Building additional storage with existing wardrobe

[raniia]

I love our walk-in wardrobe but there is a lot of unutilised space. I’m currently devising some plans to make the space functional. 

It is also quite narrow. Because we don’t own too many pieces of clothing, we prefer to have the clothes facing forward to make the space feel less cramped. We’ve done this in the spare bedroom and love it. 

There clothing rods are high and all the space underneath is dead space. There is some hanging space at the far end which is not usable (awkward space and I can’t reach the top rod).

The plan is to build a small shelving unit to use the space underneath. One side will have a rod to hang trousers and the other will be open shelves for linen and backpacks.

On the far end, I’d really love to add some drawers and add a mirror. The top of the drawer will be a wooden top that can be used to place perfumes, etc. 

I’ve done a quick mockup on sketch up

Questions for the community:

1. What’s the easiest way to build the shelving unit? Everything else is melamine so I was thinking to stick to the same material but have not worked with it before. I still have a lot of glossy white paint and could potentially just use that over wood. I’m thinking to just butt joint everything, screw it in and then cover up the holes. Doesn’t need to be pretty. 

2. Tips for first time drawer building? I would like to make the drawers in a self contained unit that can slot into the existing space. That way it can be easily removed one day.

Looking forward to your tips!

[EricL]

Hello @raniia

Thank you very much for sharing your question about adding additional storage to your existing wardrobe. What an awesome SketchUp drawing. Before we get to the nuts and bolts of your D.I.Y. wardrobe set, have you considered looking at pre-built wardrobe sets? These sets come in a variety of sizes and have dozens of combination sets to choose from. You can pick and choose which sets go together so that it fits the plan you've drawn up. 

However, if you're really keen on building this from scratch, I suggest counting the number of panels you used for your drawing. This will give you an idea of how much material you'll be using. I agree with your choice of melamine, this will save you time painting it and yes, the panels can be screwed together.

My number one tip for your drawer set is to draw it separately from the entire assembly. I suggest drawing it as technically accurate as possible, piece by piece with allowances for drawer runners and drawer front gaps. This will allow you to see all the technical specifications of the drawer and where any assembly errors might come up. Should it be a custom size or should it be based on standard cabinet measurements? These are some of the things you'll need to consider when building it.

Have a ponder on how you wish to proceed.

If you have any other questions, please let us know.

Eric

[raniia]

Hi @EricL 

Thanks for the feedback.

I did consider a prebuilt wardrobe for the area with drawers but even then I would have to modify it. If you look at the photo, the far wall (with the double hanging rod) already has a base of 100 mm. The side walls are set 513 mm apart (inner dimension), and has a depth of 450. At the very least I would have to trim down the base and deal with the gap in the sides.

I would be keen to try making drawers from scratch and utilising the existing walls. Would you suggest building another carcass to fit within the space or attaching drawer runners to the existing side panels?

Thanks

Raniia

[raniia]

Update

I have finished making the open shelves and trouser hanger.

I picked up 16 mm melamine particle boards and had it cut in store. Mechanically fastened using chip board screws and added a 16 mm clothing rod. I then finished it up with screw caps and some iron on edge banding. Quite pleased with the results!

[MitchellMc]

Wow, that looks sensational, @raniia, Well done! I bet you're super impressed with how this project turned out, as the layout seems far more functional than what it was previously

Many thanks for sharing, as I trust many of our members in need of a wardrobe overhaul will be inspired by your work.

Mitchell

[raniia]

Update

I’ve gone against @EricL sensible advise for pre-built wardrobe set and decided to tackle building the drawers.

While measuring I found that the space was crooked all over. The base of the existing cavity isn’t level. The sides are neither perpendicular to the wall or the floor - nor are they parallel to each other!

After a lot of googling and even more soul searching, I decided to make a drawer that would fit into the cavity and cover up any imperfections with a drawer face that went as close to filling up the cavity possible. To tackle the uneven base, I used adjustable feet and covered them up by extending the bottom drawer face.

I used marine AA grade plywood for the drawers and had a lot of issues with it mainly due to inexperience. It buckled during assembly causing some of the drawers to be uneven but the end results were acceptable.

To keep the cost down, I used the cheapest timber panel I could find which was the Specrite Spotted Gum (only $25 - what?!), and used some minerals to give it a bit of a warm shine. I replaced the handles on my existing drawers with one that matches my new one.

This DIY has been far from perfect but considering I didn’t so much as own a drill at the start of the year, I am super proud of this transformation!

[EricL]

Hi @raniia

Thank you so much for posting those updated photos of your wardrobe. It looks fantastic and it's great to see that you found a solution that fits your situation. Those new shelves and drawers really make a big difference. It looks organized and more functional than it was before. 

We look forward to seeing your next project.

Eric