- I hang long coats, gowns or sherwanis.None of the five. See hanging heights
Three mistakes to avoid
Hanging space for long clothes you do not own
Long hanging takes height from drawers. If you wear shirts and trousers, two rows of short hanging store more.
Drawers too high to see into
Our planner keeps the top drawer front no higher than about 3 ft 7 in (1100 mm).
Filling every inch
Leave some free height, so a rail or shelf can move later.
None of these? Make your own
Hanging heights
How tall the hanging space must be.
Shelves
How far apart, and how many fit.
Drawers
Which height, and how many fit.
Shoes and laundry
Where a shoe rack and a laundry basket go.
See your layout in your room size
Pick a layout, then check how many sections and doors fit your wall.
For wardrobe makers
These five layouts are starting points in our planner. You can add your own layouts for your customers.
I make wardrobes
Tell us about your workshop.
Technical dimensions
All in one section of our 8 ft example wardrobe: 2175 mm (about 7 ft 2 in) of free height.
| Layout | What is inside | Height it uses | Left free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long hanging + shelf | Long hanging and 1 shelf | 1420 mm (about 4 ft 8 in) | 755 mm (about 2 ft 6 in) |
| Short hanging + drawers | Short hanging, a shoe rack and 3 slim drawers | 2138 mm (about 7 ft) | 37 mm (about 1 in) |
| Drawer tower | 4 slim drawers | 824 mm (about 2 ft 8 in) | 1351 mm (about 4 ft 5 in) |
| Shelf tower | 6 shelves | 2100 mm (about 6 ft 11 in) | 75 mm (about 3 in) |
| Shoe rack + shelves | 4 shelves and an angled shoe rack | 2000 mm (about 6 ft 7 in) | 175 mm (about 7 in) |
Related pages
- Interiors
Wardrobe shoe racks and laundry baskets
Where shoes and a pull-out laundry basket go in a wardrobe: about 2 ft (600 mm) of height each in our planner, the basket's depth, and the corner rule.
- Interiors
Wardrobe hanging height: shirts to coats
How much hanging height shirts, jackets and long clothes need, from about 3 ft (920 mm) up, and what still fits below in one wardrobe section.
- Guide
Wardrobe internal layout
Plan the inside of a wardrobe by height: how much room hanging, shelves and drawers each need, and which of five layouts fit your wardrobe height.