A fitted wardrobe can fill a wall neatly and still be awkward to use. The useful starting point is what needs to go inside it, how the doors and drawers will open, and what the installation will involve.
Before choosing the fronts, put those decisions into a short brief. It makes the options easier to compare and gives the installer more than a picture of a wardrobe you like.
Start with the clothes, not the doors
Separate long hanging items, shorter clothes, folded items, shoes and bulky things such as suitcases. Note what you reach for daily and what can live higher up. Measure particularly awkward items rather than assuming a standard shelf will suit them.
Howdens’ built-in wardrobe planning guide recommends assessing the available space and taking stock of what you intend to store. Use that inventory to decide the balance of hanging rails, shelves and drawers.
For example, a homeowner refurbishing a bedroom in Streatham might need space for long coats and a suitcase more than another bank of small drawers. That is a planning example, not a completed OSPM project.
Measure the room and the fitting space
Approximate room dimensions are useful for an initial conversation. Final ordering needs the relevant dimensions checked against the actual design and installation method.
Record the available width, height and depth, plus the bed position, door swing, skirting, coving and any slope in the ceiling. Flag sockets, radiators and anything that must remain accessible. Ask what will be retained, moved or worked around; do not leave those decisions hidden behind the wardrobe outline.
The finished cabinet height is only part of the check. IKEA’s PAX planning guidance distinguishes the frame dimensions from the clearance needed for assembly. Its figures relate to that system. For your chosen wardrobe, ask the installer to confirm the current product instructions, assembly space and suitable fixing arrangement before ordering.
Draw the wardrobe open
A closed elevation shows the look. An open view helps show whether you can use it.
Check a hinged door against the bed, bedside furniture and room entrance. With sliding doors, ask which sections are accessible in each position and whether internal drawers can be fully opened. Include the handle projection and the space needed to stand in front of the storage.
Choose the internal layout alongside the door arrangement. Moving a shelf on a sketch is easier than discovering that a drawer and a door cannot work together after delivery.
Make the finishing work explicit
Ask the quotation to identify the cabinet construction, interiors, doors, fittings, visible panels and finish. Confirm whether the proposal uses a proprietary wardrobe system, made-to-measure joinery or a combination. The descriptions should be clear enough to compare like for like.
Agree what happens at the floor, walls and ceiling: fillers, trims, retained skirting, decoration and any making good. If flooring or plastering is changing during a wider refurbishment, put that sequence into the same discussion. Final measurements and the finished room need to correspond.
Existing damage or a recurring damp patch needs assessment before it is covered. A wardrobe specification should not turn an unresolved repair into concealed work.
What to send OSPM
For fitted wardrobes in South West London, send your postcode, approximate room dimensions and a simple list of what you want to store. Add the supplier plan if you have one, the finish you prefer and whether the room is part of a larger refurbishment.
Tell us about your proposed joinery so we can discuss the scope and information needed for the next step. A useful brief covers the inside, the opening space and the finished edges as well as the doors.
Have a project in mind?
Send OSPM your postcode, a description of the work and your preferred timing.
Tell us about your property