The moment you decide you want a built-in wardrobe, measurements become the most important numbers in the room. Get them right and your wardrobe fits perfectly, functions beautifully, and looks as though it was designed with the room in mind (because it was). Get them wrong and you are looking at costly changes, installation delays, or a wardrobe that was never going to fit the way you imagined.
The good news is that measuring your bedroom for a built-in wardrobe is a straightforward process when you know what to measure, in what order, and what to look out for. Impressive Wardrobes has been custom designing and installing wardrobes in Sydney for over 30 years. This is the measuring guide our team uses.
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Get a Free Measure and Quote Impressive Wardrobes offers a free design and measure service to most Sydney Metro suburbs. Call (02) 9796 1022. |
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What You Need Before You Start
Before you begin taking measurements, gather the following:
•       A metal tape measure (fabric tape measures stretch and are less accurate for room dimensions)
•       A notepad and pen, or a phone to photograph measurements as you take them
•       A pencil and masking tape to mark points on the wall temporarily
•       A torch or phone flashlight if the alcove is shadowed or poorly lit
•       A spirit level to check whether floors and ceilings are level
Take all measurements in millimetres. This sounds unnecessarily precise for a home project but it is the standard unit used by wardrobe designers and manufacturers, and working in millimetres prevents the rounding errors that come from converting between centimetres, metres, and fractions.
Step 1: Measure the Width
Width is the measurement that determines how much storage your wardrobe can provide, and it is typically the measurement that causes the most problems if taken carelessly.
1.    Start by measuring the full width of the opening or wall space at the top of the space, near the ceiling
2.    Take the same measurement at mid-height (approximately waist level)
3.    Take the same measurement again at floor level
If all three measurements are the same, your walls are parallel and square. If they differ, your walls bow or the space is wider or narrower at one end than the other. Note all three figures: your wardrobe designer will use the smallest figure as the reliable width and design accordingly.
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💡 Measure in three spots, always: Old homes in Sydney, particularly pre-war and federation-era houses, frequently have walls that are not perfectly parallel. A difference of even 20 to 30 millimetres between top and bottom measurements is common. If you only measure once, you risk designing a wardrobe that fits one end of the space but not the other. |
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Step 2: Measure the Height
Height is the measurement from floor to ceiling within the wardrobe space. It determines whether you can have full-height doors, a pelmet, or any overhead storage.
4.    Measure the height at the left-hand side of the opening
5.    Measure the height at the centre
6.    Measure the height at the right-hand side
Ceilings are not always level. A ceiling that drops towards one end of the space (common in older homes or in rooms adjacent to roof lines) will affect the maximum door height and the design of any overhead storage. Note all three height measurements.
If there is a cornice (a decorative moulding at the ceiling-wall junction), measure to the bottom of the cornice, not to the ceiling itself. The wardrobe cannot extend above the bottom of the cornice without removing it. Separately measure the height of the cornice itself so the designer understands how much it extends below the ceiling.
Step 3: Measure the Depth
Depth is the measurement from the back wall of the alcove to the line where the wardrobe opening will sit (which is typically the front face of the wardrobe doors). This determines whether your wardrobe can accommodate full-length hanging (which requires approximately 550 to 600mm of usable internal depth), shelving only, or a combination.
7.    Measure from the back wall to the opening line at the top of the space
8.    Measure the same depth at floor level
Check whether there are skirting boards on the back wall and on the side walls. Skirting boards can reduce the effective depth of the wardrobe and affect how the base panel sits. Measure the height and projection of the skirting board separately.
If you are installing a wardrobe in a room where the alcove is not defined by existing walls (for example, along a flat wall where the wardrobe will project into the room), decide on the depth you want before measuring. Standard built-in wardrobe depth is typically 580 to 600mm to allow comfortable full-length hanging.
Step 4: Mark and Record Obstacles
Before finishing your measurement, walk around the space and note every obstacle that falls within or near the wardrobe footprint:
•       Power points and light switches: mark their positions carefully (height from floor, distance from the nearest wall or fixed point). Power points inside a wardrobe can be relocated but this adds cost and requires an electrician
•       Air conditioning units and vents: note the position and size of any vents that would be covered by the wardrobe. These will need to be relocated or the wardrobe designed around them
•       Smoke alarms: if a smoke alarm is within the wardrobe footprint on the ceiling, it cannot be covered by a wardrobe
•       Cornices and architraves: measure and note the projection of any architrave around the opening, as this affects how the wardrobe doors close and align
•       Windows or skylights: if the wardrobe runs to an external wall, note the position of any windows that would be interrupted
Step 5: Check Door Clearance
The type of door you choose for your built-in wardrobe directly affects the clearance requirements in front of the wardrobe:
•       Sliding doors: require no additional clearance in front of the wardrobe. They are ideal for bedrooms where the space in front of the wardrobe is limited
•       Hinged doors: require clear space in front of the wardrobe equal to at least the width of the door panel. For a 600mm wide door panel, you need at least 600mm of clear space in front of the wardrobe for the door to open fully without obstruction
Measure the distance from the front of the wardrobe position to the nearest obstacle (the end of the bed, a chest of drawers, the opposite wall). If this distance is less than the width of a hinged door panel, sliding doors are the appropriate choice for the space.
Step 6: Sketch the Space and Share It
Once you have all measurements, sketch the space on paper or photograph the wall with a tape measure visible for scale. Include all three width measurements, all three height measurements, the depth measurement, and the position of all obstacles.
Share this with the Impressive Wardrobes design team as part of your free measure and quote booking. The more detail you provide at this stage, the more accurate the initial design will be and the smoother the installation process. Or take advantage of our free measure and quote service: our designer comes to your home, verifies all measurements on site, and creates the design for you.
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Book Your Free In-Home Design Visit Impressive Wardrobes sends a designer to your home for a free measure and quote. Most Sydney Metro suburbs. 30+ years of experience. |
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Common Measuring Mistakes to Avoid
•       Only measuring width once: walls are rarely perfectly parallel; measure at three heights
•       Forgetting to account for skirting boards: they reduce effective depth
•       Measuring in centimetres or metres: use millimetres to avoid rounding errors
•       Not measuring ceiling height in multiple spots: ceilings slope more often than people realise
•       Forgetting the cornice: measuring to the ceiling when there is a cornice will give you a height the wardrobe cannot achieve
•       Ignoring door clearance: designing hinged doors for a space that cannot accommodate their opening swing
Frequently Asked Questions
How much depth do I need for full-length clothes hanging?
The minimum usable internal depth for hanging full-length garments is approximately 550 to 600mm. This allows the garments to hang freely without touching the back wall. When you include the door panel and the frame structure, a wardrobe that provides 580mm of internal hanging depth will typically project 620 to 650mm from the back wall. View Impressive Wardrobes' built-in wardrobe range to see how different configurations are designed.
What if my walls are not square?
This is very common in existing homes, particularly those built before the 1980s. Wardrobe designers accommodate out-of-square walls by scribing panels (cutting the panel to follow the wall's actual angle rather than assuming a perfect right angle). Note the difference between your top and bottom width measurements and let the designer know: they will build the adjustment into the design.
Should I measure before or after painting the room?
Ideally, measure after painting if the bedroom is being renovated at the same time. Paint thickness is negligible on a single coat, but if you are planning multiple coats or are adding an architectural feature like a feature wall tile, those additional materials will slightly reduce the dimensions of the space. If possible, paint first and measure against the finished surface.
