Adding a custom look to standard wardrobes

DIY specialist and renovator Natasha Dickins of Little Red Industries added customised DIY finishes to her built-in wardrobe and matched it to the rest of the room with new Multistore Solutions VJ sliding doors.

Here’s how she did it…

This small bedroom is a lovely space to sleep in, but it has no storage. So I created an area for a built-in wardrobe by knocking out the wall and moving the door to the opposite side and building a new cavity (although that’s another story!).

In such a small room, keeping any additions white makes it appear seamless and bright, so I’ve gone with a white Multistore Solutions package.

To prepare for the wardrobe install, I lay the flooring, clad the bedroom walls in VJ panels and painted all the surfaces.

As part of the full room renovation I chose the Multistore VJ grooved sliding doors so they would blend with the surrounding VJ wall panels, all finished in white to help it feel airy and spacious.

The DIY customised wardrobe in my guest bedroom now has it all – hanging space, lots of drawers and shelves, a vanity top and even hidden suitcase storage that makes the most of an awkward spot under the raked ceiling.

I love the warmth of wood features though and couldn’t help adding a little midcentury touch by switching out the unit handles and adding a vanity-type timber top.

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To get started I needed a plan plus Multistore Solutions shelf and five-drawer unit, drawer unit, hat shelf with rail, door package with three VJ doors and triple track.

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Assembly

I assembled the units in my workshop where there’s a great flat surface to work on and room to move.

By swapping out the supplied handles for midcentury-style timber Prestige post box handles I added a little warmth and personality to the wardrobe.

TIP Make a template to drill the holes accurately. Also check the handles don’t increase the depth of the units to catch the doors once installed.

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To install the drawer runners, check the instructions for which holes to use then count up from the base and mark with tape.

Make sure the wheel of the runner is at the front, facing down, then match up the holes and install using the screws provided.

The units are much lighter and easier to move without the drawers.

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I lifted the top unit (with the dowels) onto the base then nudged the full assembly into position.

I added drawers and shelves last, checked the units were flush against the cavity back and installed the safety brackets to keep them in position.

Secret storage!

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Shhh… Secret Compartment

The hat shelf comes with battens that I cut to fit between the wall and the unit, I also trimmed a corner of the shelf to fit around the moulding in the corner of the cavity and checked that it fit safely before sliding it across for access. When ordering the units, you would usually check the hat shelf runs the full width of the units, but I wanted to be able to slide it to the side to fit a suitcase.

To fit the hanging rail, I marked the centre of the wall and measured down from the battens, checking that a wooden coat hanger would fit without banging the wall or doors.

Painting the VJ Sliding Doors

After masking around the frame with painter’s tape, I used a 100mm mini microfibre roller with this handy technique that avoids cutting in with a brush – keep the roller loaded with paint, use the tip to paint around the inside of the frame then push it along the grooves, saturating them without pooling, then paint the panels.

Painting the room in Porter’s Eggshell Finish in Popcorn gives it a beautiful glow and I finished the VJ doors with the same. I love how creamy this paint is and how smoothly it rolls on.

TIP Choose a 10mm nap roller if using a flat wall paint, but go with a 4mm nap if applying gloss.

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Fitting the VJ Sliding Doors

Fitting the runners is easy! The top and bottom runners come custom made to your measurements, so no need for any cutting, just screw into place!

Install the Doors To install the doors, lift into place top first, hold the door at slight angle inwards, position the door in back track first.

Adjustments You can adjust the doors so they are perfectly aligned, simply turn the adjuster screws clockwise or anticlockwise on bottom runners to raise or lower the door as required

Adding a Personal Touch

To make a vanity tabletop, I cut a 600mm-wide laminated timber panel to fit and nailed a length of half-round dowel along the front to create a lip.