Most wardrobe brochures show neat rows of folded shirts and three or four hanging suits. Real Tamil bedrooms have sarees, sherwanis, sentimental boxes, school books that the kids have outgrown but the family will not throw out yet, and at least one suitcase that lives in the wardrobe permanently. Here is how we plan for that.
Hanging space you actually need
A working couple typically needs 4-5 ft of hanging for daily wear, plus 2 ft of long-hanging for sarees and full-length kurtas. Children's wardrobes need almost zero hanging — they outgrow it. Plan for shelves, drawers, and a low rod that grows with the child.
Saree storage
Sarees stack better than they hang. We plan deep, soft-close drawers — 14 inches deep, with felt-lined bases — that take 12-15 sarees per drawer. Six such drawers cover a typical Tamil family's collection. Tag them by occasion if you want, or just by colour family.
The suitcase question
Plan a top loft, accessible by a fold-down ladder, sized for the largest suitcase the family owns. This is a non-negotiable in our wardrobe builds. The alternative — a suitcase living in a corner of the bedroom for ten years — happens in too many homes.
Anitha R.
Lead Designer
Writing from the workshop floor at Kurumban Crafts, Coimbatore.
