Plan your wardrobe internals
Measure the opening you intend to fill, floor to the underside of the loft.
How this planner works
- Bays = round(width ÷ 2 ft). This sets the bay width, which the planner reports in feet and millimetres so you can check it against shutter sizes.
- Shelf bays: one for wardrobes up to four bays, two from five bays up.
- Hanging split: of the remaining bays, long hang takes 60% for mostly Indian wear, 40% mixed and 25% western, rounded to the nearest bay with a minimum of one. The rest become short or double hang.
- Usable height = stated height − 0.5 ft for the plinth and the top rail. Double hanging is offered only when usable height reaches 7 ft, because two rods at 1,050 mm plus clearance need that much.
- Hanging rod = long bays × bay width + short bays × bay width × 2 where double hanging applies.
- Shelves = shelf bays × floor(available height ÷ 1.15 ft), a 350 mm pitch, with 2 ft 6 in deducted where a drawer bank sits below.
- Drawer banks: one where a dresser is wanted, two for two sharers in a wardrobe of five bays or more, at four drawers each.
- Shutters = ceiling of (width ÷ 1.8 ft), keeping each leaf under about 550 mm so it does not sag on its hinges.
| Internal element | Height needed | Depth | What it holds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long hang rod | 1,500 mm | 550 – 600 mm | Sarees, kurtas, sherwanis, long coats, dresses |
| Short hang rod | 1,050 mm | 550 – 600 mm | Shirts, folded trousers, jackets |
| Double hang (two rods) | 2,100 mm plus clearance | 550 – 600 mm | Twice the shirt and trouser capacity in one bay |
| Shelf | 350 mm pitch | 450 – 550 mm | Folded knitwear, jeans, bed linen |
| Drawer bank of four | 750 mm total | 500 mm | Innerwear, accessories, jewellery trays |
| Loft | 600 mm | 550 – 600 mm | Suitcases, quilts, seasonal clothing |
| Pull-out trouser rack | 300 mm | 500 mm | Eight to twelve trousers, crease-free |
Design and build under one accountable roof
Worked example: an 8 ft × 7 ft wardrobe for two people
- Bays = round(8 ÷ 2) = 4 bays at 2 ft (610 mm) each
- Shelf bays = 1 (four bays total), leaving 3 bays for hanging
- Mixed wear → long hang = round(3 × 0.40) = 1 bay; the other 2 bays become hanging bays
- Usable height = 7 − 0.5 = 6.5 ft, which is below the 7 ft threshold, so those two bays get single rods
- Hanging rod = (1 × 2 ft) + (2 × 2 ft) = 6 running ft
- Drawer bank of four occupies the bottom 2 ft 6 in of the shelf bay, leaving 4 ft for shelves → 3 shelves at 350 mm pitch
- Shutters = ceiling(8 ÷ 1.8) = 5 leaves; loft 8 ft × 2 ft with lift-up shutters; front elevation 56 sq ft plus 16 sq ft of loft.
Raise the usable height to 7.5 ft and the same wardrobe switches those two bays to double hang, taking the hanging rod from 6 to 10 running feet — the clearest argument on this page for building to the slab rather than stopping at a convenient 7 ft.
Detailing that decides whether the wardrobe works
- Depth is 600 mm, not 450. A hanger is 450 mm across its shoulders. At 450 mm of carcass depth the clothes touch the shutter and crease at the sleeve.
- Put the drawer bank at eye-to-hip level, not at the floor. Bottom drawers below 300 mm are used for things you never take out.
- Internal lighting on a door sensor costs a few thousand rupees and is the upgrade clients mention most a year later. Plan the point before the wall is closed.
- Loft shutters need lift-up hardware. Plain hinged shutters above 7 ft swing into your face and cannot be held open with one hand.
- Vent the back. A wardrobe against an external or bathroom-adjacent wall needs a 20 mm air gap and a few discreet vents, or the back panel absorbs monsoon damp.
- Mirror inside, not outside, unless the room needs the visual width. An inside-face mirror stays clean and does not date the shutter design.
Clients ask for more shelves and regret it. Hanging is what runs out first in every wardrobe we revisit.
Greenbox principal designer
What this planner does not decide
- The price — use the wardrobe cost calculator once the layout is settled
- Carcass and shutter material, hardware brand and finish
- Whether the wall is plumb and square, which changes bay widths at the ends
- Beams, ducts and electrical points that cut into the opening
- Walk-in and corner wardrobe geometry, which needs a drawing rather than a bay count
This calculator uses the same rate bands and site rules our estimators apply, taken from Greenbox project records and cross-checked against 2026 supplier and contractor quotations in Mumbai. It is an indicative estimate, not a quotation — the real figure depends on your drawings, site condition and the brands you finally specify.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard size of a wardrobe bay?+
About 2 ft, or 600 to 750 mm. That module matches shutter widths, keeps shelf spans short enough not to sag, and suits a standard hinge set. Bays much wider than 2 ft 6 in need thicker shelves or a mid support.
How much hanging space do I need?+
Roughly 3 running feet of rod per person for mostly western wear and 4 to 5 for mostly Indian wear, where sarees and kurtas need a 1,500 mm long hang that cannot be doubled up. Two people sharing an 8 ft wardrobe usually want at least 10 running feet, which needs double hanging.
What is the minimum height for a double-hang wardrobe?+
Seven feet of usable internal height. Two rods at 1,050 mm each plus clearance above and below needs about 2,200 mm, and you lose 6 inches to the plinth and top rail. Below 7 ft you get one rod per bay — which is why a wardrobe built only to a convenient 7 ft overall loses half its hanging capacity.
How deep should a wardrobe be?+
Six hundred millimetres of carcass depth, giving about 550 mm internally. A hanger measures 450 mm across the shoulders, so at 450 mm depth the clothes press against the shutter. Sliding wardrobes need 650 mm because the track takes 50 mm.
Do I need a loft above the wardrobe?+
In a Mumbai flat, almost always. A 2 ft loft across the full width takes suitcases and quilts that otherwise occupy usable hanging space. Specify lift-up or bi-fold hardware — plain hinged loft shutters at that height are unusable with your arms full.