Wardrobe Shelving ?

[John99]

Hi all. after many months of work doing a extension to the house finally get to having the inside finished. So I`m up to the stage of fitting out the wardrobes 2 built ins and 1 walk in.

The built in wardrobes height is 9ft (2.7m) and the door heights are 2.4m, and wardrobes are about 1.8m wide so there is a lot of room up the top of the wardrodes that I what to utilise for storage etc

What I`m trying to work out is what i should put in there, as to the type of shelving and fittings. Preferably some type of DIY shelving ? Or where in sydney I could get it from?

So I anyone could offer any suggestions or pit falls that I should look out for it would be greatly appreciated.

[Bear]

I suggest you look at what you are going to be storing in there eg lots of suits or do you need more drawer space. Draw it up, as it is easier to rub out lines than to remove shelves. When happy with the design you can go to Bunnings. However, I am sure most hardware would have the shelving and inserts, it isnt hard to do your own shelving etc


Regards

Bear

[helga]

hi

i've heard wire mesh shelving allows better ventilation and uses less of the storage space up, but i could just be falling victim to advertising. I'm not sure if it will suit your look either.

[bitingmidge]

John,

There are a million ways of filling a wardrobe space, and many of them work perfectly!

The basket systems are ok, but expensive, and in recent years I have tended to simply bung a set of drawers into the standard 400 wide module I use for wardrobe shelving. (800 for hanging spaces, and when I want a shelf wide enough to store a suitcase.)

Narrow shelves are far more usable than wide ones. I like to divide wardrobe shelving into approximately 400 mm wide modules, and hanging into 800 modules.

If you use adjustable shelves shelves and set them about 300 apart, creating a bunch of modules 300 high x 400 wide, you'll get a very efficent use of space.

If you don't have too much equipment, you'll probably find that buying a ready made system like IKEA's Pax, will be the most economical way of fitting out your wardrobe. (they have a planner and estimator thingy on their website too; http://www.ikea.com.au )In that case, you'll end up with three 500 modules instead of 400, so will have to fill in the last bay yourself, either by cutting down a standard module, or simply install double height hanging rails.

Cheers,

P

[John99]

Hi I did try that wire mesh type shelving in one of the wardrobes but no one at home thinks it real crash hot. (closet maid)

I was thinking about making up some shelving using some recycled timber or something similiar and stain it especially in the walk in robe. Its about 2.4m by 2m its actually seems bigger then the old bathroom was.

But really am just hoping to get some ideas from all you guys

[wombat47]

Follow Bear's advice - look at what you've got to store, measure it up and design around your own requirements. For example, the two people in this house who could wear dresses, normally don't so hanging space is mainly double tiered for pants and jackets, with a small area (very small) for formal dresses.

When you measure up, use the largest hangers you would normally use. The "round shouldered" type used for suit coats hang a garment down further than some other hangers.

I personally think it's easier to find things on shelves, rather than rummaging in drawers - so don't have drawers. Smalls are catered for with cane baskets - those solid ones with a dowel handle at either end. Particularly good for daughter who seems to think that a drawer is like a Tardis and can cope with being crammed to infinity and beyond. It's also easier to chuck a few pairs of socks into an open basket than to actually open and close a drawer. Well, she learnt the "open" bit.

Her walk-in is fitted with an Elfa support system with shelves from sheets of coated MDF, with iron on edging. Son's shelving is uncoated MDF, stained and estapoled. Looks and feels good. And in excellent condition since most things live on the floor and don't get onto the shelves anyway. If he particularly wants to hang something up, it's generally over the drum kit.

Haven't any experience with the mesh shelving but would imagine garments on the bottom would take on a mesh imprint and the ironing fairy went on strike years ago. Ventilation shouldn't be a problem. Just don't put shoes in the wardrobe. Not implying your feet smell - leather shoes impart a smell of their own.

[RufflyRustic]

I find shelves are much better than drawers in wardrobes as I hate having to open the door, then the drawer. My other pet hate is shelves at foot height that are too low to be useable. It's a pain having to bend/kneel down just to look into the back of the shelf. I would prefer no shelves that low, just open space or big drawers for perhaps shoes, jumpers, winter clothes storage.

cheers
RufflyRustic

[John99]

Thanks for the tips, think i`ll go and look at what the kids need to put in the wardrobes and work from there.

