Built-in wardrobes on the Gold Coast

Wardrobe jobs on the Gold Coast tend to fall into three groups. In newer homes around Coomera, Upper Coomera, Pimpama and Helensvale, the robes usually came with a single shelf and a hanging rail, so we strip them out and fit a layout that holds far more. In the 1980s and 1990s brick homes of Robina and Helensvale, it's mirrored sliding doors on worn tracks and fit-outs that have sagged over the years. In larger Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove homes, it's walk-in robes, linen cupboards and butler's pantries planned around how the household actually lives.

Humidity is the part people don't plan for. Wardrobes on an outside wall, or in rooms that are closed up while the air-con runs elsewhere, can stay damp for weeks in summer, and that's when mould shows up on shoes, bags and the back panel. We think about airflow when we design a robe: leaving a small gap behind the carcass on external walls, using ventilated shelving where it suits, and choosing board and finishes that stand up to moisture.

Apartments bring their own challenge. In Surfers Paradise, Southport and Runaway Bay, materials have to come up in the lift, so we use components that can be carried in and assembled in the room, then scribed to the walls. We're based in Hope Island, so measuring up on the northern Gold Coast is easy, and we plan installs further south ahead. New wardrobes come with our 3-month workmanship warranty.