Fitted Wardrobes in London Homes: Design, Specification and Costs 2025

THE FITTED WARDROBE MARKET IN LONDON SPANS A WIDE RANGE FROM BUDGET FLAT-PACK FITTED TO FULLY BESPOKE HANDMADE JOINERY. THE MAIN APPROACHES: IKEA PAX/KOMPLEMENT FITTED — THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE FITTED WARDROBE SOLUTION FOR LONDON BEDROOMS. A CARPENTER INSTALLS IKEA PAX FRAMES IN THE ALCOVE OR ACROSS THE WALL, ADDS A CUSTOM CORNICE, PELMET AND SIDE PANELS FROM MDF, PAINTS EVERYTHING TO MATCH THE ROOM, AND THE RESULT LOOKS SEMI-BESPOKE AT A MUCH LOWER COST THAN A FULL BESPOKE UNIT. KOMPLEMENT SHELVING, DRAWERS AND HANGING RAILS PROVIDE FLEXIBLE INTERNAL CONFIGURATION. SLIDING DOOR SYSTEMS — PROPRIETARY SLIDING DOOR WARDROBE SYSTEMS (LEROY MERLIN BERLIN SLIDING SYSTEM, ESPACE LOGGIA, SPACEPRO, SLIDEROBES) OFFER READY-TO-FIT ALUMINIUM TRACK SYSTEMS WITH GLASS, MIRROR OR PANEL DOORS IN STANDARD SIZES. LONDON CARPENTERS CAN ALSO FRAME UP A CUSTOM WARDROBE OPENING AND FIT PROPRIETARY SLIDING GEAR (HÄFELE SLIDO, HAWA CONCEPTA). MODULAR FITTED — COMPANIES LIKE SHARPS, HAMMONDS AND STRACHAN SUPPLY A MID-RANGE FITTED WARDROBE SYSTEM WITH STANDARD CARCASSES AND A RANGE OF DOORS, INTERNAL FITTINGS AND FINISHES. LONDON SHOWROOMS FOR THESE BRANDS ARE ACROSS THE CITY; LEAD TIMES ARE TYPICALLY 6-10 WEEKS. BESPOKE PAINTED JOINERY — A LONDON SPECIALIST CARPENTER OR JOINERY COMPANY DESIGNS AND BUILDS ENTIRELY FROM SCRATCH, TYPICALLY IN MDF PAINTED TO FARROW & BALL OR LITTLE GREENE COLOUR WITH A SOLID TIMBER FACE FRAME, TRADITIONAL SHAKER OR PANELLED DOOR STYLES, CONCEALED DRAWER RUNNERS AND PREMIUM INTERNAL FITTINGS.

THE CHOICE BETWEEN SLIDING AND HINGED DOORS IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY THE SPACE AVAILABLE IN THE LONDON BEDROOM. HINGED DOORS — TRADITIONAL CABINET DOOR STYLE; PROVIDE FULL ACCESS TO THE ENTIRE WARDROBE OPENING WHEN OPEN; REQUIRE 600-700MM OF CLEAR SPACE IN FRONT OF THE WARDROBE FOR THE DOOR SWING. IN LONDON MASTER BEDROOMS WHERE THE BED IS CLOSE TO THE WARDROBE (COMMON IN TERRACED HOUSES), HINGED DOORS OFTEN CANNOT FULLY OPEN. SLIDING DOORS — NO DOOR SWING SPACE REQUIRED; ALLOW A WARDROBE TO EXTEND FLOOR-TO-CEILING AND WALL-TO-WALL WITHOUT CLEARANCE CONCERNS. TYPICAL SLIDING DOOR SYSTEMS FOR LONDON RESIDENTIAL: HÄFELE SLIDO SYSTEM (ALUMINIUM TRACK, SOFT-CLOSE INTEGRATED), ECLISSE SLIDING SYSTEMS AND SPACEPRO. MIRROR SLIDING DOORS ARE POPULAR IN SMALLER LONDON BEDROOMS AS THEY CREATE THE ILLUSION OF MORE SPACE AND DOUBLE AS A FULL-LENGTH MIRROR — SAVING WALL SPACE. DISADVANTAGE OF SLIDING DOORS: AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT ONLY HALF THE WARDROBE WIDTH IS ACCESSIBLE; DEEP WARDROBES CAN FEEL LESS ORGANISED THAN HINGED-DOOR EQUIVALENTS.

