If you’ve spent years jamming scrunched-up t-shirts into tiny corners and hours digging through dishevelled racks for something to wear, having a walk-in wardrobe will change your life.
A designated space to organise your clothing and accessories makes you more efficient, beautifully organised and allows you to look after your clothes better. Even where there is no space for a luxurious walk-in wardrobe, customising your entire wardrobe using modular components will ensure no space is wasted. Using modular flat packs that you can assemble by yourself, you’ll be amazed at how much you can fit in with careful planning and design.
We spoke to Kinsman Wardrobes Senior Designer Matt Rushmore to learn tricks of the trade to know where to start and how to move forward from there.
A pull-out appliance drawer contains concealed power points, ensuring an uncluttered bench space in the wardrobe of this spacious new build in South Sydney.
(Photographer: Brigid Arnott | Styling: Fiona Gould)Top tips when planning your walk-in wardrobe
1. Design for your storage needs
“A walk-in wardrobe can certainly achieve this with flexibility for differing layouts, compartment heights and various storage accessories, allowing everything to have its place,” says Matt. “If your walk-in is to accommodate two people, you’ll want to start by designing two separate sections, and assess how much full-length and half-length hanging space each will need for dresses, coats and pants; then work in dedicated shelves for shoes, and spaces for other items like bags and hats.”
“Pull-out hanging racks are great for scarves and ties while drawers and wire baskets keep folded items neat and allow easy access,” says Matt.
2. Keep it sleek by concealing
“For the best impression, consider sliding doors to conceal everything in your walk-in wardrobe, creating a sleek, streamlined look for the bedroom,” says Matt. “No matter how neat you are, you’ll appreciate having door panels to hide parts of your wardrobe which you don’t really want on show, such as internal laundry hampers.”
3. Light your way to organised living
“Lighting is a key consideration when planning any walk-in wardrobe, as this layout tends to be closed-in by design and will block out some of the main lighting in the room, which becomes most apparent at night. With a sliding door style, you also have the option of using mirrored doors to reflect light, which can really brighten up a small, pokey bedroom.”
“Consider extra overhead lights, internal lights, and for an extra special touch, use LED strip lighting to illuminate the underside of your beautiful new wardrobe,” says Matt.
3 must-have features for designing your ultimate wardrobe
1. Get sky-high with your storage
“A well-designed walk-in wardrobe always puts storage first,” says Matt. “So for your ultimate walk-in, make sure it maximizes storage space with the height extended right up to the ceiling. The top shelf may be tricky to reach without a step ladder, but you’ll love having a space to store items that you don’t need access to on a day-to-day basis.”
2. Up the luxe factor with your finishes
“Another exciting feature of a modern walk-in wardrobe is the choice of external and internal finishes, which can successfully match the other elements of your home’s style. For example, Kinsman Wardrobes offers an external finish called Beton which looks like textured concrete – a popular finish used within modern industrial-style kitchens and bathrooms.”
“For interiors, the fabric-like Greige Linen finish is a stunning new choice which can match back with bedding or upholstered furniture, making your wardrobe feel luxe and design-led,” suggests Matt. “Similarly, wardrobe handles with various finishes from brushed gold to matt black can be selected to match your existing interior design elements.”
3. Create the ultimate ‘glam space’ experience
“The ultimate walk-in robe will always feature a full-length mirror within its layout, so you can try on various outfits to your heart’s content,” says Matt. “Make sure there’s sufficient flattering lighting above the space – with Kinsman Wardrobes’ tech accessories you can control the lighting via your phone.”
“You can even use the cabinetry as speakers for music to get you in the right mood when getting glam.”
Custom joinery designed by Smith + Levine, painted in Dulux Endless Dusk, are key features to this swoon-worthy space in a renovated Mosman home, while a vintage painting gifted by Fleur’s father is a sweet addition.
(Photographer: Simon Whitbread)For more information and inspiration on how to design your ultimate wardrobe, visit www.kinsman.com.au
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
