From design to organization, optimizing your dressing room saves time and living space. Here are the 4 steps to a modern, functional alternative to the classic closet.
The advantages of dressing rooms
Dressing rooms are not the exclusive preserve of large residences, and can find a place in small apartments as long as they are designed and built to measure. The stereotypical image of the dozens of square meters of dressing room, framed by closets, shoe racks and mirrors, leads us to believe that its installation requires an entire room. In fact, a well-designed dressing room occupies the entire available space from floor to ceiling, whereas a standard-sized closet leaves multiple spaces vacant and unused. A rather strategic choice when it comes to making the most of even the smallest square footage.
The other strong point of the walk-in wardrobe is, of course, its practicality. It is hard to get an overview of your wardrobe when you’re surrounded by piles of clothes. When it comes to closets, the classic closet also shows its limitations when the overloaded rod no longer offers the space needed to move the hangers. If the bedroom walls can’t be pushed out, the walls of the closet will give way to a longer rod and shelves running the full width and height of the available space. This configuration offers a clearer, more unobstructed view, as well as a variety of storage possibilities to evolve with the seasons.
With open wardrobes, the closet becomes a decorative element in its own right. The different pieces, sorted by color and length, can create a beautiful effect… as long as you stay organized all year round.
4 tips to optimize your dressing room
Where and how to create a dressing room? What accessories should I use to keep my dressing room functional and tidy?
1 – List the unused spaces in your home
Under slopes, wide corridors, high ceilings, large entrances, space under a staircase… Most homes that have not yet undergone space optimization work are full of areas to conquer. Make a list of these open spaces and select the one most suitable for the dressing room. The bedroom is preferable to the entrance hall, the office slope to the staircase leading to the living room, and so on. The idea is to select a location that is out of sight and out of mind, but also away from odors. Any location close to the kitchen should, if possible, be avoided or considered as a last resort.
2 – Select the right components for the right configuration
If the under-slope space is the best place for the installation of your dressing room, the challenge is to get as close as possible to the wall. To overcome this inclination and optimize the space as much as possible, the under-slope kit is the solution that will simplify the creation of an under-slope closet.
If the start of the slope is high enough, the closet can easily occupy the space without wasting space. If you have lower slopes you can fill them with shelves, a chest of drawers or a made-to-measure closet.
For locations close to living areas, the objective is twofold: to isolate the dressing room from the rest of the space and to protect clothes from odor impregnation. The solution here is to install one or more sliding doors. The clearance of a conventional door can thus be used to gain a few precious square centimetres inside the dressing room. As for the living area, the choice of door to be installed contributes to the style of the interior decoration. Surface-mounted or curved sliding systems allow you to move any type of door, from the lightest to the heaviest, in solid wood for example.
We offer a range of sliding hardware for your closet doors:
Each project is matched by a complete installation kit, easy to install with parts sized according to the door’s characteristics: weight, width and thickness, not forgetting the colors and materials to be selected according to the chosen design.
3 – Essential accessories to organize your dressing room
Poorly equipped, a dressing room, no matter how large, can quickly present the same limitations as a conventional closet. To remedy this, there’s a whole range of accessories you can use:
- Fabric baskets to isolate the most fragile items or group items by category: socks, scarves, ties…
- Inclined shelves for shoes, to improve visibility and depth
- A wardrobe lift for the upper part of the dressing room
- Trouser racks: very practical and space-saving
- Tie and belt racks
- Drawer dividers for framing the zones dedicated to each family of garments
- Hanging fabric shelves
Last but not least: a small stepladder. A must-have for high dressing rooms, it’s just as useful for getting a better view of the shelves’ contents.
4 – Focus on transparency and luminosity
Many storage accessories are also available in transparent versions. Openwork boxes, for example, offer a glimpse of their contents thanks to their transparent inserts. Another smart dressing room accessory: slim, transparent sliding drawers. Each drawer holds a minimum number of items, a row of sweaters for example, making it easier to find what you are looking for when choosing your outfit.
For closed dressers, ideally located in the privacy of a bedroom or office, opt for sliding glass doors. Sliding hardware are specially designed for glass doors. The dressing room’s contents remain visible across the entire width, no matter how many panels are opened or closed. During the day, when the dressing room is in use, it benefits from all the natural light in the room. At night, it is the installation of carefully selected lighting fixtures that makes all the difference. Spotlights are very popular, aimed at the garments for maximum visibility.
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