Wardrobe ideas
It's essential to have some well-designed clothes storage in a bedroom, no matter how much clothing or space you have and interior designer Alidad has mantra when it comes to wardrobes: 'there is no point in planning a wardrobe unless you know what you have to fit in it.' Wise words indeed – the first place to start when it comes to deciding on your wardrobe is a thorough stock take of everything that you want to put in there. Alidad continues, 'We often count a client's clothes so that we can make sure everything has its place. Hang relative items near each other - tops over trousers, shirts next to jackets. You'll need at least 60cm depth for hanging space and 50cm for shelves.'
Wardrobe ideas: what type is best?
If you have the space, a walk-in wardrobe can offer a true sense of luxury, and more hanging space and shelf space than any other type. Most of the interior designers on our pages recommend bespoke joinery for tailored storage, whether that is within a walk-in wardrobe or separate dressing room, or involves built-in wardrobes along one wall of a room or in an alcove.
Wardrobe ideas for a small room
In a small room mirrored wardrobes and those with sliding doors are helpful; mirrored wardrobes bounce light around the space and help the room to feel bigger, and those with sliding doors eliminate the need to leave space in front to open them. IKEA have some great options in this line, if you're buying off the shelf, and the interior storage is customisable.
Classic wardrobe ideas
In a period interior, we love an antique wardrobe, armoire or linen press, and you can find plenty of these in auction houses or online marketplaces for vintage and antique furniture. If you are looking for the best wardrobes and hanging rails on a budget (you should also check out our guide to the best wardrobe doors. There is a huge range of wardrobe options out there. All you need next is a full length mirror. The examples below are the best from the House & Garden archive.
MAY WE SUGGEST: Our pick of the best wardrobes and hanging rails
Wardrobe ideas from the H&G archive
Paul Massey1/54Wallpaper carries over onto the freestanding wardrobe in Rosi de Ruig's house. Walls are covered in Flora Robert’s dusky pink ‘Camellia Petit’ for Hamilton Weston Wallpapers, matching lampshades by Rosi and a mirrored wardrobe balance a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe painted a rich blue and a red-and-white striped rug from Ikea.
Owen Gale2/54In Alice Palmer's nursery room, wardrobe doors are painted a minty green to complement the stripes in Farrow & Ball's ‘Foley Green’ on the ceiling.
Owen Gale3/54Georgina Cave of Cave Interior's London house has a subtle femininity and homely feel. Her bedroom is painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Setting Plaster' with woodwork in ‘Drop Cloth’, and her shoe cupboard is housed inside the former fireplace.
The sofa is recovered it in Tibor's 'Princess' bouclé.
Paul Massey4/54Existing wardrobes in this Victorian villa were extended and painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Ultra Marine Blue’, which complements the red fireplace tiles from Mosaic Factory.
Courtesy of Serena Eller5/54The wardrobe doors inside this contemporary pied-à-terre in Rome depict a landscape scene.
6/54A concealed wardrobe with a sliding door is perfect for smaller bedrooms, where traditional hinged doors can cause an obstruction to walkways. The lights are from Emery et Cie.
Paul Massey7/54Space 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.
Yuki Sugiura8/54When renovating her London house, Matilda Goad knew she wanted a lot of wardrobe space and something fitted. In order to make the space work, her husband's company, Blockhouse Build, completely moved the original bedroom door to allow an entire wall free for wardrobes. The cane panelled result were Matilda's own design and are painted in the same colour as the walls.
Sharyn Cairns9/54In this London house designed by Suzy Hoodless the sliding wardrobe doors of the children's rooms have been painted with a custom-designed mural. Click below for our favourite resources for a similar look.
Elsa Young11/54In Victoria von Westenholz's Battersea cottage, the bedroom has built-in wardrobes with pretty fabric panelling.
Alexander James12/54Interior designer Sarah Peake bought her west London flat three years ago, embarking on a full renovation of the space and decorating it in her signature modern, confident style. The wardrobes were custom built to Sarah's design, with handles from Chloe Alberry.
Rachel Whiting13/54This wardrobe from The Dormy House has been hand painted with Dulux paint by the artist Cressida Bell.
