Wardrobe ideas: 47 storage solutions from the House & Garden archive to inspire your bedroom renovation
It's essential to have some well-designed clothes storage in a bedroom, no matter how much clothing or space you have. If not, you run the risk of battling with overflowing drawers or wardrobe doors that struggle to close, likely leading to a pile of garments on that chair. It can look messy and uninviting, and ruin the sleeping haven that you've worked hard to create. How is one meant to unwind when you've got clothes clutter visible in the corner of your eye?
Interior designer Alidad has a mantra for picking what type of storage is best for you. ‘There is no point in planning a wardrobe unless you know what you have to fit in it.’ Wise words indeed. He 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.’
The next challenge is deciding what wardrobe works best. We've gone through the House & Garden archives to give you some visual inspiration, so that your sartorial pieces can have a home as lovely as your own.
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. You can also get away with being messier here, as it won't directly effect your bedroom.
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.
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.
Wardrobe ideas from the House & Garden archive
Simon Upton1/46Your wardrobes don’t have to have doors. Here in this dressing room of a London townhouse designed by Rita Konig, the storage is hidden behind curtains in Cloth & Clover’s light indigo ‘Caldecote’ linen, which has also been used to create a theatrical tented effect on the ceiling.
Boz Gagovski2/46The dressing room in this Georgian house on the Devon Coast is just as elegant as the rest of the house designed by Daniel Slowik. The wall covering is ‘Bees and Cloves’ by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, as is the blind. A vintage pair of Colefax & Fowler ‘Seaweed’ lamps surround a 19th-century Irish oval mirror. An early 19th-century child's slipper chair covered in a Lewis & Wood linen is the perfect place to perch.
Paul Massey3/46The reading nook is one of the family's favourite spots in this modern London townhouse, breaking up a dressing room of wardrobes with some softness. The joinery is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Inchyra’ and the inset wallpaper is Phillip Jeffries's ‘Cabana Weave’ in the ‘Dove Days’ colourway. The niche is upholstered by Textile Wall Co with Soane Britain's fabric ‘Scrolling Fern’.
Kensington Leverne4/46A fun pair of double-sided curtains by Sibyl Colefax and John Fowler separate the dressing room in this small Georgian villa in south London from the main bedroom. The comforting, warm, peachy-sepia colour comes courtesy of Atelier Ellis' ‘Hari’.
Sarah Griggs5/46In a colourful and sophisticated terraced house in Chelsea by Studio Duggan the bespoke wardrobes in the bedroom are a nod to traditional, timeless design. The curtains in the place of panels is a sweet look that we're seeing more and more.
Boz Gagovski6/46With its charming period features and unparalleled location, interior designer Anna Hewitson has turned this unloved cottage into a beautiful family house. The wardrobes in the primary bedroom were made bespoke, with internal fabric by Chelsea Textiles in their ‘Carnation’ print. The lamp is from Oka with a Fermoie shade. The mirror is Pooky.
Simon Brown7/46By cleverly reconfiguring the space and adding in a harmonious blend of new and vintage furniture, Beata Heuman and her team offer a masterclass in enlivening an expansive London apartment. Here, the built-in wardrobes in the bedroom conceal the entrance through to the en suite space next door.
Michael Sinclair8/46Having previously been divided into flats, this 19th-century house in Hampstead has had a sense of harmony restored by Maria Speake of Retrouvius, with creative use of reclaimed materials and eclectic vintage pieces. The wardrobes were created from art-deco glass panels salvaged from Unilever House, linen upholstered panels and reclaimed iroko.
Mark Anthony Fox9/46In the guest bedroom of this Veere Grenney project, a VGA bespoke upholstered headboard is covered in Indhira by Pierre Frey. Walls are upholstered in VGA Prima Alpaca while the wardrobe is painted in Tarlatan by Paint & Paper Library. The wardrobe curtains are in Cupid by Chelsea Textiles.
Astrid Templier10/46Pandora Taylor ensured this south London home was full of colour, including in the master bedroom hallway, where she created a designated dressing space is ‘Bancha’ in high gloss from Farrow & Ball. The use of gloss paint allows light from the neighbouring rooms to bounce around the space and brighten it.
Boz Gagovski11/46Briefed to bring colour and functionality to this compact mansion flat off the King’s Road, decorator Daniel Slowik has carried out a clever reconfiguration of the space. The dressing room contains plenty of mirrored storage, and the variety of surfaces for the cupboards was to ‘avoid the somewhat claustrophobic feeling that rows of painted wood doors can have in such a space’.
Christopher Horwood12/46The team at Sims Hilditch have used natural materials and light colours to make a sanctuary of this seaside house. Bespoke wardrobes in the main bedroom are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Ball Green’.
Christopher Horwood13/46The artist Natasha Mann has taken her paintbrush to every part of her London house, and the wardrobes in the master bedroom are just the same. The design is hand-painted by Natasha and gives them a truly bespoke look.
Michael Sinclair14/46In the bedroom of Benni Frowein’s London flat, wardrobes are clad in a plain linen, with the ‘skirting board’ concealing in-built drawer storage for Benni's shoes.
Paul Massey15/46This wardrobe with hand-painted designs by The Charpoy founder Preneet Bart adds to the ‘floral explosion’ in the bedroom of Lisa Mehydene's Cotswold barn.
Paul Massey16/46Wallpaper 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 Gale17/46In the nursery in Alice Palmer’s previous home, wardrobe doors are painted a minty green to complement the stripes in Farrow & Ball's ‘Folly Green’ on the ceiling.
Owen Gale18/46Georgina 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 Massey19/46Existing 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 Eller20/46The wardrobe doors inside this contemporary pied-à-terre in Rome depict a landscape scene.
21/46A concealed wardrobe with a sliding door is perfect for smaller bedrooms like this one in a French villa, where traditional hinged doors can cause an obstruction to walkways. The lights are from Emery et Cie.
Paul Massey22/46Space 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 Sugiura23/46When 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 Cairns24/46In 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.
Comments
Back to Top
