The short answer
Build it 2ft deep, so a hanger fits without tilting, and 7ft tall, which is seven feet: the height a rail, a shelf and a hinge are all made for. Whatever the wall has above that is best used as a loft.
How deep?
A shirt on a hanger is about 1ft 6in across its shoulders, and it needs air either side. Below 1ft 10in inside, clothes hang at an angle and the door presses on them. That is why we build every wardrobe 2ft deep, with sliding doors or hinged.
A shallower wardrobe can work for shelves only, such as linen or a child’s folded clothes. Say so when you plan it, and your designer will leave the hanging out.
How tall?
The body of our wardrobe is 7ft, seven feet, whatever the ceiling. It is the height a fitter builds without asking, and the height a rail, a shelf and a hinge are all made for. Most Bengaluru homes have 9 to 10 feet to the ceiling, which leaves room above for a loft.
A loft needs at least 1ft 6in to be worth having: below that it is a shelf you cannot reach into. And we stop the whole wardrobe at 9ft 10in, loft included. Above that, the wall is left bare rather than built up to a ceiling nobody can reach. Is a loft worth it? goes into when to have one.
The sizes, in one table
| Size | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | 2ft | Hanging needs 1ft 10in inside |
| Body height | 7ft | Seven feet: what fittings are made for |
| Loft height | 1ft 6in or more | Less is a shelf you cannot reach into |
| Tallest, with loft | 9ft 10in | Higher than this nobody reaches |
| Narrowest we build | 4ft (4 ft) | Narrower is a niche, planned at review |
| Section widths inside | 1ft 6in, 2ft, 2ft 6in, 2ft 11in | Standard sizes, so shelves and fittings match |
| Widest door | 2ft | A wider door sags on its hinges |
How much hanging space?
Shirts and jackets need about 3ft 7in of drop from the rail; coats, sarees and long dresses about 5ft 3in. Most people want one section of long hanging, and the rest short hanging over shelves or drawers.
- Short hanging: shirts, trousers folded over the hanger, jackets.
- Long hanging: sarees on hangers, dresses, coats, kurtas.
- Shelves: folded clothes, bags, linen. Two shelves above short hanging use the height well.
- Drawers: innerwear, accessories, anything small. Kept low, where you can see into them.
From our designer
I ask people to count their long clothes before we fix the sections. It is the number most people guess wrong, and moving a rail after the wardrobe is built is harder than moving a shelf.
— An Ekatan designer
See it in your own home
Send your floor plan. A designer draws your home within 24 hours.
Before you decide
- Measure the ceiling height in the room, not the living room: they are sometimes different.
- Check for a beam along the wardrobe wall. It sets how tall a loft can be.
- Count your long clothes, and decide on hanging or folded sarees.
- Leave the switchboard and the AC pipe out of the wardrobe wall, or plan around them.
Common questions
Can a wardrobe be less than 2 feet deep?
For shelves only, yes. For hanging clothes, no: they hang at an angle and the door presses on them.
Should the wardrobe go up to the ceiling?
Up to a point. The wardrobe itself is seven feet; a loft above uses the rest, up to a height someone can still reach.
How wide should a wardrobe be for two people?
Most couples are comfortable with 8 feet or more. Plan it on your floor plan and try the widths the wall allows.
Related guides
Your home, before it’s built
Free to plan. You pay nothing until you go ahead.