Walk-in wardrobe ideas: How to make the most of the hard-working space
If you have the space, a walk-in wardrobe is the ultimate luxury. Who doesn’t want to waltz into a room entirely dedicated to clothes, and spend joyful hours - or even a quick few minutes before work - perusing the sartorial options for the day? It can be tricky, however, to elevate this room so it doesn’t just feel like soulless storage space. The way to combat this is with paint colours or gloss finishes on the wardrobes, fun, eye-catching hardware, or perhaps adding a statement ceiling light to inject that decorative touch.
Planning is key when it comes to designing a functional walk-in wardrobe: designers often suggest totting up the items (shoes, bulky coats and the like) that you currently own and are likely to own in the future in order to mindfully plan the space. Another often overlooked but irritatingly bulky household item is the suitcase, which is frequently found tilting on top of other items in a cupboard under the stairs or shoved under the bed. According to interior designer Brandon Schubert, it is imperative to factor these into your wardrobe planning: ‘Leave space at the top of a built-in wardrobe so that they can sit up as high as possible, out of the way until you need them’. This of course applies to future suitcases, too.
Interior designer Adam Bray recommends adding a dedicated place where you can hang up your outfit for the day. He says ‘I try to use something old for this as invariably the whole room is new, so this makes it feel a bit less shiny’ and recommends the brass and leather valets by Hermes as just the thing. He also suggests ‘unless it’s a huge room, try and avoid putting in chairs or upholstery as they tend to get covered in clothes. The secret is to make everything as visible as possible, and ensure the space well-ventilated and well-lit so it feels like a natural extension of the other rooms in the house.’
Walk-in wardrobe ideas
Christopher Horwood1/14Pattern is the name of the game in the master bedroom of this Victorian house in London by James Mackie – namely walls in Braquenié’s ‘Le Paravent Chinois’ from Pierre Frey. This pattern links the bedroom with the walk-in wardrobe, which has bespoke ebonised-wood wardrobes with antiqued mirror-glass doors.
Simon Brown2/14Beata Heuman has brought her signature cocktail of ideas to this expansive London apartment, in which one of the bedrooms has been transformed into an enviable wardrobe. The main bedroom has a jib door into the dressing room, which is disguised as a mirror with a yellow frame. The wardrobes are a striking design feature, with Svenskt Tenn fabric built into the panels.
Photos: Owen Gale, Styling: Rachel Moreve3/14What might have been a third bedroom was transformed into a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite in this west London Victorian terrace transformed by Polly Ashman.
Boz Gagovski4/14When fashion buyer Sasha Sarokin embarked on decorating her new house with the help of her friend Lucy Mayers, she leant into a passion for vintage and antique pieces that perfectly dovetailed with her latest sustainable fashion business. Her walk-in wardrobe doors are made from birch plywood stained to a burr-like finish. The space is often on show as the doors tend to be left open, so making it as beautiful as possible was important.
Christopher Horwood5/14What was once a nine bedroom bedsit has been transformed by Natasha Howard, the designer behind Instagram's 'Philamena', into an elegant and inviting family home. The wardrobe, which leads off from the bedroom, continues the blue and white theme, with fitted wardrobes making the most of the space.
Simon Brown6/14A dream walk-in wardrobe in a London apartment designed by Hugh Henry. The dressing room was designed by Hugh and made by Orwells. It is lined in cedarwood with hand-finished bronze rails and knobs that pull out to become hooks. The antique hanging lamp is one of a pair found at Christopher Butterworth; its twin hangs in the main bathroom.
Paul Massey7/14These wardrobe fronts are a bespoke design by Peter Mikic Studios, featuring cracked lacquer in blue eggshell with brass accents. The blind is made from ‘Gru’ by Colony in the bronzo colourway.
Owen Gale8/14The wardrobe in Charlie Casely-Hayford and Sophie Ashby's London flat was always going to take pride of place, as he is a fashion designer. They carved out space within their one bedroom flat for a walk-in done in dark wood and bright white.
Paul Massey9/14In this walk-in wardrobe designed by Beata Heuman for a Sussex cottage, walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Stiffkey Blue’ pick up on the inky blue motif in Beata’s ‘Palm Drop’ linen mix fabric. Her ‘Dodo Egg’ pendant light adds a playful touch.
Simon Upton10/14Interior designer Hugh Henry carefully renovated this eighteenth-century house into a new family home. Lois Allison, his assistant on the project, says, 'one of Hugh's great skills, is envisaging a room from the outset, and of course, there is his use of colour', as wonderfully exemplified in this walk-in wardrobe.
Jake Curtis11/14Facing fitted wardrobes are the perfect way to use space efficiently in a walk-in wardrobe. These were painted in a blue-green gloss mixed by interior designer Adam Bray. 'I love gloss walls - they really do bounce the light about,' says Adam. 'But it is rare to get a client who will agree to them.' The carpet, designed to look like antelope hide, is from Capitol Carpets of Chelsea.
12/14Not only does the mirror panelled bedhead add a huge amount of light and depth in designer Ann Boyd's tiny London flat; it also creates a false wall behind which she has installed the ultimate small-space walk-in wardrobe.
Paul Massey13/14Space is precious in Johnny Holland's Richmond mansion flat and every inch must be used effectively. A corner of the bedroom has been hived off to create a walk-in wardrobe which was then wallpapered with a tropical print and overlaid with a grid of wood panelling to lend depth.
Lucas Allen14/14'Spend as much as possible on the joinery - the things that you touch and use all the time,' says interior designer Hugh Leslie, whose Chelsea house is a testament to this mantra. Here a sloped wall has been beautifully utilized with a chest of drawers and a cupboard.
