What does your perfect dressing room look like?
Have you seen this entertaining advertisement from a well-known beer brand? The setting is an elegant soirée at a private residence. The lady of the house is guiding her friends through her new home. The highlight comes when she proudly presents her new dressing room. Upon seeing the walk-in closet, all of her friends break out into cheers. Suddenly, their cries of joy are interrupted by the rejoicing among the men. Our view pans to the gentleman of the house, who is showing his friends the counterpart to her dressing room: this, too, is a walk-in closet. Yet in this case it consists of a refrigerator filled with chilled bottles! You can still find the humorous spot involving the walk-in closet on YouTube.
While I’ve yet to integrate a refrigerator into a dressing room, you know my motto is that the client is king! Today, I thought I’d lay out my eleven personal tips for a perfectly designed dressing room.
- Know your own habits
Anyone planning a new dressing room should first reflect upon his or her daily routines. Do you hang your shirts or blouses, or do you prefer to look at orderly folded shirts? The same question goes for pants. Of course, there is always the question of space. Pants hung over a hanger or on a clip occupy less room. When deciding where the dressing room should be located and what it should include, it is important to be aware of your own preferences and routines. You’ll see this topic come up again in the other tips, too.
- Realistically estimating space and utilizing it in a sensible manner
Whether you prefer a doored wardrobe or an open solution will depend on taste on the one hand, and on available space on the other. And whether the shoe cabinet should be in the dressing room will also depend on space. If there is enough room, I always recommend having spacious storage for laying out clothing. Stowage space can be structured in an aesthetically pleasing manner as storage for suitcases. Those who travel a lot will surely appreciate the value in having a luggage stand. When it comes to heavy garment bags, special clothing hooks are recommended.
- Hanging mirrors correctly
Perfect mirror placement creates an aesthetic look, makes a room look bigger, and is extremely helpful in selecting outfits. It’s great when mirrors are coordinated such that you can see your backside.
- Consider height
When I am planning a dressing room, I always think about how tall my clients are. You’ll need to reach all your daily items comfortably and see yourself in the mirror without effort.
- Mutual or individual use
The decision of whether man and woman share a dressing room or if each has his or her own space will depend on what the daily routines are like. Do you rise together and are both in a hurry? Do you have a hard time getting going in the morning, requiring space and quiet for yourself to get started? Or do you like to stand in front of the dresser together and consult each other? Are you in alignment with your partner’s level of orderliness, or would you prefer not to see what is going on in his or her wardrobe?
All of these questions play an important roll in comfort level. As an interior designer, I am certainly no therapist or life coach. Here, however, I can indeed say that successful interior design can have an influence on relationship quality…
- Orderliness is a question of detail
And since we are on the topic of orderliness: it’s the small things that often create chaos in our closets. What to do with belts and ties? Things tend to ball up in drawers, and it becomes difficult to have an overview of what is in there. This is especially true for people in a hurry and can lead to unnecessary stress. Extractable hooks or extra tie holders have proven to be very helpful. They provide for order while simultaneously saving space. Additionally, some drawers should be planned for jewelery or belts. And, of course, a safe for the most special jewelery. Special drawers for undergarments make it easy to sort socks and underwear.
- Up top
Anything that is only used on seldom occasions should go up top. This applies for handbags, clothing, and boots that are only used a couple times a year. Ski suits and seldom used sports equipment are best stored in upper spaces. There are also a wide variety of storage options to ensure that clothing doesn’t collect dust. An integrated step ladder or a nice library step makes it easy to access the areas up top.
- The best location for your dressing room
Do you shower in the morning and like to jump directly into your fresh clothes? Or do you grab some breakfast first while still in your bathrobe, and then take all the time you need to get dressed without a rush? It is also important to consider your personal habits when it comes to deciding where your dressing room should be located in your home. It would be optimal to place clothing in the bathroom so that it warms up before putting it on. In my opinion, the ideal location for a dressing room is between the bathroom and the bedroom. Ideally, there would be a third entry point via the hallway or stairway.
- Don’t forget about clothing that’s already been worn!
In dressing rooms, we tend to focus primarily on freshly washed clothing stored in an orderly manner. However, one also shouldn’t forget to include a practical location for clothing that has been worn yet doesn’t need to be put in the laundry yet. It is always a good idea to have a balcony for airing out clothing that has been worn, or to define a set location on a terrace. To that end, there are elegant solutions that work well visually. Remember to think about a location for a laundry chute as well.
- Realistic inventory list for your tailored dressing room
When planning a dressing room, there is no getting around making a realistic inventory list. The more detailed it is, the easier it will be to find a location for everything afterward. How many evening gowns are there that may require being hung extra high? How many ball gowns are there that occupy a lot of place? How many tuxedos? How much sport clothing? Which of these are items that can be stored up top because you hardly use them, and which things would you prefer to have easy access to? If you have a clear idea on this, it will be all the easier for an interior designer like me to plan the right dressing room.
- Airy and fresh
Remember that enclosed spaces will ideally have rear ventilation! Shoe cabinets should have a ventilated bottom so that leather soles that are wet or moist don’t gather stains! As far as cabinet material is concerned, I always recommend hardwood because it provides better protection against moths.
From a visual standpoint, by the way, having an “airy” feel is simply better. Perhaps you’ll take this as an opportunity to sort out the items you no longer want. A dressing room filled with favorites will give you a better feeling than a space stuffed with dresses that haven’t been worn for years!
In any case, have fun planning sorting and planning! If you need assistance or suggestions, feel free to contact me at any time!
By the way, when it comes to creating the perfect dressing room for female clients, I have been working with Ms. Harrison Anna Rebecca of ladybutler.com for years now. You’ll also find some great recommendations there. And if you are indeed thinking about a walk-in refrigerator like in the advertisement above, then I recommend reading my article on men’s dreams.