A lot of us take storage for granted. After all, every house we’ve moved into had wardrobes, right? Well, if you’re building a new house (or you have a lot of clothes), you’ll soon find yourself shopping for custom wardrobes in Sydney. You could buy something built-in and have the furniture store install it for you. Or maybe you’d prefer something portable, to supplement existing storage space. Most of us have an idea of the colour we want, but that’s about it.

There are lots of other factors though – like the type of material, height, width, positioning, or accessories. You might even be restricted by something seemingly silly, like whether your chosen wardrobe will fit through the front door. If it’s too wide and is pre-assembled, you may have to lift it through a balcony.Built-ins are better, especially if you want walk-in wardrobe styling.

Get the layout of the land

Your first step involves layout. What shape is your room? If it has rounded walls, tight corners, or unexpected angles (above/below 90°), you could opt for fitted wardrobes. They’re designed to snugly sit in the desired position and are ‘moulded’ into position. They’re a step above ordinary built-ins, which use generic measurements. A fitted version can be squeezed below the stairs, coiled around a curvy corner, or they can even be used as a border between adjoining rooms.

How your rooms designed could affect other factors too. For example, if you have limited space, you could opt for sliding doors. Even if you prefer your wardrobes with hinges, you have to position them carefully. The doors should open in a way that doesn’t obstruct movement by – for example – blocking access to the bathroom, balcony, or even the main bedroom door.

Drawers and shelves

Measure your walls and floor to see what size of wardrobe can comfortably fit. You may think that your wardrobe size is driven by the number of items you own, but you don’t want a massive closet that its (open) door fills half the room. Still, your fashion sense does have a role to play. If you frequently wear dresses or have a lot of coats, you want your wardrobe to have sufficient hanging rails (and padded hangers to avoid snagging the fabric).

On the other hand, casual dressers may want a more folding room to tuck their t-shirts and jeans. Hoodies can go either way (hung or folded), but they absorb a lot of dust and heat, so ensure your wardrobe is sufficiently airy. Some wardrobes have shoe racks at the bottom (or at the back). Utilitarian buyers may be fine with that, but shoe lovers probably need an entirely separate shelf (or even a distinct room) for their footwear.

You might want a wardrobe with security features so that it might have a padlock, latch keyhole or even a safe built into the back. That’ll probably cost extra though, so factor it into your budget. And if you are buying something portable, don’t forget to factor transportation expenses. No matter what your preferences there is one out there made for you.