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New shelves, hanging rails and storage baskets helped maximise storage space in this wardrobe makeover.
The project
As part of Sav’s tween bedroom makeover, I had always dreamed of giving her a wardrobe makeover that offered better storage and a more organised space. As part of our home design, a very basic built-in robe was included with two doors and a simple hanging rail. Over the years we did try to add an additional second hanging rail, however knew down the track a full wardrobe makeover would be on the cards.
Now that Sav is getting older, we felt it was a great time to update her wardrobe and I was super keen to try our hands at DIY and to custom build a space that was going to cater to her needs.
Steps
Here’s how we transformed the wardrobe:
Step 1
We started off by removing the two hinged doors. We also removed part of the original frame that was holding the doors in place to provide a flat surface for the new doors.
Step 2
I removed the original hanging rail as well as the temporary hanging rail we installed years earlier.
Step 3
I gave the entire wardrobe area and frame a clean using Selleys Sugar Soap and water.
Step 4
Once dry, I used Selleys Spakfilla to fill any holes or dents on the wall left from the original hanging rails. I also used the Spakfilla to fill the area where the original door hinges had been on the frame.
Step 5
Once dry, I sanded the walls and door frame with sandpaper for a smooth finish. I then cleaned the area again with a cloth and water to remove any residue or dust from the surface.
Step 6
Now the area was all primed and ready, it was time to paint. I decided not to paint the inside of the wardrobe as most of the internal walls would be covered by the new shelving we were going to install. This also helped keep costs down and sped up the project completion time. I did however paint the frame of the wardrobe so it matched the rest of the room. I painted the wardrobe frame using Dulux Aquanamel - Gloss tinted to colour Lexicon half.
Step 7
While waiting for the frame to dry, I started planning out the wardrobe design and the shelving and hanging space I wanted to include. I took measurements of the width and height of the wardrobe and started to sketch a plan for how I wanted it to look.
Step 8
Once I had settled on the design, we headed to Bunnings to purchase the supplies. Our shopping list included:
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6 x 1800x445 Melamine in white
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1 x Sandleford 25x1800mm white powder coated steel rod
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2 x Sandlefors 25mm white round flange (2 pack).
Step 9
Once home, we measured the pieces of melamine and cut them to size as per the design. We gave them a light sand on the raw edges to make sure they were nice and smooth and ready to install. We started by placing in the uprights first, before fixing them to the top shelf. We were then able to add in all the smaller shelves and supports to ensure we had a strong a sturdy design.
Note: be sure to use a spirit level when building the shelving to ensure all shelves and uprights are perfectly level.
Step 10
Once all the shelving was in place and completely secured, we finished off by adding in the hanging rails. We cut the 1800mm rod in two pieces to fit the two separate hanging sections in the wardrobe. The rod was fixed to the sides of the wardrobe using the white round flanges purchased at Bunnings.
Step 11
Now all the internals were complete, we just needed doors to complete the look. We found finding pre-made doors to fit our wardrobe size quite tricky as our wardrobe is not standard size so everything we found was either too small or too large. Thankfully, we discovered the Multistore range and their custom built sliding wardrobe doors. Their products are available to order at Bunnings special order desk so we took our measurements to Bunnings and were able to order the doors simply in store. The multistore range has a variety of colour and style combinations, however we chose to go with the white frame and the mirror doors.
Step 12
Waiting for the doors to be custom made took approximately 2 weeks, so while we waited I started to purchase a variety of storage baskets and boxes for the wardrobe and started to organise Sav’s belongings.
I also partnered with Sweet Humming Bird Designs and their beautiful range of organisational labels to add custom labels to her baskets and the hanging sections in her room. I used a five pack of their Custom Medium storage labels and five of their Botanical wardrobe dividers. The organisational labels have been fantastic in her wardrobe in helping her know where everything is and keeping the space neat and tidy!
Step 13
As soon as we received the phone call that the doors were ready, we collected them from our local Bunnings store (delivery is also available if needed). Installation was super easy and involved just screwing the top and bottom tracks into position, then placing the doors on the track (instructions are provided with the doors but it really is super easy!).
The wardrobe is complete! The doors fitted perfectly and look amazing. I’m super happy with how the whole project turned out and the extra storage space this has given Sav in her room.
Before and after
The wardrobe was a two hinged door built in with a simple singular hanging rail. The wardrobe really lacked storage and we wanted to also replace the doors with sliding mirror doors to maximise on space (and also double as the main mirror in her room).
How to organise your wardrobe
The Bunnings guide How to organise your wardrobe contains useful tips on how to maximise storage in your wardrobe.
More storage inspiration for your home
This D.I.Y. walk-in wardrobe using Flexi Storage by Workshop member Genevieve (grounded_design) demonstrates how to achieve a great look on a modest budget.
Experienced Bunnings Workshop member JoeAzza gave his wardrobe a stylish new look and greater functionality by replacing three wide doors with six narrower ones.
For more inspiration, don't miss our Top 10 most popular storage projects and 5 ways to add more storage to your wardrobe.
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