These Mistakes in Wardrobe Design Will Ruin Convenient Clothing Storage. How to Avoid Them?

To plan a wardrobe, especially meticulous designers ask clients to count the number of suits and pairs of shoes.

Perhaps in a standard apartment such a careful approach is not needed, but it's definitely worth considering the mistakes most people make when planning a wardrobe on their own. What are these mistakes and how to avoid them?

Assign only one zone for the wardrobe

If you have a large house — please do. But in a small apartment, it's better to spread storage zones across several areas.

For example, part can be located in the bedroom, another part — in the hallway, and yet another part — in a special niche. This way, the apartment space will be used more rationally.

Design: Victoria BaranovaPhoto: Anton Likhatarovich

Fail to provide ventilation

If there is no window in the wardrobe, plan for venetian doors: air circulation is mandatory.

Design: TaupeHome

Estimate the dimensions of the utility block by eye

A professional approach is when storage for an ironing board, clothes dryer, vacuum cleaner, and iron is planned on a separate shelf, taking into account the dimensions of each device.

Yes, and plan in advance how they will be stored — vertically or horizontally.

Design: Nina Shubert

Make the shelves for knitwear too high

The ideal height is 35–40 cm: this fits 3–4 items in one stack. The higher the shelves, the harder it becomes to take clothes from the bottom — and the greater the chance of breaking the stack.

Design: Olga LavrovaDesign: Malika Boranbaeva

Make the top shelf too low

The optimal height for the top shelf is 40–50 cm. Did you plan it to be the same height as the others? Then finding the right item on that shelf will be difficult while standing on a stool or ladder.

Do not calculate extra space for long items on hangers

Does a trench coat, coat, or dress touch the floor of the wardrobe? Often people forget to add 5 cm extra space to the dimensions that determine the height of the hanger section (this is the distance from the top of the wardrobe to the hanger, the diameter of the hanger, and the length of the garment on the hanger).

By the way, the problem might also be in another: check whether the hanger is not too low. The optimal distance from the top of the wardrobe to the hanger is 5 cm.

Design: Dina Salakova

Ignore the thickness of the sliding door mechanism

This is 8–10 cm. If you don't add this to the total depth of the wardrobe, its usable space will decrease. Result — wrinkled shoulders on coats, jackets, and dresses.

Design: Dinamika ArchitectsDesign: Marion Studio

Forget about lighting

With it, it's more convenient — believe us.

On the cover: Anna Akopyan's project