Guide 2 ... Wardrobe Interiors, 10 tips to maximise your storage

Tip 1. As a rule of thumb you probably have insufficient hanging space, but loads of drawers scattered around your room ... the most successful bedroom layouts achieve the opposite to this.
Aim for loads of hanging space for clothes, loads of internal shelves for jumpers, bridging units for bulky items, and a few drawers for underwear ... however it should be noted that you are unlikely to need more than three double wardrobes.

Tip 2. Most of your clothes will hang into "short hanging space" but you will require hanging space for three quarter length and long items ... don't over estimate the hanging space you need for long items (on average most couples require only about 600mm of long hanging space).

Tip 3. The following ratio of hanging rails works well:
60% short hanging, 25% 3/4 hanging, and 15% long hanging.

Tip 4. Where as most women clothes "hang", about half of men's clothes are better stored folded. Try to position "pigeon hole" shelving in men's wardrobes to store jumpers, sweatshirts, T shirts etc. ... you will achieve more storage space on shelves than you ever will trying to cram these items into drawers.

Tip 5. If you can, avoid placing drawers inside wardrobes as they will reduce the useful amount of hanging and shelving space. If this is unavoidable try to limit the number of internal drawer units to one each for storing underwear.

Tip 6. It is generally preferable to place "bedside cabinets" next to a bed, however if space is limited the use of a "boxed headboard" can improve the design opportunities.

Tip 7. A "dressing table" is a personal item - some people use them to sit at and some don't ... if you do not sit at a dressing table do not include a "knee hole drawer" as the space under it will be wasted.

Tip 8. You will need some drawer space for underwear, a "lowline chest" each is sufficient ... by substituting these for one "tallboy chest" you may be able to increase the space available for wardrobes.

Tip 9. "Lowline cabinets" (with internal shelving) are an often overlooked means of storing jumpers.

Tip 10. Bridging cupboards over the bed will provide the equivalent storage space to a complete single wardrobe