How to Turn a Small Room into a Walk-In Wardrobe?

If you have a spare space under your stairs, in your loft or next to your master bedroom and are thinking of refurbishing your home, you might ask yourself: How do you turn a small room into a walk-in wardrobe?

As professionals in this field, we’re always delighted to be able to reply with: It’s easily achievable and is much simpler and more cost-effective than you think! 

Contrary to popular belief, obtaining a walk-in wardrobe is not an exclusive option reserved for celebrities or the very wealthy.

In fact, anyone who has a spare room that is not in use can absolutely have one installed. And, with countless design choices available, you should be able to fulfil this goal on a fairly tight budget.

Our dynamic design team has put together these guidelines to help you explore all the options, enabling you to free up space in your bedroom, add a touch of class to your aesthetics, organise your possessions and increase the overall selling price of your home.

Welcome to FCI London

We help designers & clients transform mundane spaces into extraordinary ones.

• Clearance items
• Sofas
• Dining Tables
• Custom Wardrobes
• All Furniture

Enlist the help of a professional

Hiring an interior designer or professional furniture company is a terrific idea if you love the concept of a walk-in wardrobe but have no idea how to go about conceptualising, building or installing one.

Pick someone with a wealth of experience who will work with you, guide your choices and ensure that you end up with the bedroom transformation of your dreams.

At FCI London, you’ll be able to chat to our team about everything from customisation options to how to accommodate your unique needs, making the process 100% doable and hassle-free.

So whether you’re after hanging space, bags of storage, a shoe display rack, pull-out drawers or a central island, we’re here to make it happen.

We are fanatical about luxury fitted wardrobe design.

Take a look at our range of contemporary wardrobes.

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Measure your room and plan out the layout of your walk-in wardrobe

To make sure that the overall design of your walk-in wardrobe is just right, you’ll need to do some careful prepping. Here are four useful pointers:

• Measure up: If this is something you’ve never done before and you’re concerned that you may get it wrong, get a professional to help you. It’s imperative that every millimetre is properly accounted for, or you will end up making mistakes and incurring unnecessary expenses.
• Plan your layout: Especially if it is meant for more than one person. From the outset, make sure that you and your partner are in agreement regarding both private and shared spaces, as the last thing you want to discover in your hosiery draw is a bunch of boxer shorts!
• Design separate sections: It’s important to determine how much full-length and half-length hanging space each person will need for dresses, coats and pants. Once you’ve established that, work on shelving and drawers and then turn your attention to dedicated shoe racks and space for other items like ties, bags, hats, scarves and jewellery.
  It goes without saying that items like mirrors and central surfaces will be shared, but at the end of the day, it’s always better to split the majority of your wardrobe evenly between you and your partner, giving both of you the space and privacy to keep your personal possession in order.
• Explore different layouts: Play around with compartment heights and a variety of storage accessories to make sure that all your needs are met and that everything you own has a well-organised place. If your space is a little bigger, you can start thinking about incorporating a central island, peninsula, make-up station or dressing area.

Install shelves, racks and other storage solutions to make the most of the space

Although your walk-in wardrobe might have enough space in which to accommodate all of your clothing and accessories, it’s surprising how easily it can become messy. So while you’re still in the design process, have a look at clever storage solutions that will help you keep the clutter under control.  Here are some simple options:

• Hanging rails: You will need room in your wardrobe for a “long hang” which will accommodate dresses, coats, jackets and eveningwear and also for a “short hang” for shirts, skirts and slacks that can be folded in half. The latter can be positioned so that you have two units stacked one above the other to give you optimal space.
• Shelving: Perfect for folded clothing, handbags, extra bedding and shoes, shelving provides a key storage component in any walk-in wardrobe. If you’re working in a small space, choose a height-adjustable option to give you extra flexibility.
• Drawers: If you have the space for them, drawers are a good storage solution for things like socks, shorts and underwear, especially if you get dressed in your walk-in. And if you tend to let your clothing get jumbled up, use drawer dividers to keep things in place.
• Baskets, bins, and boxes: These are brilliant wardrobe organisers that will help take care of extra items like scarves, swimwear and any items that are out of season and need to be stored away until you need them. Sealed containers are the optimal choice as they will ensure that your possessions stay dust-free.
  
  

Choose a colour palette and decorate with accessories that reflect your style 

No matter its size, making your wardrobe feel opulent and design-driven by aligning it with the décor and colour palette in your master bedroom is a must and will make the whole project that much more worthwhile. And from soft carpets, contemporary flooring and luxury door finishes to bespoke knobs and handles, there’s an almost endless range of options to choose from.

Then infuse your space with bags of personality just as you would with any other interior design project because getting ready for your day or an evening out ought to be fun rather than hard work.

Objects of high visual value, such as a collection of watches, smart ties or a coveted purse, should be displayed at eye level. And don’t be hesitant to put artwork on a show – it all adds to the experience and overall feeling of sumptuousness.

Remember to pay attention to where you install plug points – especially if you’re going to be using hair dryers and straighteners.

Add a comfortable chair or bench for sitting on while changing your clothes

It’s always good to have a comfortable chair, elegant bench or plush ottoman to sit on while putting on your shoes or changing your top.

Choose a quality item that will last you for years and make sure that it, too, fits in with your chosen aesthetics. 

If you’re working with a larger area, you can pick out a fabulous luxury sofa instead or even add a little reading nook complete with a side table and a task lamp. If you have room for a dressing table, ensure that the stool matches with all the other furniture items to create a cohesive look. 

Make sure the lighting is adequate so you can see everything in your wardrobe

Illumination is a crucial factor to take into account when designing any walk-in wardrobe. After all, how can you be expected to choose the ideal outfit complete with shoes and accessories if you can’t see what you’re doing?

While installing a massive chandelier will definitely add to your room’s inherent luxury, you should also focus on fitting lights that are practical. Downlights or overheads in a dressing room, for example, are not a good option because they can cause unattractive shadows that will cover the torso and face, making it impossible to see what you actually look like. Here are some guidelines:

Use LEDs in all your compartments and under your shelving to illuminate all of your possessions.

Placing strip lights around the edges of your mirrors is an excellent idea as they will shine evenly, which is particularly useful when applying make-up.

Hang a pendant light above your central island – it will cast an ambient rather than focussed light and add a touch of glitz and glamour to the aesthetics of your room.

Opt for mirrored sliding doors - they will help to reflect light significantly and make even a compact space look grand.

For optimal visibility, cool artificial light is preferable.

Use natural lighting from windows as much as possible. 

Keep the area organised and tidy so it’s easy to find what you need

Although it might sound like we’re stating the obvious, it’s important to store your belongings in their designated spaces in order to keep your walk-in wardrobe neat, tidy and clutter-free. Have a small set of steps on hand for those difficult-to-reach shelves, put away storage bins, hang up your clean garments and don’t let laundry pile up on the floor.

We recommend that you do a complete clean-out once a year to get rid of unwanted items. And, although you may adore all the latest fashions, don’t binge-buy.

In Conclusion

If you have a small room in your house that is not in use, turning it into a walk-in wardrobe is a fabulous idea and can be done relatively easily and within reasonable budget constraints. Make a list of all the extras you would like to include and then sit down with a professional consultant to see how you can achieve your goals.

Our brilliant team of designers know all the ins and outs of creating fantastic, tailor-made walk-in wardrobes and can’t wait to help you realise your dreams.

So pop in and see us today and let’s set the wheels in motion over a delicious cup of Brazilian roast coffee.