A glass corner wardrobe usually appears late in a project — in the bedroom schedule, in a joinery drawing, sometimes only as a note saying “mirror/glass to bedhead wall”. That is exactly where it starts to cost money. Corner units are made-to-measure, they sit against two walls that are never quite square, and the glass, frame and door mechanism all have to agree with each other before production starts. A short, complete procurement brief settles those questions once. The brief below is the checklist we use on SANTERSON residential wardrobe projects, written for buyers, project managers and interior contractors who need a quotation they can compare.

1. Start with the corner geometry, not the door finish

Corner wardrobes are supplied as made-to-measure units, with the layout tailored to the space rather than picked from a fixed catalogue width. Before anyone chooses a glass tint, record what the corner actually is: the internal angle, both wall runs from the apex to the first obstruction, the room height at several points, and the position of skirting, architraves, switch plates, air grilles and door openings. Wall-to-wall dimensions taken from a drawing are a starting point; a site measure of the finished room, with floor and ceiling finishes included, is what the carcass is built to.

Note what sits in the corner today and what will be removed. Old plaster, packing, built-in shelving and non-structural stud work all change the numbers. State the tolerance the site can offer, and whether the unit is expected to scribe to an out-of-plumb wall or whether the builder will true up the corner first. This single line in the brief prevents most site problems.

Then decide how the corner is used. Our Corner Wardrobes range is offered in several layouts, and the layout drives the internal fittings, the door type and the glass area:

2. Name the glass, the frame and the door system

“Glass door wardrobe” is not a specification. Write three separate line items so quotations are comparable:

  • Glass type and colour. Clear, frosted, bronze, smoked and ribbed glass behave very differently under bedroom lighting and next to a paint palette. State where each one appears — full-height door, upper door only, or a display niche.
  • Frame and its finish. Frame profile width, colour and whether the frame is aluminium or timber-based all change the look and the price. Aluminum Frame Glass Wardrobes give a slim, consistent edge; timber-fronted collections read softer and match a veneer or lacquer run elsewhere in the room.
  • Door and hardware. Hinged, sliding or open; soft-close or standard; handle, handleless or integrated pull; and the track or hinge type. For sliding doors, name the clearance the track needs and confirm the headroom available after the ceiling finish.

Ask for the reflection and transparency decision to be made once for the whole room. Glass that reads as a mirror at one angle can look like a window at another; if the brief calls for a quieter result, say so and ask for a lower-reflection option rather than leaving it to the shop drawings.

3. Specify the inside of the unit, not just the face

The corner bay is the wasteful part of any wardrobe if it is left to the manufacturer. Decide and state: hanging heights and how many; shelf spacing; drawer banks and their position relative to the corner; shoe and accessory storage; whether the corner is a rotating or pull-out arrangement or simply deep shelving; and where integrated lighting is wanted, with the power point and switch location shown on the drawing. Also record internal carcass and back-panel colours, edge treatment, and the load the shelves must carry.

If the same project also needs a walk-in or dressing room, brief it against the same rules and the same finish schedule so the joinery reads as one package across the floor.

4. Put the commercial detail in the brief

A quotation you cannot compare is a risk, not an asset. For each wardrobe type, ask the supplier to show:

  • Unit-by-unit pricing on the made-to-measure configuration, with what is included and what is an option
  • Minimum order quantity and how it applies across rooms and levels — our Custom & OEM service is run with flexible order quantities, but the number is agreed per project
  • Lead time measured from approved shop drawings, not from enquiry, and what has to be signed off to start the clock
  • Packaging, freight mode and delivery point, with customs paperwork and door-to-door delivery scope stated in writing
  • Installation and after-sales arrangements for your site, including who fixes the unit to the wall and who makes good around it

Because these figures vary with scope, glass choice and access, they are confirmed per project rather than published as a standard rate. Put your questions in the brief and require them to be answered in the quotation.

5. Approve drawings and a physical sample before production

Before the order is released, require shop drawings that show the corner dimensioned both ways, the door swing or track zone, the internal elevation, and the setting-out line against the finished floor and ceiling. Then require a physical sample of the glass, frame finish and one door edge — a swatch card is not enough for glass, where the tint and the reflective coating only read properly at full size and under the room's own light.

Finally, list the sign-off chain in the brief: who confirms the site measure, who approves the glass, who releases production, and who inspects on delivery. As a China-based furniture and building materials manufacturer and one-stop project furnishing supplier, SANTERSON handles wardrobe and fit-out work through the same route used for cabinetry, doors, lighting and finishes on villa and hospitality projects — design and specification, production coordination, logistics and site delivery. That is easiest to coordinate when the wardrobe brief reaches the supplier before the joinery package is tendered.

Send the corner dimensions, the door preference and the finish schedule, and the quotation can be priced on the same terms you will use for the rest of the joinery package.