Planning a Wardrobe Interior: Hanging, Shelves, Drawers and Lighting

Good wardrobe interiors start with what you actually own, not with a standard layout. Work out roughly how much you hang, how much of that is long, what you fold and what else needs a place. Then divide the space between hanging, shelves and drawers in those proportions, and decide early whether you want lighting inside. A well-planned interior usually matters more day to day than the doors.

Start with what you store

A quick look through your current wardrobe and drawers tells you most of what you need:

• Long hanging: coats, dresses and long trousers that need full height.
• Short hanging: shirts, jackets and folded-over trousers.
• Folded items: jumpers, t-shirts and knitwear that are better on shelves.
• Small items: underwear, socks, accessories and jewellery, which suit drawers.
• Shoes and bags.
• Occasional storage: suitcases, spare bedding and seasonal clothes.

Plan for two people separately if the wardrobe is shared. The proportions are often very different.

Hanging space

Most people need more short hanging than long. Two rails, one above the other, roughly double the hanging space in a section of short clothes. Keep at least one full-height section for longer items. In a tall, floor-to-ceiling wardrobe, the highest space is better used for things you reach less often.

Shelves

Shelves suit folded clothes, and stacks stay tidier when the shelves are not too far apart. The highest shelves are good for bags, boxes and bedding, kept within reach of the people using them most.

Drawers

Drawers keep small things organised and out of sight, and internal drawers keep the front of the wardrobe clean. Good soft-close runners make them smooth and quiet. If the wardrobe has sliding doors, drawers have to be positioned so they clear the door panels; with hinged doors there is more freedom. See hinged or sliding doors for how door choice affects the interior.

Shoes, accessories and other fittings

Shoes can go on low shelves or in a dedicated section, and accessories suit shallow drawers or trays. Beyond the basics, a fitted interior can be tailored closely to what you own. Depending on the design, options can include:

• adjustable and fixed shelving;
• hanging rails at different heights;
• pull-out storage;
• shoe storage and racks;
• drawers, including jewellery drawers;
• trouser rails.

None of these is needed in every wardrobe, and none is included by default. It is worth choosing them for how you will really use the space rather than adding them for the sake of it.

Lighting

Lighting inside a wardrobe makes it much easier to find things, especially in deep or tall sections. LED lighting can switch on automatically as a door opens, respond to movement, or be switched by hand. Drawers can be lit too: an illuminated drawer lights its inside as you open it, a small detail that makes a real difference to a jewellery or accessories drawer. Decide early, because the power and cable routes are planned into the build.

Common mistakes

• Too much long hanging. It takes space that double rails or shelves would use better.
• Forgetting the high space. In a tall wardrobe, the top is valuable for things you use occasionally.
• Drawers that clash with doors. Especially with sliding doors.
• Planning for today only. A few adjustable shelves allow for changes later.

Plan it with us

The interior is one of the main things we talk through at the free survey: what you own, how you dress and how you want to use the space. Each fitted wardrobe interior we design is planned around what you store rather than a fixed layout. To see how the interior fits with the other decisions, read our complete guide to fitted wardrobes, or see what happens at a fitted wardrobe survey.