How to create the perfect walk-in wardrobe

Walk-in wardrobes are the stuff of dreams. Imagine having a home for your Celine bags, Ferragamo pumps and pearl necklace. All your bras and undies are neatly folded in dividers, no single socks on Tinder looking for their other half and you’d never be late looking for you black jumper again.

No matter the space or budget you’re working with, organisation is the secret ingredient to any wardrobe. Your clothes deserve a nice place to sleep, so check out these tips on how to pull off the perfect walk-in wardrobe on any budget.

Purge

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Let’s forget the diet to fit into that dress. How about eliminating the toxic dress instead? You’ve heard this all before, if you haven’t worn it in 12 months, throw it out. The best way to do this is to take everything out of your wardrobe.  Yep, every single thing.

Source: Lessismore

Clothes that are too big, too small, too old have to go.  “Be ruthless!” says interior stylist Emma Blomfield. “It’s easy to become an unintentional hoarder when you have ample space available but that’s no excuse to hang onto things you no longer wear or fit.”

Sun Tzu always said “the supreme art of wardrobes is to throw out thy enemy. There will always be another sale, girlfriend.”

Space

Source: Ikea

Now your clothes are lying all over the house, you can see what space you have to work with. This is where all the real organisation comes in. Be clever. How you structure your wardrobe is key. There is no point over-engineering this baby, so it takes heaps of work to maintain. We are lazy, we don’t put things back properly, and we shove things away before people come over. Build that into your planning. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration. Photos, photos everywhere of how to store everything from shoes to hats.

Home sweet home

Source: Pinterest 

Once you’ve grouped all your items together, give them a home. “Splash some cash at your local storage store and buy handy things like scarf holders, shoe boxes to keep your beloved shoes dust free, small tubs to organise inside your drawers and even plastic tubs to store seasonal items.” says Blomfield.

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• Ikea’s Skubb range is affordable and versatile for both vertical and horizontal storage space.
• Shelf dividers can also keep things tidy, no jumpers in T-shirt territory thank you.
• Vacuum bags are boss, just like these reusable bags from Target. Put all your seasonal items like winter clothes and jackets into these bad boys, suck and forget.

Colour code

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This is not so important, it’s just really, really aesthetically appealing. Jennifer French, interior designer of Inside Out Colour and Design says colour coding means you can locate items easier.

Renovating

If you are lucky enough to renovate and plan a walk-in wardrobe from scratch, here are a few points to keep in mind. “Walk in robes are a luxury so make it luxurious. Soft carpet underfoot, large mirrors to see yourself from all angles, space to change, space to lay out clothes” says French.

“Luxurious walk-in robes are those that aren’t cluttered so installing shelving systems from the floor all the way up to the ceiling and then ensuring each section has doors or drawers to hide the mess are the key,” says Blomfield.  Remember doors hide flaws.

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“Install as much hanging space as your room allows for. Consider installing some shelving space under shirt hanging space, too, for versatility and flexibility for seasonal outfits.” says Blomfield.

Both agree that having an ottoman or armchair is a must in putting on and taking off shoes.