Carrie Bradshaw’s Dream Dressing Room – Designed by Neville Johnson
“I like my money right where I can see it, hanging in my closet.”–...
Nobody likes mess and clutter in their bedroom. Even organised chaos can upset the tranquil haven of your most relaxing room. Over the years, we’ve come to understand the value of bespoke. When every item has a specially-made place, it not only makes things easier to find, it keeps your room clutter-free. The beauty of bespoke wardrobe storage is that it’s made exclusively for you and your space. Every inch is utilised – even awkward alcoves and sloping ceilings can have endless possibilities when it comes to creating bespoke bedroom furniture.
If one of your dreams is owning beautiful built-in wardrobes or having a dressing room filled with immaculate clothes, neatly hung and expertly organised, the reality doesn’t have to be a million miles away. All it takes is a little imagination, a bit of organisation and a pinch of ruthlessness when it comes to decluttering. Clever wardrobe storage, exclusively built to suit your exact requirements, maximises every inch of your room’s potential. This includes ceiling height and any available space you may have thought you couldn’t use, like space beneath your windows.
Bespoke Comes with Plenty of Features to Love
Stand-alone wardrobes take-up space and leave gaps at either side. They’re often empty boxes with a single hanging rail. Tailored wardrobe storage offers much more:
1. Open Storage and Shelving
You can see at a glance what you have. If you wear knits, T-shirts or casual clothing, why pile it all inside a drawer? It just means you’re more likely to grab the item on the top of the pile. Open wardrobe storage allows us to arrange our much-loved items in order of colour or style and reach for it in an instant.
2. Pull-Out Racks
Neatly organised bespoke racks are perfect for accessories and, of course, your shoe collection. It can be pulled out so you can see and reach for your favourite things and nothing gets forgotten at the back of a cupboard. Racks provide a home for everything and can keep smaller items in order, in one place behind closed doors.
3. Pull-Out Rails
Never underestimate the power of a pull-out rail. They can be positioned high up to maximise ceiling height, yet their design means you can pull them down to see what you have. They can keep clothes neat and tidy in the depths of a wardrobe yet you can easily pull the rail forward when you need an item without fighting through inches of clothes to get to what you want.
4. Double-Hanging
With two vertical rails, one a few feet above the other, you get double the amount of wardrobe storage. It’s an easy and quick way to hang twice the number of shorter items such as shirts, trousers and smaller tops
5. Hidden Shoe Carousel and Tie Rack
A carousel allows you to smoothly and effortlessly bring the item you want to the front of your wardrobe. It’s perfect for shoes and ties, and you can even have a double carousel if you want.
6. Partitioned Drawers
Display smaller accessories such as watches, ties, scarves, cufflinks and more in bespoke drawers with integrated dividers for convenience and order. It means your favourite possessions are always to hand and never forgotten.
7. Sliding Doors
When space is at a premium, sliding doors are the perfect solution to a traditional hinged door that takes up floor space or is a barrier when open. Add mirrored sliding doors, and you’ll save even more space.
The Trend for Open Wardrobes
Most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time, which means some items lurk at the back of inaccessible wardrobes and we can easily forget what we have. This can lead to impulse purchases of more things that we won’t wear very often. Another fun statistic is that the average woman will spend nearly a year of her life deciding what to wear. This is because when our clothes aren’t visible, we can’t coordinate them with other items, making it hard to put an outfit together. Open wardrobe storage allows us to see what we have and to group items together in themes such as ‘workwear’, ‘going out clothes’, ‘casual weekend away’ and ‘special occasions’.
Ways to Organise Open Shelving
When things are on display, it’s important to keep them in order. Invest in attractive woven baskets to store smaller items or fancy hat boxes that coordinate with your decor. Pastel coloured metal chests are great for containing your cosmetics or grooming items and can look fantastic on open shelving. Wicker baskets at the bottom of your wardrobe look sophisticated and are great for containing everyday essentials that you don’t want to keep on show.
Changing Seasons – Top Tips
No-one wants heavy knitwear at the front of the wardrobe on a balmy summer’s day, so it’s essential to have a seasonal reassessment of your outfits a few times a year – this is also the perfect time to get ruthless and clear out the clothing you haven’t worn for over a year. If a season has just ended and you still haven’t worn that ‘bargain-buy must-have’, be honest with yourself and re-home it.
When it comes to parting with clothes that you consider ‘old friends’ here are a few questions to ask:
- When was the last time you wore it? If you can’t remember, it can’t stay
- Is it damaged or worn? If it can’t be repaired or revived, it can’t stay
- Is it too small or too big?
- Before you store away last season’s outfits take this opportunity to clean your shelves and vacuum the inside. A dust-free environment is beneficial for delicate fabrics and stops clothes from smelling musty.
- Mix and match what you already have to recreate this season’s trends.
- If you like to pack away clothes until the next season, avoid using dry cleaners’ bags as they often don’t allow the fabric to ‘breathe.’
- Keep clothes in good order – if it’s frayed or has a button missing, repair it or re-home it. Also, if something is looking worn or outdated, get rid of it. The plus side is you’re making room for something new, and it’s lovely to have an excuse to treat yourself.
- These simple wardrobe storage tips will create an organised personal system for you and your family.
View more of our dressing room ideas and clothes storage ideas today!’
