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We would all love to own a large
walk-in closet with well-lit
fl oor-to-ceiling mirror but a
well-planned and organised
clothing cupboard is a more realistic and
attractive alternative for most people.
The mobile cupboard units shown here
were specially constructed for the owner
out of 22mm laminated pine boards and
finished in durable white enamel. The size
and depth of the cupboards were configured
for this apartment and would therefore vary
from location to location. The construction is
relatively simple in that the boards were simply
glued and screwed together. The following
images and text are intended to inspire new
ideas and possible configurations for your own
cupboard. Your personal wardrobe is, after all,
an extremely individual thing.
1 Add accessories
A stainless-steel rail can be
added to the inside of a door.
Add as many as you may need.
These can be used to hang
items such as scarves, ties and
costume jewellery. Measure
and space the rails so that they
are an equal distance from
the sides of the door and are
spaced to allow for the lengths
of the items that they will hold.
Screw these in place–make
sure that they are level before
doing so. You can also add
individual hooks to the inside
of a door that can be used for
items, such as handbags, that
can be hung.
2 Customise the layout
Measure the wall area against which you plan to place your cupboard(s) and divide
the space according to your needs for hanging and packing space. The layout of
the cupboard shown here comprises three separate units (placed on castors) that,
together, allow for four hanging rails–three for shorter garments and one for longer
items such as dresses. There is also adequate allowance for packing shelves,
drawers and storage space for bags and boxes. Shoes and boots that are worn more
often (according to the season) are relegated to special pull-out shelves, while pairs
worn less often can be packed below the hanging spaces or stored in boxes in the
spaces above.
3 Turn shelves into drawers
Convert shelf spaces into drawers: construct
drawers to fit shelf spaces and then add drawer
runners. Use a jigsaw to cut out handholds in the
drawer fronts as there will be little space between
the drawer fronts and the cupboard doors for
conventional handles.
4 Move or add
extra hanging rails
Aluminium hanging
rails are inexpensive
and can easily be
added to create
extra hanging space.
Existing rails can be
moved up so that extra
rails can be added
below. This will create
two separate hanging
spaces that can be
used for hanging
shorter garments.
5 Add some wheels
If you are constructing new cupboards, consider
building these as separate units (such as the ones
showcased in this article) so that you can add castors
to the bottom of each for mobility. In this way you
will not be limited in your placement of furniture and
can move your cupboards just as you would move
other pieces of furniture in the room. Should you
wish to add castors to the bottom of your cupboards,
consider constructing them (or at least the bases)
from pine, as it is stronger and will support the
cupboards' weight better than chipboard would.
6 Add pull-out shoe shelves
A Measure the opening into which your
shoe shelves will be placed. Space the
shelves according to the heights of your
shoes or boots.
B Screw the 'outside' part(s) of the drawer
runner(s) onto these positions.
Tip: Add a 22mm spacer between the
runner and the side of the cupboard
so that the shelf will slide past the door
hinges if the movement of these shelves
will impact on the doors or hinges.
C Fix the 'inside' drawer runner(s) to the
bottom of the shelf(ves).
Tip: The width of the shelves can be
calculated by subtracting 26mm (13mm
for each drawer-runner set) from the width
of the opening. Remember to subtract an
additional 44mm (22mm each side) if you
are adding spacers.
D Slide the shelves into position.
Tip: Add a strip along the front edge of
these shelves that will act as a handle but
also keep the shoes in place.
7 Add mirrors
to the doors
Mirrors can easily be added
to cupboard doors, either on
the inside or the outside. The
cupboard shown here has a
mirror fi xed to the outside of each
door. Measure the surface area
of the door(s), which you wish to
clad with mirror, before ordering.
Note: When ordering/purchasing
your mirror(s), remember to
request that the edges are
polished and that holes are drilled
in the corners to allow for the
mirrors to be fixed to the doors
with screws.
Drill pilot holes into the
door that correspond with the
holes drilled in the corners of
each mirror. Place the rubber
washer (supplied with the mirror
screws) in place before fastening
the screw.
Important: Do not over-tighten
the screw as this could cause the
mirror to crack.
8 Update
the doorknobs
This is the simplest way to give
old cupboards a face-lift. Add
the final fi nishing touches by
screwing the new doorknobs in
place. You can use the existing
holes or, if you are fi xing the
knobs to new doors, make sure
to measure and drill all new
holes along the same height.
Note: Should you decide to
clad your cupboard doors with
mirrors you will have to specify
that an additional hole be
drilled through the mirror for
the new doorknob.
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