To choose the right wardrobe for your home, start with the room rather than the wardrobe. Measure the wall, the ceiling height and the floor space in front of the unit, then decide between sliding and hinged doors based on that clearance. Next, match the interior to the clothes you actually own, choose a size and finish that suit the proportions and light of the room, and check the build quality of the frame, doors and drawers. Follow those steps in order and you will end up with a wardrobe that fits both the space and the way you live.
That is the short version. The longer version is below, because each of those decisions has a few details that make the difference between a wardrobe you tolerate and one you rely on. If you want to see the range of shapes, sizes and finishes available before you begin, browse our collection of modern wardrobes UK, then come back and work through the steps. It helps to keep the rest of your modern bedroom furniture UK in mind as you go, since the wardrobe needs to sit comfortably beside everything else in the room.
Every good wardrobe decision begins with a tape measure. Take these measurements before you look at a single design.
Write these down and keep them with you while you shop. It is surprisingly easy to fall for a wardrobe that would never make it up the stairs.
Once you know your clear floor space, the choice between hinged and sliding doors usually becomes obvious.
Hinged doors swing outwards and need room in front of the wardrobe to open fully. In return, they let you see the entire interior at once. They suit rooms with a comfortable gap between the wardrobe and the bed, and they work well in period properties where traditional styling fits the architecture.
Sliding doors run along tracks and never protrude into the room. They suit narrow bedrooms and layouts where the bed sits close to the wardrobe wall. The trade off is that only part of the interior is visible at any one time.
If you have at least 70 centimetres or so of clear floor in front of the wardrobe, hinged doors are usually comfortable. If you have less, sliding doors will probably make daily use easier.
Wardrobes are commonly described by the number of doors, which gives a rough guide to width. A single door wardrobe suits a box room, a nursery or a hallway. Two door designs are a common choice for single occupants in a double bedroom or for guest rooms. Three door wardrobes offer a useful step up, often combining hanging space with a column of shelves or drawers. Our range of 3 door wardrobes UK is a popular starting point for couples who share a medium sized bedroom. Four, five and six door designs suit larger principal bedrooms or rooms where one wardrobe needs to hold everything.
Height matters as much as width. A taller wardrobe adds a high shelf for storage boxes, suitcases and seasonal clothes without using any more floor. In rooms with lower ceilings, a shorter wardrobe with a cleaner line may look better proportioned.
Depth is fairly standard. Most wardrobes with a side to side hanging rail are around 55 to 65 centimetres deep externally. Anything much shallower usually needs front facing hanging, which holds fewer items.
The inside of a wardrobe is where it earns its keep. Before choosing, take stock of what you own and sort it into three categories:
Once you know the balance, look for a wardrobe that matches it. Most people benefit from a combination of hanging and shelving, with at least one set of drawers. If most of your clothes are folded, a wardrobe with internal shelves and drawers will serve you better than one with a single long rail.
Internal drawers are useful, but they reduce hanging space. If you already own a separate chest of drawers, you may prefer a wardrobe that is mostly hanging. If you do not, a wardrobe with integrated drawers can save floor space. A matching modern chest of drawers UK is another way to keep folded clothes close at hand while the wardrobe concentrates on hanging.
The finish shapes how the wardrobe looks and how much it seems to dominate the room.
Solid wood and wood veneer bring warmth and texture. Oak, walnut and pine each have a distinct character. Natural wood suits traditional, rustic and Scandinavian interiors, and it tends to age gracefully.
Painted finishes in white, cream, grey or soft colours are versatile and easy to coordinate. Pale painted wardrobes help a small room feel lighter.
High gloss finishes reflect light and suit contemporary rooms. They show fingerprints more readily, so they work best where they will not be handled constantly.
Mirrored fronts bounce light around and can make a compact room feel larger. They also remove the need for a separate full length mirror.
Think about the rest of the room. If your bed, bedside cabinets and chest of drawers share a finish, matching the wardrobe creates a calm, coordinated look. If you prefer contrast, choose one clear contrast rather than several competing finishes.
