How to build a walk in wardrobe?

[nagumuthu]

Hi Folks,

I’m planning to commence a Walk-in Wardrobe project for the bedroom and have included a draft drawing below for your reference. The accompanying specifications are also outlined hereunder.

Specifications:

• Drawer width: 700 mm (adjustable to suit available space)
• Drawer height: 210 mm
• Drawer depth: 450 mm
• Mechanism: Soft-close
• Color: Choice of laminates / White
• Handle: Finger pull

Questions:

1. Should I buy pre-built modules and assemble them?
2. Should I order MDF boards cut to size from Bunnings and then assemble them?
3. What other material options are available besides MDF?
4. I’m not familiar with edging and applying different-color laminates. Is this easy to do, or does it require special equipment?
5. What dimensional tolerances should I allow when measuring?
6. Please share links to recommended materials and, if available, step-by-step instructions for the project.

Looking forward to your thoughts.

Kind regards
MM

[JacobZ]

Hi @nagumuthu,

To answer your questions, yes, I think pre-built modules would be the way to go. A cabinet maker would have a full shop with hugely expensive stationary tools to put together a custom wardrobe like this. Prebuilt modules take away the need for thousands of dollars' worth of tools and years of know-how.

Our cut shop facilities are not capable of providing the precision cuts you would need for this kind of thing. Assembling it yourself would also be a massively complex undertaking. Premade modules make it much easier.

Most wardrobes will use melamine-coated chipboard rather than MDF. It is a solid material, but again, to achieve the level of finish required on a wardrobe, you would need a lot of expensive tools and a whole lot of experience.

Edgebanding is relatively simple to apply. There are options like this CUSTOMpine 21mm x 10m White Preglued Edgetape which is simply cut to length, ironed on, then trimmed with a knife. Full laminate coatings, on the other hand, are usually thermoformed. Thermoforming involves heating the laminate sheet until it becomes flexible, then vacuum-pressing it over the substrate. As it cools, the film hardens and bonds tightly to the surface. This would require special equipment.

In terms of tolerances, you should aim to measure things as accurately as possible, although being too tight can also be an issue. I'd aim for around a 10mm tolerance. You'll also want to make sure you are taking your measurements in multiple locations. For example, your width measurements should be taken at the top, bottom and middle. This will give you an idea if any of your walls are out of plumb or there is bowing.

I think the best thing I can do for you here is point you towards the Lugna Online Planner and this article on How To Use The Lugna Online Storage Planner. Have a play around with it and see what you come up with.

Without entirely shooting down the idea of building it all yourself, realistically, it would be very difficult. If you are brave and willing to put the work in, it is achievable, but even an experienced cabinet maker would struggle without a fully equipped woodworking shop behind them. To do a good job, you would need to invest thousands in tools, which would greatly increase the cost. I think the prebuilt modules are going to be the way to go.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[nagumuthu]

Thanks @JacobZ for the detailed explanation and guidance. I agree that prebuilt modules sound like the most practical option, and I’ll explore the Lugna Online Planner as suggested.

Appreciate your clear advice—it really helps me make an informed decision.

Kind regards
MM

[nagumuthu]

Hi Bunnings Team,

Could you please assist to clarify on below queries.

1. Wardrobe Height
I’ve noticed during design using Lugna Planner tool, the total height of the built-in wardrobe is limited to 2048 mm, while our ceiling height is 2735 mm. Is it possible to maximize the wardrobe height to better utilize the available space?

2. Toe Kick Board
The Lugna Planner does not seem to provide an option for a recessed toe kick board. How can this requirement be achieved?

3. Installation Guidance
What tools and accessories are required to fix the built-in wardrobe to plaster walls? At the end of the design process, will a step-by-step guide be provided for securing the wardrobe to plaster?

4. It appears that the Lugna planning tool is not loading correctly. While the initial login works, loading a saved room fails. I have tested this on both Windows and Mac systems, cleared the browser cache, but the issue persists. The problem occurs in both Microsoft Edge and Chrome. Please refer to  recorded video at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uOK-FJPYi7JAikPoTXbmnnKALwMyZJW_/view?usp=sharing, which shows the software briefly flashing before disappearing without displaying anything further.

I would appreciate your assistance with this.

Kind regards
MM

[EricL]

Hello @nagumuthu 

Yes, you are correct the Lugna cabinets maximum height is 2048mm and can't be modified. My best advice is to add another cabinet at the top which is around 500mm++ tall to maximize the space use. The Lugna cabinet system does not come with toe kicks and are only supported with foot mounts. Since it is difficult to predict where the Lugna cabinet will be anchored to it does not come with a wall mounting plan only its layout. 

However, generally speaking for plasterboard with stud walls its important to anchor the cabinets to the stud walls or you can provide several strips of timber anchored to the stud wall and you can anchor onto the timber strips. For brick or masonry walls it will be necessary to use masonry anchors. 

In regards to failing to load, it's possible that your security settings are very high and is preventing the software from loading properly. But if the loading error persists, I suggest sending an email to Lugna.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[nagumuthu]

Thanks @EricL for your guidance sharing useful information for the build.

Kind regards

MM