[Aggie]

Hi, my husband fitted out our wardrobe with melamine shelving etc. Its fabulous and was so much cheaper than getting it professionally done. Also Howards Storage has a coated wire system.

[Trav]

I've used the Howards stoage world stuff - I think it is Elfa. I have to say I am a big fan of it. It isn't cheap, but you can change it over time if you need to. I think I tripled the storage space in my wardrobe by using it.

You could probably do the same thing with melamine - but the elfa stuff is much, much quicker. Bung on a top rail, hang a few of the bar thingos and then slap on a couple of brackets, rails and shelves. Once you have designed it, it will only take an hour or so to fit out an entire wardrobe. But as I said, she aint cheap.

Trav

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

What I've done in a few similar 'robes is make a frame out of 40x20mm & 20x20mm pine. (ref. thumbnail. Apologies for quick'n'nasty sketch)

The outside frame can be securely screwed/bolted to studs in the wall, a sheet of appropriately sized 19mm MDF drops into the top. As it's above eye-level, few people will ever see any gaps between the MDF and frame, making this a very "forgiving" job for newbies. ;)

Ply can be cut to dress the bottom as well, if hiding the framework is a concern. Then it's best to make the sides out of some 40+(ply -thickness)x20mm pine instead; with the 20x20mm pieces placed 19-20mm from the top this'll leave another rebate that hides the edges of the ply, the same as the top.

Mounted some 6' above the floor, this gives a good strong shelf with 3' of headroom (in a 9' robe) that'll take those larger awkward items we all seem to collect and put away to gather dust. :D

I often mount a rail underneath for hanging space too.

Just another option.

[wombat47]

Yes, Trav, the Elfa system is great stuff. You only have to worry about getting fixing the top hanger to the wall - and with our old soft bricks and even softer old plaster, this is a big plus.

I cut costs by not buying Howard's shelves. This extended the time taken to fit out the wardrobe a bit, but this was in a corner walk in robe with shelving up to 11 ft ceiling height, so a lot of shelves.

I also opted for chromed hanging rods (from the local hardware) fixed directly to the walls, rather than the Elfa fittings which suspend the rod beneath a shelf. I thought the Elfa hanging bits were excessively priced and preferred the hanging rods to be independent anyway.

You can download a copy of Elfa's Storage System catalogue from http://www.howardsstorageworld.com.au/acrobat_docs/Catalogue2004/ElfaWardrobe.pdf

Even if you don't buy the product, it will give you some ideas on storage.

[Trav]

good ideas wombat. The shelves are the most expensive part of the elfa gear from memory. SWMBO decided, however, that wire shelves were the way to go. That made my work much easier!

Cheers

Trav

[Bella]

We are looking at wardrobe at the moment. After getting a quote for $2000 we decided to try it ourselves. My husband is just going to make it out of melamine. I want some shelves, long hanging space and the rest double hanging space.

Then we are making the doors out of craftwood to match the 3 panel doors in teh rest of the house. Should save us a heap!!!

[John99]

As I was in the middle of the building project I made the wardrobe frames etc from all the leftovers, had to buy the doors and the tracks so each wardrobe cost about $250 each.


A couple of before and after shots

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Here's an example which shows the type of shelf I mentioned in an earlier post. 'Tis designed for three 780mm doors hung from two rails, which haven't been installed yet as I'm waiting on the householder to decide on a paint scheme. Why put 'em on only to take 'em off? ;)

This is also why 'tis only primed...

[John99]

Thanks for the picture Skew, actualy looks great and gives me a great idea of what to do with a bit of a mod here and there, cheers

[gpkennedy]

Remember to leave enough room to actually get at the top of the shelves above the door line. The temptation is to fill the actual wardrobe with max shelves and this has the effect of boxing in the surplus space above the top shelf. Consider what you want to store up there. Eg empty suitcases, boxes of files. Consider how you are going to get them in & out of the space.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Thanks for the picture Skew, actualy looks great and gives me a great idea of what to do with a bit of a mod here and there,

The photo doesn't show it, but the far left and far right of the benchtop are hinged at the wall ends, opening up to reveal bins in the space that's otherwise unused. One was s'posed to be a laundry chute but rooms were rearranged & I'm not a miracle worker. ;)