Christopher Horwood14/54What 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 dressing room, which leads off from the bedroom, continues the blue and white theme, with fitted wardrobes making the most of the space.
Paul Massey15/54These 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.
16/54Fashion stylist Louise Roe looked to British Standard for the dressing room in her Georgian farmhouse. The company designed and installed two units, painted a glossy mulberry colour.
Simon Brown17/54A 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.
Ngoc Minh Ngo18/54In Long Island, the designer David Kleinberg built wardrobes that appear to be coming out of the walls, rather than the traditional building them into. The end result creates two nooks on either sides.
Paul Massey19/54A chest of drawers from a French flea market brings texture to the bedroom in Rachel Chudley's East London workshop, which is separated from the en-suite bathroom by a Crittall-inspired wooden partition. In the bathroom, a wardrobe with a mirrored front takes centre stage.
Paul Massey20/54The built-in cupboards in the main dressing room of this renovated Georgian farmhouse feature a laser-etched design of birds and foliage by fabric and surface designer Daniel Heath.
Maria Speake of Retrouvius restored the spirit of an unattractively extended Georgian farmhouse in the Chilterns by introducing modern and reclaimed industrial elements.
21/54Plain English, best known for their bespoke wooden kitchens, have produced a range of oak wardrobes. Three choices of interior can be paired with any of the company's elegantly simple door designs. All are lined with Cedar wood, which not only smells divine, but is a natural moth repellent.
Michael Sinclair22/54Wardrobes are built into the walls, panelled and painted white in keeping with the rustic charm of this Oxfordshire cottage.
Paul Massey23/54Having left his native Texas to be a lawyer in London, Brandon Schubert is now honing his craft as an interior designer. In his own flat, he has united an eclectic mix of furniture and art with hints of bold colour. In the bedroom, an antique Le Klint lamp with an original plastic shade stands on one of two Fifties Børge Mogensen teak and beech chests of drawers in front of Eighties posters bought in Cuba.
Owen Gale24/54The 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.
25/54There are few wardrobe systems that beat the Ikea's 'Pax' range of wardrobes in terms of options for interior organisation and price. However if you are looking for something more decorative, the Swedish company Superfront offers a range of replacement surfaces, doors and handles are added during assembly, and can transform the look of the cupboard, with a huge range of colours and patterns on offer. The wardrobe doors shown here, in 'Marais', each measure 236 x 50cm and cost £230; the 'Holy Wafer' brass handles cost £14 each.
Best of the rest
Copper wire hangers, 20 x 42cm, £9 each, from Hay.
Armoire in off-white distressed finish (other finishes available), 225 x 138 x 50cm, £6,500, at Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam.
'Conran Dawkins Oak Valet', 126 x 50 x 50cm, £299 at Marks & Spencer.
Double 'Frey' armoire, available in various woods and finishes, 180 x 132 x 55cm, from £3,250 at Pinch.
Benjamin Edwards26/54With its clever use of luxurious textures and finishes, Irish interior designer Bryan O’Sullivan’s latest project – a London townhouse owned by longstanding clients – is a treat for the senses. In the dressing room, bespoke joinery designed by Bryan’s studio was clad in shagreen by Simon Orrell Designs.
Simon Upton27/54Interior 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'. Hugh introduced modern colours into the historic house, and painted the dressing room in three different shades of blue from Sanderson.
Taken from the February 2015 issue of House & Garden.
Paul Massey28/54'We made the wardrobe by effectively putting up a false wall a coat's-width from the real wall, into which we inserted doors that we reclaimed from a dump,' says Kresse Wesling of eco-accessories company Elvis & Kresse. Kresse and her husband James's Bournemouth home was furnished almost entirely from reclaimed and reworked pieces. 'It was pretty difficult getting the doors all the same size, but sanding them down and watching the individual characteristics of the wood come out was satisfying work.'
James Macdonald29/54Interior designer Diana Sieff has made clever use of space in the attic of her converted Methodist chapel in Oxfordshire. When partitioning off the en-suite, a handy cupboard was built in to the dividing wall.