A wardrobe is opened and closed thousands of times over its life, so the details matter. When comparing designs, look at these points.
If you are weighing up materials with longevity in mind, our article on long lasting pine wardrobes for UK homes explains which construction details hold up over years of use.
A wardrobe is rarely the only storage in a bedroom. Before committing, picture it alongside the bed, bedside cabinets and any other pieces. Make sure heights relate sensibly to each other, that finishes complement one another and that there is still a clear path around the room.
Consider where shoes, bags and accessories will live. Some people keep shoes on the wardrobe floor, others prefer a separate rack. Our feature on shoe racks inside UK wardrobes looks at how small interior details can make a wardrobe far more useful.
A wardrobe has to arrive, be carried up to the right room and be put together safely. These practical steps are easy to forget in the excitement of choosing a design.
Check the dimensions of the largest box or panel, not just the finished wardrobe. Long side panels can be awkward on narrow staircases and tight landings, which are common in older terraces and converted flats. If in doubt, measure the stairwell diagonally and compare it with the longest component.
Plan where the wardrobe will be assembled. Most designs are built in the room where they will stand, and you need enough floor space to lay panels flat. Some wardrobes are assembled lying down and then raised upright, which needs extra ceiling clearance above the finished height. If your ceiling is low, check this detail before ordering.
Finally, have the fixings ready to secure the wardrobe to the wall. Anti tip brackets are normally supplied, and fitting them is sensible in every home, not only those with children. A tall wardrobe full of clothes is heavy, and fixing it to the wall keeps it stable when doors and drawers are opened.
Once the wardrobe is in place, a few small additions can improve it considerably. Slim matching hangers keep the rail neat and save space. A rail extender can create a second level of short hanging beneath a long rail. Fabric boxes on the top shelf hold scarves, belts and accessories that otherwise drift around the room.
Lighting is another useful upgrade. Rechargeable motion sensor lights fitted inside the wardrobe make it much easier to find dark clothes on winter mornings, and they need no wiring. Small hooks on the inside of a door can hold tomorrow’s outfit, a dressing gown or a bag.
None of these are complicated, but together they make a well chosen wardrobe feel tailored to you.
The same steps apply to every bedroom, but priorities shift from room to room.
Principal bedrooms usually benefit from the largest wardrobe the room can comfortably take, often three doors or more, with a mix of hanging, shelving and drawers.
Children’s rooms need wardrobes that are stable, safely anchored and sized so that rails can be lowered or raised as children grow.
Guest rooms often need only a compact wardrobe with a short rail and a shelf, since visitors stay for a few nights at a time.
Loft rooms work well with lower wardrobes fitted against the tallest wall, or with several smaller units placed where headroom allows.
Rented homes suit freestanding wardrobes that can move with you, in a neutral finish that will work in a future home.
Most wardrobe regrets come from a handful of avoidable errors: buying too deep for a narrow room, choosing hinged doors without enough clearance, buying mostly long hanging space for a wardrobe of folded clothes, ignoring ceiling height and choosing a finish that fights with the rest of the room. Running through the steps above in order guards against all of them.
A wardrobe that fits your room, holds your clothes in the way you actually use them and looks at home with the rest of your furniture is a quiet daily pleasure. It makes getting dressed easier, keeps the bedroom tidy and helps the space feel restful. Take the time to measure, plan the interior honestly and choose a finish that suits the light, and the decision becomes far simpler.
When you are ready to compare designs, you can explore wardrobes and matching bedroom storage at Furniture in Fashion. We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days.
Most couples find a three or four door wardrobe comfortable, depending on how many clothes each person owns. Adding a separate chest of drawers can reduce the width of wardrobe needed.
Sliding doors suit narrow rooms where there is little space in front of the wardrobe. Hinged doors suit rooms with more clearance and let you see the full interior at once.
Most wardrobes with a side to side hanging rail are around 55 to 65 centimetres deep externally, which allows hangers to sit comfortably.
It does not have to match exactly, but coordinating finishes helps the room feel calm. If you prefer contrast, keep it to one deliberate contrast rather than several.
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