Where do you keep your clothes and other apparel? Do you hang them in individual closets? Or are they tucked neatly in dresser drawers?
Walk-in closets remain all the rage for people who love to dress up and stay on top of fashion trends. A walk-in closet keeps all your stuff neatly organised in one place and supports swift changing of clothes. It also provides privacy when you’re trying to mix-and-match pieces you’re still unsure are catwalk-worthy.
The best part is, walk-in closets keep all your valuable pieces secure.
Planning to have your very own walk-in closet to house your fashion collection gathered after years of shopping in Dubai?
Here are eight ideas you may want to steal to create a fabulous walk-in closet for your luxury apartment in Dubai:
1. Maximise space
Steal as many centimetres as you can from the room you’re planning to build your walk-in closet in.
Divide space under eaves and use them as drawers or add a hanging space on a full-height partition.
If you’re having an extension built for a new bedroom or bathroom, pay attention to the layout you plan more carefully and add some creative storage spaces there, too.
Paying attention to details ahead will help you save not just time and money but also maximise the available space for your walk-in closet.
2. Design for hanging
The key to creating an excellent walk-in closet is to prioritise hanging components. Remember that you can always add an extra set of drawers to the room, but you can’t hang your clothes there.
When designing your walk-in closet, be smart in assigning sections. Try to separate short and long garments. After measuring the height of hanging space needed for each, add 20% more to ensure you have enough room for whatever clothes you buy in the future.
If your closet space is within the 2.2-meter average height, you can have two short hanging rows or one long hanging row in a column with some drawers underneath.
3. Have a custom-built closet island
If you’re having things made bespoke for your apartment anyway, why not have custom-made furniture for your walk-in closet?
One excellent piece you should consider is a closet island. This is a dresser built into your walk-in closet and can serve several different purposes – much like a kitchen island.
Below are some of the things it can have:
- Drawers to keep lingerie, stockings, underwear, jewellery, and watches.
- A countertop for organising newly purchased items or folding old ones before they are put away.
- Power outlets for charging smartwatches, phones, or other small electronics.
- A built-in bench for sitting while putting on your socks and shoes without having to take up extra space.
4. Develop a whole system dedicated to footwear
One of the best things about a walk-in closet is that you don’t have to hide those gorgeous shoes, sandals, and boots underneath your hanging rods. They get shelves of their own.
Develop a system of footwear display where you can both show off and protect your shoes.
If you’re a shoe collector or have a good number of pairs, you can dedicate an entire wall for them. Arrange those you regularly wear at an easily reachable height, either somewhere eye-level or slightly lower.
If you don’t have much space, pull-out shelves should do the trick. Opt for those with double racks that can keep two pairs of shoes at a time.
5. Put your clothes on display
Whether or not you let people inside your walk-in closet, you’ll still want to display your clothes. This will make it easier to find what you need and avoid having to dig into drawers to find a single piece, only to mess up your carefully organised closet.
Worried about dust and other elements that can harm your clothes? Consider putting your favourite pieces on display behind glass. Not only does this keep your clothes neat and secure, but it also offers an unhindered view of the items.
As a bonus, transparent doors also make the walk-in closet feel bigger and airier.
6. Don’t skip the three-panelled mirror
One thing that makes walk-in closets a sanctuary for fashionistas is that it mimics the ambience of clothing store dressing rooms. This is all thanks to full-body mirrors.
Take your walk-in closet up a notch by installing a three-panelled mirror on one corner. These interior design elements are popular because they let people see their entire outfit from every angle.
As a bonus, they also create an illusion of a larger room.
7. Add an area rug or runner
You’ll want to make your walk-in closet as cosy as possible. To do that, you need an area rug.
When placing rugs anywhere in the house, you need to consider the size and shape of the room. For a long and narrow walk-in closet, a runner is your best choice.
This interior design element also enhances the overall ‘temperature’ of a place. If your walk-in closet doesn’t have any windows, the fun-patterned rug combined with wood (or wood-like) surfaces lends the space much-needed warmth in an air-conditioned room.
8. Install lights under the open cabinets
What use are a three-panelled mirror and an unobstructed view of your clothes if your walk-in closet is not well-lit? Remember: Lighting is everything, especially when you’re getting ready and trying out outfits.
Besides an overhead light, you may want to consider adding some wall sconces to make the room brighter, especially if it’s windowless.
Adding under-cabinet lights also offers additional task lighting, making it easier to see the contents of your cabinets when selecting an outfit. Plus, they also lend a romantic vibe to the room.
A Fabulous Closet for Your Gorgeous Collection
Like art collectors, those who are passionate about fashion feel more fulfilled when they have a place to display their apparel. A rich collection needs an equally awesome closet, after all. Try the ideas presented here when building your very own walk-in closet.