Jake Curtis30/54Interior designer Maurizio Pellizzoni of MPD London has utilised the space behind the bed in this room to create an unenclosed walk-in wardrobe. 'The mirror conceals double doors which lead to the bathroom,' he says. 'We left a 70cm gap between the back of the bed and the Poliform storage and hanging system, so there is space to walk around, and also for a retractable ladder that allows access to the top shelves. We curtained it off using a sheer fabric from de Le Cuona. This method creates a feeling of space, making the room feel lighter and less cluttered.'
Andreas Von Einsiedel31/54Two matching antique lacquered wardrobes sit perfectly within the bedroom of this old-fashioned English home in Hampshire.
Rachael Smith32/54In the London home of interior designer Bee Osborn of Osborn Interiors, traditional beading on the front of the joinery has been lifted and modernised by mirror panel. 'If you are using mirror it is important to build the joinery first, and cut the mirror to fit around the relief work,' says Bee. 'Wood applied over the top of mirror is often ill fitting, creating shadow behind. The proportions of paneled joinery are vital. Take inspiration from Georgian designs, which focused on balance and harmony.'
Ngoc Minh Ngo33/54A long burr elm dressing table lining one wall provides storage in this bedroom. 'It drives me crazy that so often in newbuilds everything is built-in, so I wanted something free-standing and moveable,' explains the designer Sophie Ashby.
The result is a quirky combination of two circular mirrors, a smattering of brass wall lights and a pair of leather pouffes, which exudes a modernist glamour - part Bond girl boudoir, part Seventies ski chalet.
Alexander James34/54The bed in Kim Wilkie's London flat sits opposite an Arts and Crafts period chest of drawers from antiques dealer Patch Rogers in Petworth, which is framed by Russian prints. This particular chest is attractive in itself while providing a practical range of drawer sizes and a top surface upon which to display ornaments such as the bowls pictured.
Taken from the November 2015 issue of House & Garden.
Sarah Hogan35/54Designer Jane Taylor has ingeniously incorporated storage into her small bedroom in Chelsea. Wardrobes and cupboards are concealed behind panelling made by Sympatico Joinery, which is painted in Zoffany's 'White Clay', from £41 for 2.5 litres of emulsion. Shallow cubbyholes in the panelling next to the bed function as bedside tables.
Taken from the March 2016 issue of House & Garden.
36/54In the bedroom of interior designer Jane Taylor's London flat, smart panelling conceals walls of wardrobes and cupboards: a perfect solution for a small room.
Jake Curtis37/54Facing fitted wardrobes are the perfect way to use hallway space efficiently. 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.
Taken from the October 2015 issue of House & Garden.
Simon Brown38/54Having previously lived in a converted nightclub, Edo Mapelli Mozzi has downsized to a flat housed within one spacious room of a Victorian house in west London. The dressing room is lit by wall lights of different sizes and styles, and their light is reflected by the large mirror mounted on the left hand wall. To provide himself with a large dressing room and space for his books, Mozzi extended the mezzanine of his living room to create a dressing room that is hidden behind a wall, upon which hangs a huge Nick Knight photograph.
Lucas Allen39/54A well organised walk in wardrobe doesn't have to be a huge fuss to execute. This neat set up in the New York home of architects Ann Fairfax and Richard Simmons uses wicker baskets to separate out small items, wall mounted tie racks and an upward-folding cupboard door which doubles as a surface.
40/54This double height wardrobe, designed by Emily Todhunter of Todhunter Earle for a house in West London, has a secret. Disguised among the doors are the entrances to twin bathrooms and a dressing room.
Paul Massey41/54Walk-in wardrobe, meets spare bedroom. Designer Paolo Moschino has created a cosy cabin-bed at the end of the dressing room in this house in Cornwall, which has storage underneath for the client's shoe collection.
Alexander James42/54'Separate storage space can be a real marriage saver,' says Bunny Turner of Turner Pocock who in her own London bedroom has used twin wardrobes from Oka (£1,630 each). 'More and more frequently our clients request separate dressing rooms, which take on very individual characteristics. Generally we design these ourselves, then work with a cabinetmaker. John Elbert Furniture Works and Armstrong Vinton come highly recommended.'
