A loft conversion gives London houses their best bedroom and their worst storage. The walls are short, the ceiling slopes, and the deep triangle under the eaves is too low for a freestanding wardrobe and too awkward to leave open. Fitted loft wardrobes are cut to the slope, so the whole wedge becomes storage and the room keeps its floor. This guide explains how they are designed, what fits where, and what they cost.
Loft wardrobes, in short
- Doors are cut individually to follow the roof pitch; the run reads as a panelled wall.
- The low knee-wall section takes drawers, shoes and pull-out baskets.
- The full-height section by the ridge takes hanging.
- Deep eaves behind the wardrobe take luggage and seasonal storage on pull-out trays.
- Sliding doors work in lofts too, with tracks stepped to the slope.
- From £900 per metre including VAT and installation; a three-metre single-wall run from £2,700.
The geometry of a loft
A typical London loft has a knee wall of 900 to 1,200mm at the eaves, a ceiling that slopes at 35 to 45 degrees, and full height only along a strip near the ridge. Freestanding furniture fits nowhere useful. Fitted furniture divides the slope into three bands: the low band under the knee wall, the angled band where the roof passes through the wardrobe, and the tall band where hanging goes. Each is used for what its height allows.
What goes where
- Knee wall (up to 1,200mm): drawers, shoe shelves, pull-out baskets and a low bench top for folding or seating.
- Angled band: shelves that step back with the slope, for folded clothes, bags and boxes, behind doors cut to the pitch.
- Tall band (1,800mm and above): single or double hanging, with the top shelf at the ridge for bedding.
- Eaves behind the run: pull-out trays on runners for suitcases, decorations and archive boxes, reached through the low doors.
Doors that follow the slope
Each door in a loft run is cut to its own height and top angle at the workshop, from the slope measured on site with a digital level. Hinged doors are the norm because they open in any headroom. Sliding doors also work in lofts, with a stepped top track and doors of different heights, and suit the tall band where there is little floor in front. Push-to-open doors avoid handles at head height in the low band. The hinged versus sliding guide covers the trade-offs.
Roof lights, radiators and stud walls
Loft rooms come with things in the way. A roof light in the slope is framed by the wardrobe stopping either side of it, with a shelf below. Radiators under the knee wall are boxed in with a slatted front so heat still circulates. Stud walls and dwarf walls are not structural, so the wardrobe is fixed back to the joists and rafters behind them. Access hatches to the remaining eaves are kept behind a removable panel.
Finishes for low light
Loft rooms are often lit from above only, so pale finishes work best: white and warm white super-matt, light oak and pale greys make the slope recede. A mirror panel on the tall section reflects the roof light back into the room. Painted shaker doors suit a period house; handleless slab doors suit a modern conversion. See the colour guide.
Beyond wardrobes
The same approach gives a loft a fitted desk under the roof light, a window seat with drawers beneath, a low run of drawers along the knee wall, or shelving for a home office. Many of our loft commissions combine a wardrobe run on one slope with a desk or seat on the other.
What loft wardrobes cost
Loft wardrobes follow our twelve-level price guide from £900 per metre at Level 3 including VAT and installation, so a three-metre single slope with knee-wall drawers from £2,700, and from £5,580 in shaker doors at Level 6. Cutting to the slope adds design time rather than a premium; the price depends on how many metres and which door style. Browse loft wardrobes or see the price guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you put fitted wardrobes under a sloping ceiling?
Yes. Doors are cut individually to the roof pitch measured on site, so the run follows the slope. The low section takes drawers and shoes, the tall section takes hanging, and the eaves behind take pull-out storage.
How much do loft wardrobes cost?
From £900 per metre including VAT and installation, so a three-metre single slope with knee-wall drawers from £2,700; shaker doors from £1,860 per metre.
Do sliding doors work in a loft?
Yes, with a stepped top track and doors cut to different heights. They suit the tall band under the ridge where there is little floor space in front of the wardrobe.
What is the minimum height for a loft wardrobe?
Anything from about 600mm upwards is useful. The low band under a knee wall becomes drawers and shoe storage; hanging needs at least 1,000mm for shirts and 1,500mm for long garments.
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Ready to see what your room could hold?
Book a free home design visit. A Metro designer measures the room, brings full-size door and finish samples, and returns a 3D design with an itemised, fixed price within two to three days. No deposit is taken at the visit and there is no obligation. Or see every door style at our Wembley showroom, next to the workshop that makes them.
