Bedroom storage

[RidingMyBike]

We're planning to get built in wardrobes, ideally from a local company rather than one of the chains.

If you've got some what are your top tips for planning the storage? Good questions to ask? Anything you regret doing or not doing?!

Also not sure whether to go for one of those over bed runs of cupboards and replace the bedside cabinets too, or just do wardrobes in the alcoves either side of the chimney breast. Might make the room seem overcrowded.

hi Riding

I have the same issue. I don't want to crowd the room so I'd go for separate wardrobes in your case.

my main thing, due to small space - which I think is different for you - is to get two rails put in the wardrobe. One high, one mid body height. I don't have a lot of long hanging clothes and generally I think 2 rails will help.

have you got any storage in the bed itself?

There's about 5cm of space under the bed! Cant store anything under there!

Hi @EmmaEmerald thank you! I think DH's wardrobe would want two hanging rails as he hangs up jeans, suits and stuff. I need to have more of a think about mine - two rails would be good as I have trousers, skirts to hang but I also have some longer dresses, mid-length tunics type stuff which would need longer hanging space. Think I need to work out what proportion of what is in my wardrobe!

Bed is a divan so there is no storage with it or space for storage!

We both also have jumpers that would need to go in there.

This is good, it's getting me thinking about what we actually need.

Personally, I hate the fitted storage that goes above the bed, so I wouldn't do it. Sounds Iike you feel differently!

I'd just do the chimney alcoves. Go right to the ceiling. Consider how deep the alcove is. You might need them proud of the chimney breast to ensure a coat hanger fits properly.

Can you fit a chest of drawers in somewhere else in the room? I find those are good for underwear and jumpers.

We went for IKEA pax frames that were fitted into our alcoves by a local carpenter who also made bespoke doors. This was partly cost, but the other factor was that we knew if we changed our mind about the internal layout at any point it would be very easy to get different fittings.

@Merrow were the savings quite significant doing it this way? Did you plan out your pax bits and then give the carpenter the information to design the rest and then order the bits in?

I have a small bedroom so space was a premium. I had over head storage....and I love it. I had some sort of idea of what I wanted, but the guy form the company came out and helped decided what would work/what wouldn't. We have some open shelves which are a bad idea because they just look messy!

We went for a mix so one wardrobe full height, another 2 hanging rails with a slim set of shelves down the side for shoes bags etc. One for DH with one rail and full width shelves underneath. And another one rail with drawers under. Each set has a shelf right at the very top for storage of stuff we don't need often, suitcases memory boxes etc.

Then they made bedside tables but we don't have anything overhead. I don't know why but I really don't like the idea of sleeping with my head under something

@euff compared to bespoke wardrobes, definitely. Compared to PAX alone no!

@euff if you like I can pm you pictures, but they're quite outing so won't do it on the thread.

We went for fitted wardrobes all the way across one wall.
Either side of the chimney breast is deeper so has a rail for hanging clothes and a shelf underneath for shoes.
Then the section which has the chimney breast behind it is not as deep so just has shelving for jumpers etc.
Full height to ceiling, so at the top another row of cupboards for things that aren’t used as often.
Also have a chest of drawers for underwear.

Also to say we had a local carpenter build them - the sizing was a bit odd (old house) so I just couldn’t find any off-the-shelf wardrobes to fit the space without having big gaps.

I used a company called slide wardrobes direct, they have an app to design with then you either self install or get a local carpenter, a cost fraction of the big companies

Much the same here. When we first lived here, we had half each. Now DH has a separate wardrobe in the spare room and I have the whole lot to myself 😳

The "rails" are the edges of shelves if that makes sense so you get both.

I definitely recommend plenty of shelving as well as rails.

Thank you @Merrow I do love pax but want fitted at some point so it does look like the way to go.

As @Artios suggested, running doors across chimney breast if bed can be placed on opposite wall.

If alcoves are deep, you only need to build out 4-8". Amazing amount of storage for books, accessories, makeup, plug for hair dryer etc. Mirror inside door so that you can get ready there.

Shelving in wardrobes are very deep and hard to organise. Use pull out basket type drawers.

@merrow wow yeah that would be fantastic thank you!

Thank you, this is all really helpful!

I don't know about the over head cupboards - I've only slept once in a bed with those and it didn't bother me but it's presumably really only practical for maybe out of season clothes and shoes? We have space elsewhere for suitcases to be stored.

There isn't a huge amount of clearance at the end of the bed, so I think we'd need sliding doors on the wardrobes. The foot of the bed is about 74cm from the chimney breast (duvet sticks out further). The alcoves are about 37cm deep so would need to come out a bit to fit hangers in. That makes it tighter with end of bed hence the need for sliding doors.

We have two chests of drawers already for underwear, t shirts etc. It may be possible to fit both of those in the bedroom too as there is a bay window.

Riding if overhead cupboards don't bother you, then go ahead?

I've been looking at Ikea, availability seems to change every three mins.

I think I'm not bothered about over bed cupboards from the POV of sleeping with something above the bed - think someone commented on that above? That didn't worry me. But the only time I've slept in a room with some was at a friend's house and they have a bigger room so it didn't look too overwhelming.

I'm also not sure there's space for it to work. They had a tall cupboard either side of bed with the overhead unit running between them, then freestanding but matching bedside cabinet units either side of the bed too. We definitely don't have space along that wall for more than the bed and two bedside cabinet things.

So they're on the list to ask about when we get people in to quote for it.

came across this company, might be worth a look
https://www.spacesaverfurniture.co.uk/fitted-wardrobes

I have zero experience here so no idea what sort of price to expect.

it's often suggested to do the Ikea bespoke thing but I'd have to get a fitter and need to store it, which I don't have!

Oooh thank you, some lovely ideas there for inspiration!

this would help me but I'm not clear what you get as the pics contradict each other!