Home Q&A: Should I buy a new wardrobe or renovate the one I already have?

Kya deLongchamps goes into our closets with her advice on whether to replace or renovate

Here, together with a small, integrated make-up spot behind a slider, what could have provided a dead void at the ceiling has been framed out into a small library. This is time to get exactly what you want. File picture

Should I buy a new wardrobe or renovate what I have?

Now that double and triple wardrobes are priced from €400 for a free-standing, self-assembly from Ikea or Jysk, to well over €2000 for a large, built-in super storage system — buying a new ‘robe is a significant investment. Tearing out of the original involves destroying what is often a perfectly solid interior frame and dumping it to landfill (as it most likely includes solvents and layered synthetic materials). Strong MDF, timber, steel, and aluminium frames spell quality. We should preserve them if at all possible, acting as sustainably as possible.

Wardrobe doors and frames provided by even expensive branding are usually standard engineering in MDF or MFC under a laminate or paint job. Most of our attention is grabbed by the flash appearance and silky operation of the doors, plus all that tempting fixed and articulated micro-management. This is where most of your money is going, together with the price of any installation. 

Sophisticated (largely optional) interior fittings can quickly double the price of a wardrobe. Let’s face it, we are often bowled over by the look of a wardrobe on the showroom floor, not its actual material story.

Renovating a wardrobe

To renovate a wardrobe, we can replace or aesthetically refresh the doors. We can improve and reconfigure the number of shelves and integrate a range of storage solutions to better organise our lives. Where there are good interior drawers, stout shelving and hanging rails, we can add more and/or move them. Given all this potential, why skip a stout carcass? This could prove to be a very quick, economical and easy upgrade.

If there are dings through the door material, visible on the outside, shelves are beaten and bowing, edging is lifting, the wardrobe is rocking-and-rolling when you push it from one side or open the doors (and more weight travels to the front) — there is an argument for getting rid. Do your own survey. Empty the wardrobe, take out any shelving that’s not fixed, test drawers and tighten up all visible and accessible screws with a driver or Allen key. If you now have doubts about the structural integrity of the wardrobe, it’s seriously shabby, built into a terrible position, start by pricing up a solid, well-designed replacement with a good door action (slide or swing).

Many suppliers can price up options for both a complete refit and a door-only renovation. Measure up according to their instructions, take some phone images and chase down at least two no-obligation quotes. Ensure you include hardware (handles and knob choices) and specific swing, bump-open or slider action. Chances are, you know what minces your last nerve every time you reach for your clothes.

A new Sliderobe makes superb use of 600mm depth in a tight corner.

This is the moment to get exactly what you want in looks and performance. Renovating just the doors, made-to-measure may cost a little more than standard sizes, especially with visible drawers included — but you’re unlikely to surpass the price of a complete quality wardrobe. The advantage here is the range of finishes available and (with a made-to-measure re-fit) tackling a complex built-in filling, say an entire wall.

New doors for standard wardrobe sizes are available in fibreboard, plywood, MDF and MFC. Happily, they can be ordered with the hinges in place. Ikea offers new doors in its sizes (that can be used as replacements to glow up your matching Ikea frame). These start around €70 a piece for swing doors (Pax 50cm x 229cm) bundled with the hinges. So, over a three-piece wardrobe (three swing/slider doors), a €210 spend.

If your hinges are shot, there are two ways to go. You can use existing pilot holes in good order, utilise new concealed hinges, or incorporate surface-mounted hinges. When ordering anything self-assembly, look for products with as many fixings already in place, like pre-inserted cams and dowels. When taking off the doors, if the interior surfacing of the wardrobe is in good order, think about potentially leaving one long door off, delivering tall, open, shelved storage for grab-and-go pieces, like your handbags or shoes.

No matter what you dream up, if the installation of the typical frame, modular boxed units and doors of a wardrobe is not A1, it will always look cheap and not handle well. Jamming sliders or sticky new swing doors will leer at you, just teasingly out of alignment. Incidentally, this is a great time to upgrade a swing door to a slider by fitting a slider rail to the bottom front and bottom edge of the existing (plumb) robe and running gear to the new door, or even re-using a good, surviving slider. 

Mirrored sliders are fantastic in smaller rooms — amplifying apparent space and adding real passing-room. Going DIY, the Spacepro Classic 2-door mirrored slider kit 2220mm (H) x 1489 (W) is a reasonable €196.20 at B&Q. With independent firms, a reputable supplier will guide your choice of slider system and will offer an installation guide to follow.

A recess carries mirrors that let light and reflections fly: The Spacepro 3 range, available at B&Q, offers mirrored sliding doors that are ideal for a refit on a stable carcass.

Don’t be too proud (or downright cheap) to ask for their nearest local fitter, and when ordering, remember that frames, door profiles, the running gear, and the slider must match seamlessly.

I would advise against leaving any new or renovated proper wardrobe without a bottom panel (floor). It gives the piece more muscle, keeping it steady and spells quality over desperation. If your doors currently sit over rather into the frame, you may lose some depth to include a slider — which then bumps into your existing shelf depth. 

For a recess, made-to-measure, explore options like the Axis Sliding Door Systems from the Panelling Centre to fit any opening. There’s a lot to think about. Plan the project out and be honest about your skill set.

Wardrobe flip inspiration

One of my favourite inspirational repair/flip is this primer from content creator Claire Douglas. This is a great illustration of what’s possible with raw courage and a budget. Having shattered her inherited wardrobe one snowy night, she assembled five Shaker doors, including a skirted base in boutique hotel flash, for under €260 ( Clairedouglasstyling.co.uk). I really appreciate that she includes typical DIY blunders. Building the wardrobe out right to the ceiling with crown moulding makes all the difference, as the architectural weight can really dress up a room. 

Obviously, just changing doors like-for-like in standard sizes is far less taxing. As Claire demonstrates, always, always prep carefully and use the correct primer for the door finish, be it a laminate or solid wood.

New or renovated, don’t forget discreet details in your rush to put in a fabulous articulated clothes rail or stunning hardware. Wardrobes require ventilation, for starters. If there are no vents or grilles, biology can thrive on your clothes. Soft-close brushes to door edges will make a slider land softly and silently rather than crashing into the frame at 6am terrifying your partner. 

Lighting, either working off a projecting pelmet, set on prongs over the top exterior edge, or attached to the top interior panel of the wardrobe (inside), can be wired or USB, in directional spots or LED strips, and with motion sensing, can transform your Monday morning scramble for work.

So, with just some of these issues in mind, should you refurbish or replace? If fixing the issues with what you already have is piling up in stress and expense — do a comparison shop for a brand-new quality robe, fitted or free-standing, with (almost) everything you need tucked up at least a five-year warranty. If the doors are the main issue and the interior is in good condition, the decision is not a binary one. A well-considered renovation, two pairs of hands, and some sweat equity could save you hundreds.