Plan your walk-in
Room dimensions first — width decides the layout, length decides the capacity.
How this planner works
- Each layout carries a minimum width: single-sided 60 in, L-shaped 72 in, U-shaped 84 in, island 144 in. The widest one your room takes is recommended.
- Linear run is calculated per layout — single-sided is the room length; an L adds the short wall less two feet for the corner; a U doubles the length and adds the short wall less four feet for two corners.
- Effective hanging = run × 1.6, the multiplier for double-hanging 60% of the run at 42 inches per rail.
- Requirement = people × volume per person, at 6, 9 or 14 running feet.
- Walkway is the room width less the unit depths for that layout, reported so you can check it against the 36-inch minimum.
- Nothing here is randomised. The same room and the same wardrobe always produce the same layout and the same numbers.
| Layout | Minimum width | Unit depth used | Walkway left | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-sided | 5 ft | 24 in one side | 36 in | A converted passage or a narrow box room |
| L-shaped | 6 ft | 24 in on two walls | 48 in at the corner | Most Mumbai walk-ins |
| U-shaped | 7 ft | 24 in on three walls | 36 in | A dedicated dressing room |
| With island | 12 ft | 24 in each side + 24 in island | 36 in each side | Villas and large apartments only |
A 36-inch walkway is the working minimum — enough to open a drawer fully and stand in front of it. At 30 inches the drawers still open and you cannot stand back to look at what is inside.
Design and build under one accountable roof
Worked example — the default room
| Step | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Room width | 6 ft = 72 in | L-shaped is the widest that fits |
| Linear run | 8 ft + (6 − 2) ft | 12 ft |
| Effective hanging | 12 × 1.6 | 19.2 ft |
| Requirement | 2 users × 9 ft | 18 ft |
| Balance | 19.2 − 18 | +1.2 ft spare |
| Clear walkway | 6 ft − 2 ft of units | 4 ft |
What goes inside, and in what order
A walk-in fails when it is all hanging. The proportion that works for most Indian wardrobes is roughly 55% hanging, 20% shelves, 15% drawers and 10% specialist storage — sarees, shoes, bags, luggage. Sarees in particular need their own thinking: folded on a shelf they crease, on hangers they need the full 72-inch drop, and in a saree pull-out they need a 24-inch-deep unit that most walk-in plans do not allow for.
Drawers belong at waist height, between 30 and 48 inches from the floor, because that is where you can see into them. Below 24 inches a drawer is only usable for things you never look at; above 60 inches you cannot see the contents at all, which is why the top of the unit should be shelves or a loft, not drawers.
The last thing to plan is the mirror. A full-length mirror needs a clear 36 inches in front of it to be useful, and in a 6 ft wide closet that is the whole walkway. On the back of the door is the usual answer; on the short end wall is better if the room has one.
Every constant on this page comes from Greenbox site records — measured drawings, signed BOQs and completion certificates from projects delivered between 2023 and 2026 — rounded to the figures an estimator would actually write down. We publish them so the arithmetic can be audited rather than trusted. Treat the output as a planning figure: accurate enough to brief a landlord, a bank or a family, and not accurate enough to sign a contract against.
What this tool does not cover
- Ventilation. A sealed walk-in in Mumbai grows mould on leather within one monsoon. Specify a louvred door, an exhaust fan or a dehumidifier point.
- Doors and their swing, which in a 6 ft wide room can take a whole walkway out of use — a sliding or pocket door is usually the answer.
- Lighting circuits and door-activated switching, which need to be on the electrical drawing.
- Cost. For pricing the joinery, use the wardrobe cost calculator.
- Structural columns and beams inside the room, which reduce the usable run.
- For a wardrobe against a bedroom wall rather than a separate room, use the wardrobe layout planner.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum width for a walk-in closet?+
Five feet for a single-sided run — a 24-inch unit plus a 36-inch walkway. Six feet takes an L-shape and seven a U-shape. Below five feet, a wall of reach-in wardrobes stores more in the same floor area.
How much hanging space does one person need?+
About nine running feet for a medium wardrobe, six if you own little and fourteen if you own a lot. Double-hanging 60% of that run — two rails at 42 inches each — is what makes a modest room hold a large wardrobe.
Is a walk-in closet worth the space in a Mumbai flat?+
Only if the room would otherwise be a poor bedroom. A walk-in uses a walkway that a reach-in wardrobe does not, so it stores less per square foot. What it buys is the ability to see everything at once and to dress without waking anyone, which for a lot of households is worth the trade.
How deep should a walk-in closet unit be?+
Twenty-four inches for hanging, which is what a shoulder needs. Shelves can be 16 inches. A unit shallower than 22 inches makes shirts press against the door; deeper than 26 and the back of the shelf is unreachable.
Do walk-in closets need ventilation?+
In Mumbai, yes. A sealed closet with no air movement grows mould on leather and silk within one monsoon. A louvred shutter, a small exhaust fan on the same switch as the light, or a dehumidifier point all work — but doing nothing does not.