A wardrobe drawing that shows a tidy elevation is easy to produce. A specification a factory can build from, an install team can fit and a buyer can sign off is another matter. Freestanding open wardrobes sit in an awkward middle ground: they are not built into a wall cavity like fitted joinery, yet they are not loose furniture that can be swapped out if the size is wrong. If overall size, internal layout or finish is recorded incorrectly, the unit still has to work in the room it was made for.

The structure below is what we work to on residential wardrobe projects, using the Freestanding Open Wardrobes range as the reference point. Every item should be confirmed in writing before production starts. Dimensions and selected specifications are to be re-checked for each individual project.

Start with the room, not the wardrobe

A freestanding open wardrobe stands against a surface and usually sits between other pieces, so the first figures needed are room figures, not product figures. Record the length of the wall the unit stands against, the available depth including skirting, door reveals and anything projecting from the wall such as switches, radiators or pipework, and the floor level across the full run. Floor levels that vary along the run matter more for a long open unit than for a closed cabinet, because an exposed frame shows misalignment along its top edge.

Then record what the wardrobe has to clear once installed: the swing of the room door, the reach to a window or an adjacent drawer, and circulation space in front of the hanging zone. Open wardrobes have no doors to allow for, but they do have an open front, which means shelves and rails are used without a door closure forcing everything inside a fixed envelope.

Fix the outer envelope before the internals

Lock down overall width, overall height and overall depth first, and state each as a finished dimension including frame, plinth, top panel and edge trim. State whether the height is a maximum the room can take or a chosen design height. A made-to-measure unit specified to the millimetre leaves no tolerance for an uneven floor or for carpet laid after the wardrobe goes in.

Depth is where most open-wardrobe specifications go wrong. A hanging rail needs enough clear depth that shoulders and sleeves do not sit proud of the frame. A shelf depth set for folded storage does not serve hanging, and a depth set for hanging wastes space over folded storage. Where one unit carries both, specify the depth against the hanging requirement first and let the folded storage work inside it.

Specify the open layout bay by bay

With no doors, the internal layout is the visible design. Break the unit into bays and state for each bay: width; number and positions of fixed shelves; whether a hanging rail is fitted and at what height; whether a drawer bank is included; and any shoe, tray or accessory zone. Give shelf spans as clear spans, and note where a span is too wide for the chosen board thickness without an intermediate support.

Set hanging heights from the user, not from a catalogue default. Short hang for shirts and folded workwear, long hang for coats and dresses, and double hang for everyday bedroom storage each need a different clear height, and the figure should be given as clear space under the rail rather than as the rail position alone. Where a project mixes open bays with enclosed storage, cross-check the open layout against Combination Modular Wardrobes so module widths and finishes align where the two systems meet.

Name the material and finish in the order the factory needs

On an open unit every surface is on display, so the finish cannot be covered by one word. Specify the substrate, the surface material, the colour or decor reference and the sheen, and be explicit about which faces are visible. Interior faces of open bays are seen from the front and from the side, so the edge treatment on those faces belongs in the same line as the board itself.

Where the project calls for a particular look, choose from the ranges in the same open wardrobe family and state which one is intended. A Minimalist Open Wardrobes specification usually relies on slim frame profiles and clean shadow lines. A Wood Tone Open Wardrobes specification needs the decor reference and the grain direction stated, because grain run changes how a long shelf reads. A Metal Frame Open Wardrobes specification requires the frame section and the metal finish to be recorded separately from the panel material.

Record the fixing method as a designed item

Freestanding means the unit is not built into the wall. It does not mean unrestrained. State the wall construction the unit bears against, the restraint or wall-fixing method proposed, and whether fixing points are exposed or concealed. For taller open units, the fixing detail and the maximum height the chosen frame can carry should be agreed for the specific site and recorded on the drawing, not assumed.

State also how the unit is levelled, whether a plinth or adjustable feet are used, and whether the plinth is finished on every visible side. On an open unit an unfinished base is visible from the front.

Add the access and handling line that saves the install

A made-to-measure open wardrobe that cannot reach the room turns a factory matter into a site matter. Record the delivery route in figures: lift car dimensions, stair width and turns, corridor widths at the narrowest point, and the longest single piece that will pass. Where the route will not take the assembled unit, specify a sectional build from the start and show the joint position on the drawing, so the joint lands on a bay division rather than mid-shelf.

Close the specification with a sign-off list

Before the drawing is released, check it against a short list. Room dimensions and floor levels recorded. Finished outer dimensions given, including frame and plinth. Depth confirmed against the hanging requirement. Bay-by-bay layout with clear shelf spans and clear hanging heights. Substrate, surface, decor reference, sheen and edge treatment named for every visible face. Fixing method and wall construction agreed for the site. Sectional build and joint positions shown where the access route requires it. Delivery route confirmed against the maximum single-piece size.

SANTERSON is a China-based manufacturer and one-stop supplier of furniture and building materials for residential, villa and hospitality projects, with custom and OEM production covering made-to-measure sizing, material and finish options, and layouts tailored to the project. Send a room dimension and a layout intent and we will return a specification drawing for review before production begins. The wider storage family these units sit within is listed under Built-in furniture.

All dimensions, materials, finishes and fixing details are project-specific and must be confirmed for each project before production and installation.