Walk in W/R
. Go for a combo of hangers, shelves, boxes and bins Doubling up on hanging rods carves out extra space in a small wardrobe for other storage options, like pull-out bins and shelves. Move less-used items onto a high shelf, and use open-top bins and shelves for easy storage of jumpers and delicate items. Shoeboxes or photo boxes can be repurposed to store small accessories; label the boxes and store them on a high shelf.
Give drawers a miss Drawers add significantly to the price of a built-in wardrobe, restrict the layout, and waste space. Be resourceful with your space instead – if you already have a chest of drawers or bedside tables in the room, perhaps that’s all you need for underwear and socks. Jumpers and t-shirts are best placed on open shelves where you can see them easily.
Nobody wants to crawl on the floor to find their summer shorts, and who can be bothered bending low to put bags or scarves on a shelf at knee height? Design your space more ergonomically and you’ll notice things are far easier to find. And it will be much easier to keep your wardrobe tidy too. Positioning shelves above the hanging space is a smart move ergonomically, and making your shelves only 360mm deep ensures you won’t lose things at the back. Space the shelves only 250mm apart and things won’t migrate to the never never; you can stack right to the top of the shelf because there’s no need to reach to the back. Do it this way and you’ll hardly ever need to reorganise your wardrobe – things have nowhere to go. TIP: Shelf widths at 300mm increments are best because folded clothes average 300mm across and 360mm deep.
The inside of cupboard doors can be used to store accessories such as bags, ties, belts and scarves. All you need are a few hooks. Alternatively, you can pick up small metal rods (including tea towel racks) which you can attach to the inside of the door and hang items that way. I’ve done the latter in my new walk-in-wardrobe.
7. Boost storage power with risers and dividers Make your open shelving work harder by fitting it with slim dividers (to keep piles of sweaters from toppling over) and risers (great for storing a double layer of small items). Avoid bulky timber dividers in favour of sleek acrylic or wire.
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