Diamonds are no longer a girl’s best friend; walk- in robes are!
A huge selling point in real estate has always been the kitchen and while it still is, it has gained a new competitor; the walk-in robe. The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the walk-in robe is the neck, and therefore you need a neck to turn heads and an outfit to make the heads turn.
There is no doubt that we live in a world that focuses on appearances and maybe we have the media to blame or thank for the growing popularity and necessity of having a walk-in robe. As an interior designer, I have noticed the huge demand for larger and more well-designed walk-in robes and wardrobes when we design homes for clients.
The his and hers no longer refers just to the bathroom vanities but also to the walk-in robes. Designing walk-in robes is more than just a closet rod as they have become rooms in their own rights with a decent square meter allocated exclusively for these highly dreamed of dressing rooms.
According to Wikipedia, historically, the boudoir formed part of the private suite of rooms of a "lady" or upper-class woman, for bathing and dressing, adjacent to her bedchamber, being the female equivalent of the male cabinet. With the modern-day boudoirs, the dressing rooms, we are yearning back to those romantic days without disregarding every day comfort.
We have seen trends within the walk-in robes evolve from the ottoman and chandelier that occupies almost every dressing room to include specially designed vanities and make up tables, tie racks, hat holders, built in safes and custom bench seats. In the most opulent of walk-in robes you may find mini bars for refreshment or rotating watch displays to keep that Rolex moving!
The colours and material combinations are endless and often chosen to compliment the adjoining rooms and we tend to see the female dressing rooms include more decorative elements, wall papers and lighter colours than the male walk-in robes which usually have a sense of masculinity to them with brown oaks or grey interiors dominating. Shoe racks, pant hangers, space for luggage and briefcases, perhaps a desk and seat for the laptop – these are all elements in the wish list of our male clients.
Lighting is important, both for creating ambiance but also for practicality whether we have natural light flowing through windows or down lights, chandeliers and strip lights on shelves to enhance the accessories. Mirrors, whether integrated in the joinery, as sliding doors or stand alone show pieces are equally important.
While not everyone is living in a large home where space is a luxury, there are ways and means of creating that shelf space in smaller homes. We can be quite creative while finding compact living solutions for the inner-city fashionistas with less space but not necessarily less shoes. Unused nooks and corners can be transformed in to small wardrobe heavens, that space under the staircase may be turned in to your own dream closet and you would be surprised to see the laundry space converted in to closet comfort.
For all your interior design needs, Architeria Architects and Interior Designers remain at your service, just a phone call away. 03 98945805.