Suggestion for how to adapt large wardrobes in DDs room

[MintyIguana]

DD 13 has just moved into one of the bedrooms in our house which has 2 large floor to ceiling built in wardrobes either side of the chimney breast. Both wardrobes have a high cupboard at the top (pretty inaccessible so used for storage) and then hanging rails (one has high hanging rail for full length stuff and the other has high and medium).
She's doesn't have a lot of clothes (yet) and most of her clothes are best folded rather than hung. We've put some cheap plastic drawer things in one cupboard so she can fold and store her clothes. The other wardrobe is completely empty. Problem is she has nowhere to put books and stuff. I wondered if it might be a good idea to use the one wardrobe and put built in shelves in it that can be used to stack clothes but also books and other 'stuff'. But it's a huge space and DH thinks we should leave some of it as hanging space. Does anyone have any smart ideas for making the best use of the space? Can spend a bit on getting a carpenter if needed.

Could you get a bookcase in the wardrobe? I think I'd go freestanding rather than built in, as I suspect it will need to change with time.

But there would still be plenty of hanging space in the other wardrobe?? I'd put shelves in one of the wardrobes - not sure why your DH has a problem with that.

Exactly. I think he's starting to come round on that.

This is probably a good solution. Can use for books and maybe some storage boxes

Maybe something a bit like kallax

Can you make the empty one a desk/office space for her to do her school work on and shelving space for school books etc. Then when she no using it it can closed away.

I had wondered about that but the bottom lip of the cupboard fronts would make it tricky to have a chair there. She does have a small desk but tends to do her homework at the dining table anyway. Of course that could change as she gets older. I'm leaning towards sticking in a tall billy bookcase (secured to the back wall)

www.johnlewis.com/like-it-modular-plastic-storage-drawer-large-w34cm/p2983150

These are brilliant - much smoother and more stable than similar elsewhere and no assembly - just mix and match and build like lego

I have shelves in a couple of wardrobes. You need to remember a wardrobe is usually 600mm deep and a bookcase is 300mm deep (ish). So if you put a bookcase in you are wasting a lot of storage space.

You could store other things in there but when she gets older I’ve no doubt she’ll acquire clothes, shoes, bags and coats. Sports kit and other bulky stuff can be stored on shelves. I wouldn’t shove in a bookcase. I would have deep shelves. I find them useful as long as you know what’s at the back!

If it’s a standard wardrobe they usually have holes to put in pegs for shelves, you can then buy the shelves and slot them in. I doubt you need a carpenter!

Ikea sell a slightly deeper Billy bookcase (I think it's 40cm instead of about 30cm deep). We have one in the DC bedroom and it's very useful for storage boxes as well as books.

That’s still a lot of wasted storage. You also have to slide it in.

Thanks for the comments. It's 55 deep and 125 wide. I see the point about the wasted space with a bookshelf. Maybe simple deep fitted shelves then.

Check out all the storage systems at Ikea for ideas. Think we have Platsa in our fitted wardrobes to give shelves inside whilst still leaving hanging space.

These are great for small storage - we have a couple stacked at the end of our bath - but they cost an absolute fortune for larger assemblies. That arrangement in the picture would be hundreds of pounds.

I'd be inclined to fit something modular like ikea Ivar or some wire shelving. We had a wire shelving unit in a cupboard over the stairs in our last house. It now has a slot in a knackered shower cubicle so it's earned its keep!

What about looking at the innards of fitted wardrobe products like this lot from IKEA if you could find something the right size to slot into the bottom of the wardrobe as a drawer or shelving unit.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/cat/open-wardrobes-43634/

We have a very large fitted wardrobe in our bedroom. The middle section had fitted shelves when we arrived, and we use it as is, for folded clothes - most shelf fittings would allow for removal anyway if you needed more hanging space. I would have thought you could have shelves fitted, though how easy it is will depend on what the wardrobe and your walls are built of. But I'm sure a carpenter can advise.

Look at IKEA Jonaxel range. I put it into my son's built in cupboards so he has the wire drawers one side (they hold loads) and hanging space the other.
It's all based on same frames so you could have more drawers of shelves for now but if you buy the hanging rail you can use it that way too