A beautiful walk-in wardrobe has always been recognised as a symbol of luxury in a home – a peaceful haven where you can relax and pamper yourself, away from the cares of the day; equally, it is a well-organised and efficient space to get ready for the day ahead. And, ultimately, it adds value to your home.
Creating a glamorous and opulent wardrobe requires more than just a generous space with plenty of cabinetry and fittings. The overall design needs to be carefully considered to ensure it’s also efficient and functional, so it’s always a good idea to consult the experts.
Innovative Interiors has been designing and building top-of-the-line, handcrafted, walk-in wardrobes for clients the length and breadth of New Zealand for 30 years now, and the team knows just what’s needed to achieve that WOW factor to lift your wardrobe to the next level.
It’s all in the small details, says Innovative Interiors co-owner and designer Neil Robinson. “I sit down with our clients to learn all about their needs and expectations, and how they would like to use the space.
“We consider ambience and style – should we create a space that fits seamlessly with the rest of the home, or do they want something that’s entirely different? Mixing textures and materials can add a touch of glamour to a wardrobe – think glass-fronted cabinets, lighting, gloss acrylic surfaces, or soft matte finishes that don’t show fingerprints.
“Then we talk about practical details such as storage: some clients like to fold tee shirts and shirts into drawers, others prefer them stacked on a shelf, or on coathangers. There may be an extensive collection of ties or scarves, shoes or handbags to accommodate. We need to leave enough space for long dresses, business suits, weekend gear. Every wardrobe is individual to your needs, and we ensure we provide space for every item.”
Neil has recently completed a particularly large and fabulous walk-in robe for a family in East Auckland.
“The couple had built a beautiful, two-storey, white-painted home, in a classical design, with four huge columns supporting a grand portico over the central front door. Inside the front entrance a large staircase sweeps left and right up to the upper level; adding to the sense of opulence, the banisters and balustrades are all decorated in a hand-painted marble finish,” he says.
“Rooms throughout the house are large, with extra-high studs, and a rich and lavish interior design style; the owners wanted to complete the master suite with a walk-in wardrobe that looked the part and matched the décor of the home.”
So, to create the impact this couple was looking for, Neil chose a classical look for cabinetry with traditional, bevelled detailing and a white-painted finish, reflective of the home’s interior style. The walk-in wardrobe is huge – four metres long and three metres wide – with the same high stud as the rest of the house, providing more than enough space for both beautiful and functional features.
“For her, there is enough hanging space for her collection of dresses of varying lengths, as well as open shelves for shoes, black velvet-lined drawers for jewellery, and banks of drawers for folded clothing.
“On his side of the robe, we included pull-out trouser racks, with hanging rails directly above for suit jackets and shirts. Drawers specially lined with black velvet were designed to display belts and ties, there are open shelves for shoes, and everything is easily accessible.
Neil says lighting is important in a wardrobe, whether to create a mood, as a decorative effect to highlight particular items, or to wash down over clothes. Sensor lights that come on automatically when you enter the space are another good option. “Quality lighting means you can colour-match your clothes and be confident they will look the same in natural light.”
To add the glamour these clients required, Neil incorporated glass-fronted cabinetry to display a large collection of designer handbags. Lighting at the back of these cabinets falls softly down over the bags, highlighting them, and enhancing the opulent atmosphere.
Cabinetry below the display area conceals laundry baskets and other practical requirements, while open shelves around the top of the wardrobe increase the sense of spaciousness, says Neil. “These can also be used for display purposes – items like designer bags, cases, hat boxes…”
“And, when you have such a generous-sized wardrobe, we can include that ultimate luxury feature – an ottoman or chair, where you can sit and contemplate what to wear, relax and enjoy a glass of champagne with your partner or a friend, or lay out your outfit for the evening.”