Domakihub How to Build a Fitted Wardrobe: A Step-by-Step Guide
Plan, build, and finish a built-in wardrobe that maximises every centimetre of your bedroom or rental space.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
A fitted wardrobe turns a bare alcove or a flat bedroom wall into a storage system that looks purpose-built, because it is. The video above walks through the full carcass-and-plinth build using tools most confident DIYers already own; this article adds the planning logic, material choices, and finishing details that apply specifically to homes, holiday rentals, and hotel rooms in Greece. Neither structural walls nor load-bearing elements are involved in a standard fitted wardrobe, so no building permit is required — but you will want a qualified carpenter or joiner if the recess has uneven masonry walls, a sloping ceiling, or hidden moisture.
Why Fitted Wardrobes Beat Freestanding Units in Greek Interiors
Greek apartments and villas rarely have enough built-in storage, and traditional stand-alone wardrobes eat floor space and collect dust behind them. A fitted wardrobe runs floor to ceiling and wall to wall, effectively annexing dead space — the gap above a door, a narrow alcove beside a chimney breast, the awkward corner left by a slanted roof in a loft bedroom.
For holiday rentals, a fitted wardrobe signals quality to guests and photographs better than a flat-pack alternative. In hotels and serviced apartments it also reduces cleaning time because there are no gaps behind or underneath the unit.
Materials and Tools: What You Actually Need
The standard material for DIY fitted wardrobes is 18 mm melamine-faced chipboard (MFC) or MDF. MFC is lighter, cheaper, and already finished on both faces; MDF paints to a flawless surface but is heavier and less tolerant of moisture. In coastal Greek properties or ground-floor bedrooms with any history of condensation, choose moisture-resistant (green-core) chipboard or MDF and seal all cut edges with iron-on veneer tape rather than leaving them raw.
Tools required: a circular saw or table saw for long rips, a jigsaw for cutouts, a cordless drill-driver, a spirit level, a plumb bob or laser level, a tape measure, clamps, and a mitre saw for scribing. You can build a complete carcass wardrobe with these alone; you do not need a workshop.
When to call a pro: if the alcove walls are stone or hollow-block masonry (common in island properties), fixing the plinth and carcasses securely requires the right anchors and a masonry bit. A joiner who works regularly in Greece will know which fixings hold in pumice block versus poured concrete.
How to Build a Fitted Wardrobe: 5 Key Steps
- 1
Measure and Plan the Space
Measure the width, height, and depth of the recess at multiple points — walls in older Greek buildings are rarely perfectly square or plumb. Record the smallest dimension in each direction; your carcasses must fit the tightest point. Sketch a simple layout showing the number of carcasse units, rail height, shelf positions, and door swing or sliding-door track. Sliding doors are almost always better in Greece because they work in tight rooms and allow the wardrobe to sit closer to a bed.
- 2
Build and Level the Plinth
The plinth is the base frame that the carcasses sit on, typically 100-150 mm tall, made from 18 mm MFC or treated timber. Fix the plinth to the floor using frame fixings appropriate for your floor type (tile anchors for ceramic floors, wood screws for timber). Use a spirit level and packing shims to make it perfectly level in both directions — every carcass stacked on top depends on this. A level plinth also means your doors will hang straight without adjustment.
- 3
Assemble and Install the Carcasses
Build each carcass flat on the floor: two side panels, a top and bottom panel, and a back panel (6 mm hardboard or thin MDF is sufficient for the back as it carries no load). Use confirmat screws or pocket-hole joinery for strength. Stand each carcass on the plinth, check it is plumb, then fix it to the wall through the side panels and to adjacent carcasses with connecting bolts. In masonry walls use wall plugs rated for the substrate — in pumice-block construction standard plastic anchors pull out; use frame anchors or resin anchors instead.
- 4
Install Internal Fittings — Rails, Shelves, and Drawers
With the carcasses fixed and square, add the internal components: hanging rails (steel oval rail is stronger and cheaper than round), adjustable shelf pins and shelves, and any drawer units. For a holiday rental or hotel room, prioritise a full-width hanging rail at 1,800 mm height for longer garments alongside a shorter double-hanging zone at 900 mm, plus at least two fixed shelves. Drawer boxes on full-extension runners add significant guest satisfaction without much cost.
- 5
Fit Doors, Scribers, and Cornice
If using sliding doors, fix the top track to the underside of the carcass top panel and the bottom track to the plinth; adjust the door rollers so each door sits plumb. For hinged doors, use soft-close concealed hinges (Blum or equivalent) and adjust in all three axes until the reveal is even. Scribe strips — thin rips of MDF cut to follow the wall profile — fill the gap between the outer carcass panel and the uneven wall. A cornice moulding fills the gap at the ceiling. Prime and paint scribe strips and cornice in the room's wall colour for a seamless built-in look.
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FAQ
- Do I need a building permit to install a fitted wardrobe in Greece?
- No. A fitted wardrobe is a non-structural interior fitting and does not require a permit under Greek building law. The only exception would be if the work involves breaking into a structural wall to create a recessed alcove, which does require an engineer's sign-off and potentially a permit — but a wardrobe that simply fills an existing space does not.
- What depth should a fitted wardrobe be?
- 600 mm internal depth is the standard for hanging clothes on a full-length rail. The carcass itself will be 580 mm deep and the door adds another 20-25 mm, giving a total projection from the wall of around 620 mm. If space is very tight, 550 mm internal depth works for folded items and shorter garments. Avoid going below 500 mm or hangers will catch on the door frame.
- How long does a DIY fitted wardrobe take to build?
- A single-bay wardrobe (roughly 1 metre wide) takes an experienced DIYer a full weekend — one day for the carcass, plinth, and fixings, a second day for doors, scribers, and finishing. A full-width alcove wardrobe of 3-4 metres adds another day. A professional joiner typically completes the same job in one day with a helper, which is worth considering for investment properties where time equals lost rental income.