A WELL-FITTED INTERIOR IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE EXTERNAL DOORS AND FINISH FOR A LONDON FITTED WARDROBE. STANDARD INTERNAL CONFIGURATION FOR A LONDON DOUBLE BEDROOM WARDROBE (2400MM WIDE x 600MM DEEP x 2400MM TALL): LONG HANGING SECTION (600MM WIDE) FOR DRESSES, SUITS AND COATS; SHORT DOUBLE HANGING (600MM WIDE, UPPER AND LOWER RAIL) FOR SHIRTS, JACKETS AND TROUSERS; SHELVED SECTION (600MM WIDE) FOR FOLDED ITEMS; SHOE SHELVES AT BASE; DRAWER BANK (3-5 DRAWERS) FOR SMALLER ITEMS. PREMIUM INTERNAL FITTINGS USED IN LONDON BESPOKE WARDROBES: BLUM ANTARO AND LEGRABOX DRAWER SYSTEMS (SOFT-CLOSE, FULL-EXTENSION, WOODEN OR STEEL SIDES); HÄFELE SHELVING PINS AND SHELF SUPPORTS; PULL-OUT TROUSER RACKS (HÄFELE OR HETTICH); VELVET-LINED JEWELLERY TRAYS; LED INTERIOR LIGHTING (SENSIO STRIPLIGHT, ACTIVATED BY MAGNETIC DOOR SENSOR). IKEA KOMPLEMENT INTERNAL FITTINGS (PULL-OUT TRAYS, DRAWER UNITS, PULL-OUT TROUSER RACK) OFFER EXCELLENT VALUE IN LONDON PAX FITTED WARDROBE INSTALLATIONS.

LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACES ALMOST UNIVERSALLY HAVE CHIMNEY BREAST ALCOVES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CHIMNEY BREAST IN GROUND FLOOR AND FIRST FLOOR BEDROOMS. THESE ALCOVES ARE THE NATURAL LOCATION FOR FITTED WARDROBES IN A LONDON BEDROOM AND CAN BE FITTED EXTREMELY EFFICIENTLY. STANDARD LONDON ALCOVE WARDROBE SPECIFICATION: STRUCTURAL SUPPORT — ALCOVES ARE USUALLY BOUNDED BY THE CHIMNEY BREAST WALL ON ONE SIDE AND THE PARTY WALL ON THE OTHER. NO STRUCTURAL WORK IS REQUIRED IN MOST CASES AS THE WARDROBE FRAME SIMPLY FITS WITHIN THE EXISTING MASONRY RECESS. DEPTH — VICTORIAN ALCOVES ARE TYPICALLY 500-600MM DEEP, WHICH IS EXACTLY RIGHT FOR WARDROBE HANGING DEPTH (550MM IS STANDARD). FLOOR-TO-CEILING HEIGHT — ALCOVES IN LONDON VICTORIAN TERRACES ARE TYPICALLY 2400-2700MM CLEAR HEIGHT, ALLOWING A FULL HEIGHT WARDROBE WITH A DEEP CORNICE TO HIDE ANY CEILING JUNCTIONS. MOST LONDON ALCOVE WARDROBES HAVE HINGED DOORS (TWO DOORS FOR A STANDARD DOUBLE ALCOVE WIDTH OF 1200-1400MM) AS THE DEPTH IS FIXED AND THE OPENING IS THE FULL ALCOVE WIDTH. SIMPLE PAINTED MDF SHAKER-STYLE ALCOVE WARDROBES WITH IKEA PAX INTERNALS ARE THE BEST VALUE APPROACH FOR LONDON PERIOD BEDROOMS.

FITTED WARDROBE COSTS IN LONDON IN 2025 VARY WIDELY BY APPROACH AND SPECIFICATION: IKEA PAX FITTED WITH MDF SURROUND, PAINTED (SUPPLY AND INSTALL, 2400MM WIDE x 600MM DEEP x 2200MM TALL) — £1,200-£2,000 INCLUDING CARPENTER LABOUR; SLIDING DOOR SYSTEM FITTED (PROPRIETARY TRACK AND DOORS, 3000MM WIDE, MIRROR PANELS) — £1,500-£3,000 SUPPLY AND FIX; SHARPS OR HAMMONDS MID-RANGE SYSTEM (3000MM WIDE, FLOOR TO CEILING, SLIDING DOORS, BLUM DRAWERS) — £3,000-£6,000 SUPPLY AND FIT INCLUDING INSTALLATION; BESPOKE PAINTED MDF WARDROBE WITH SHAKER DOORS (3000MM WIDE x 2400MM TALL, TWO HINGED DOORS, MDF PAINTED IN FARROW & BALL POINTING WITH BLUM DRAWER BANK) — £4,000-£8,000 SUPPLY AND FIX; FULLY BESPOKE PAINTED JOINERY WITH FRAMED DOORS, PREMIUM INTERNALS AND LED LIGHTING (SAME SIZE) — £8,000-£18,000 SUPPLY AND FIX FROM A LONDON SPECIALIST JOINERY WORKSHOP; ALCOVE WARDROBE (LONDON TERRACE BEDROOM, SINGLE ALCOVE 1200MM WIDE, SHAKER PAINTED, IKEA INTERNALS) — £900-£1,800 SUPPLY AND FIX.