How to Build a Wardrobe That's Built-In

A bedroom closet often does not offer enough space for your clothes and accessories. You can solve this problem by installing a wardrobe which you can build yourself. By creating a built-in wardrobe, it will look like it has always been there and it will not take any space away from the room. This do-it-yourself project can be challenging, but with the right tools and supplies you can do it yourself in a weekend.

You will need:

• Two-inch-by-four-inch wood studs


• 18-feet of one-inch-by-five-inch wood


• 1-inch-by-twelve-inch wood


• Four-feet of one-inch-by-four-inch wood


• 20-feet of one-inch-by-two-inch wood


• 2 1/2-inch wood screws


• 1 1/2-inch wood screws


• 4 to 5 sheets of drywall


• Drywall compound


• Drywall tape


• Drywall putty knife and feathering tools


• 24-feet-by-80-inch door, including hardware


• Door screws and hinges


• Drill


• Compound miter saw


• Nail gun and 2 1/2-inch to 3-inch nails


• Utility knife


• Feathering Knife


• Level


• Chisel


• Hammer


• Router woth door hinge notching bit

Create the Opening

1. Cut a hole in the wall that is the size of the door plus 4-inches in height and 6 1/4-inches in width. Make sure that the section of wall does not include any plumbing or electrical wiring. Measure the distance from the top to the base plates and cut two a two-inch-by-four-inch section of wood to that length. Insert them into the walls on both sides of the door and make sure that they are level vertically. They should not extend into the door opening. Toenail them into the plates to reinforce the opening.


2. Cut two two-inch-by-four-inch pieces of wood the height of the door opening. Make sure that they are level on all sides and nail them to the wood studs in the wall and the base plate on the floor.


3. Cut another section of two-inch-by-four-inch wood that is the width of the door to use as a header and nail it into the tops of the vertical pieces.


4. Cut a section of one-inch-by-five-inch wood and nail it below and into the header.


5. Measure from the header to the floor and use the measurement to cut two pieces of one-inch-by-five-inch wood that will be used as the sides of the door frame. Level them and then nail them to the two-inch-by-four-inch wood framing.

Frame the Wardrobe 

1. Go to the room adjoining the one where you are installing the wardrobe. Cut two-inch-by-four-inch pieces of wood to create the base plates and lay them out on the floor. Drill holes in to the wood and floor using a drill. Place anchors into the holes and then screw the plates to the floor using wood or heavy-duty screws.


2. Align the top plates of the wardrobe with the bottom ones and screw them into the beams in the ceiling.


3. Measure the distance between the top and base plates and cut two-inch-by-four-inch wall studs to that measurement. Place the wall studs between the plates, about one-foot apart. Toenail them to the bases using a nail gun or screws.

Close the Walls 

1. Measure the length and width of the wardrobe's wall surfaces. Transfer these measurements to pieces of drywall and then score a line using a utility knife. Snap the sections apart and then cut through the backing with the utility knife. 


2. Line up the sections of drywall so that the edges are on a wood stud. Use drywall screws every 6-inches to 12-inches along the legnth to secure the drywall to the studs. Completely cover the inside and outside of the wardrobe's walls.


3. Apply joint compound to the screw holes and each seam. Place a strip of paper or mesh tape over the seams and then smooth another layer of joint compound over them and feather finish it.

Add Fixtures 

1. Add baseboard molding to the walls and trim the doorway with door molding. Use a hammer and chisel or router to mark the location of the door's hinges and then screw them into the framing. Bore a hole for the door's latch, screw the plate over it and then hang the door.


2. Use 15-inch lengths of 1-inch-by-four-inch wood to screw the clothes hanger rod brackets into and then screw the wood into the side walls of the wardrobe. Cut the clothes rod so that it will fit between the two brackets and then place it in them.


3. Place shelves in the wardrobe using one-inch-by-twelve-inch wood. Secure them using nails.


4. Install a full size mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door.