Simon Brown43/54A clever tip for a small room - interior designer Beata Heuman has used Ikea 'Pax' wardrobes either side of the window in her small room, covering them with mirror to maximize the feeling of space and light, while making the most of the view on to leafy Brompton Cemetery below.
Paul Massey44/54Low, gabled ceilings can be a nightmare when trying to find a place for a wardrobe. The smart idea is to adapt the storage to the space. In this chalet by Todhunter Earle, shelves with storage boxes act as drawers (try Muji for similar), while a rail for clothes is concealed behind a curtain (Jim Lawrence is our go to for good value curtain poles and hardwear). Simple but effective.
Helen Cathcart45/54The main bedroom in designer Paul de Zwart's Kensal Rise home cleverly combines decorative details with storage. A chest of drawers built into the alcove is made from the same material as the wall cladding. The two 'Leggera' chairs from Giò Ponti add colour.
Paul Raeside46/54Living in small quarters doesn't have to mean sacrificing style for drab storage solutions and "it's the only thing that will fit" furniture. It just takes a little creativity. To prove that small spaces can still be stylish, decoration director Gabby Deeming took on the challenge of decorating a 17-square-metre studio apartment, forgoing a cumbersome wardrobe for separate storage crates (Ikea is a one-stop shop) and hanging rails, which can be hidden behind a decorative curtain.
GET THE LOOK
Plastic-and-steel storage system, 'Antonius', 180 x 124 x 55cm, £107.78 and polyester hanging shelves, 'Skubb', £7.99, both at Ikea. Forged iron curtain pole, 'Classic' (matt black), 2.5cm diameter, 19p per centimetre, at Jim Lawrence. Curtain, 'Sofienburg' (porcelain), linen, £75 a metre at Designers Guild. Laminated-paperboard storage box with steel corner protectors, 'Kassett', by Jon Karlsson, £9.39 for two, at Ikea. White and orange storage boxes, 'Inge', £13 each; and black DVD box, as before, all at The Holding Company.
47/54Clothes storage doesn't have to be in the bedroom. Designer Philippa Thorpe uses a nearby corridor for wardrobe space in this Chelsea home.
Lucas Allen48/54'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. In the dressing room a sloped wall has been beautifully utilized with a chest of drawers and a cupboard.
49/54If your house already has built-in wardrobes that are lacking in decorative clout, remember there is scope for customisation.
In designer Mark Gillette's flat in Machester, he has covered the doors in a textured grey fabric, and replaced the handles with something more decorative, for a bespoke look.
If you're in the mood for some DIY and want to do something similar, take the doors off the hinges and secure the fabric at the back with either tacks or a staple gun.
Lucas Allen50/54Interior designer Hugh Leslie transformed his nineteenth-century Chelsea studio into an airy, harmonious space. In the bedroom, he introduced some handsome joinery not least a cupboard-cum-drawer unit (left) which provides ample storage above and below, making the most of the gabled space.
Think about the posotioning of large pieces of furniture like drawers - here he has tucked them behind the door to save space.
Lucas Allen51/54Located on a plot of farmland on the Atlantic coast of Long Island, interior designer Veere Grenney has created an interior which is country living with a strong city accent.
Wardrobes are unobtrusively set in to a wall of matchboard panelling, allowing the pieces by some of the Twentieth-century's finest craftsmen - including a Gio Ponti chair and Terence Robsjohn-Gibbings tables - to take center stage.
52/54Fantastically simple storage frames the door of this bedroom designed by Jonathan Tuckey. We're big advocates of the curtained clothes rail - pretty, cheap and easy to update should you fancy a change. No space for drawers? Storage boxes like these work just as well for smaller or folded items of clothing. Ikea and Muji have a pretty comprehensive selection.
A trunk, like that at the foot of the bed, can also be a good place to store off-season clothes if your wardrobe is bursting at the seams.
53/54Not 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.
Sarah Hogan54/54In the bedroom of a Holland Park flat designed by Nicholas Spencer and Sophie von Wedekind, a half wall was built behind the bed to create a dressing area between the two spaces. This half wall incorporates additional cupboards and drawers, while the top is glazed - a repetition of the designer's tactic for maximising light coming into the flat. This idea is perfect for space saving in a compact bedroom.
Taken from the December 2015 issue of House & Garden.
