Each week Mansion Global tackles an interior design topic with an elite group of designers from around the world who work on luxury properties. This week we look at how to design a chic and luxurious dressing room.
A dressing room is a fashionista’s dream space. Room to put outfits together, storage galore, a full-length mirror to try it all on in front of—what could be better? "A well-designed and thought out dressing room can be similar to a retail experience but in the comfort of your own home," said Jane Landino, design director of London-based Taylor Howes.
And it’s much more than just a closet. "A closet is a place where you keep your clothes. A dressing room is a place to enjoy your clothes," said Toronto-based interior designer Quinn Cooper. "It’s a place to spend time in, where you feel your best."
Even if you’re working with a small corner of a bedroom, you can still personalize it. For ideas on designing a dressing room with style, space, and storage options, follow these tips from the design pros.
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Make It Your Own
"Good dressing rooms transform and de-clutter the most disorganized of spaces into a haven of calm and order so that you can enjoy your clothing and accessories in a simple way.
"For one client who wanted to disconnect from work at weekends, we gave him two separate dressing areas— one for his weekday wardrobe of suits and ties and another for his more relaxed and informal weekend wear.
"It’s all about ease of use and personal preference. Do you prefer to fold or hang your shirts? How much long hanging do you require? Do you need to see everything in one go?
"A dressing room is very personal. It can have pocket doors that slide away seamlessly leaving it free of wardrobe doors. If doors are required, we often do a combination of mirrored doors, glass doors, and doors inset with finishes such as silk wallpaper, textured vinyl, or even veneered timbers and hand painted fabrics.
Designed by Jane Landino, this home at One Kensington Gardens features a streamlined wardrobe design with built-in storage for shoes and ties.
Taylor Howes"An easy way of personalizing a wardrobe is to use beautiful ironmongery, such as mother of pearl handles or leather covered drawer pulls to add a touch of glamour.
"Some kind of seating, such as an ottoman or bench, is always nice to lay clothes out on while selecting or simply to sit and review wardrobe selections. It makes the space cozier and more of a fashion experience rather than just a room."
"Good task lighting is essential. We often find that integral lighting is lovely to have as well, so that the lights inside the wardrobe are on a sensor and come on when the doors are opened. We also find that lining the wardrobe in a lighter finish means that it is easier to see the true color of clothes than if they are against a dark wood for example."
—Jane Landino, design director of Taylor Howes in London
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Plan with Purpose
"If you have the space, putting in a beautiful chair or ottoman and rug helps pull the space together and elevate the look.
"Treat the dressing room as another room in your home, not just a place where you keep your clothes. I prefer to have a soft, neutral closet with some fun pops throughout. Display trays with jewelry on them, have a vase of fresh flowers, display beautiful bags and shoes.
"Lighting can be the difference between a good dressing room and a great dressing room. Making sure you have flattering light to get dressed in is key. It shouldn’t be too bright or harsh. In-cabinet lighting is also a nice touch that makes the cabinetry look very high end.
"If you only have a tiny space, keep everything organized so it doesn't feel cluttered. Organize hanging clothing in a rainbow. With your folded clothing, keep like colors together. Get nice looking racks for shoes so they have a place to live and invest in a nice jewelry box."
— Toronto-based interior designer Quinn Cooper
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Add a Sense of Style
"For me, a dressing room is a multifunctional space to gather, to stage, and to relax. The essential elements include a staging area, seating, decorative lighting, a mirror, and a vanity. In terms of furniture, you need seating (e.g. an ottoman, chaise, sofa, chair), a side table, and I also like to use armoires to break up all the built-in cabinetry.
"Lighting is so important—from chandeliers and decorative lighting, to in-cabinet lights (to elevate the space and add a custom touch), daylight bulbs (to allow you to see clearly between black and navy), and vanity lighting (adds functional value and a glamorous touch)."
Personalized details, including vases of flowers, jewelry boxes, and a chandelier make this dressing room designed by Lisa Adams have a bespoke feel.
LA Closet Design— Lisa Adams of LA Closet Design in Los Angeles
Customize Accordingly
"Walk-in wardrobes are one of the main requests we get from our clients and we often convert guest bedrooms adjacent to the master bedroom into walk-in wardrobes. When space is at a premium, we may reconfigure the master bedroom with a false wall behind the headboard wall and the wardrobes behind, or, reconfigure the space between the en-suite bathroom and bedroom to make a passageway with wardrobes.
"For a recent project at the townhouses at The W1 London, we designed a generous-sized walk-in wardrobe in between the bedroom and bathroom with two oval islands for additional space. To add further glamour, we installed two quartz crystal chandeliers.
"We find that bespoke joinery, such as veneers with metal inlays, is a must.
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"Many of the dressing rooms we design for our female clients are a soothing, feminine oasis where they can spend some time, as well as getting dressed. We have installed fridges, mini kitchens, and sitting areas. People are now thinking about how they want to use their space and customize their homes to their own specific needs rather than worrying about how many bedrooms the house has and what impact the changes they make will have on the resale value. We find that having dedicated dressing rooms and separate bathrooms in the master suite increases the price per square foot."
— Sophie Paterson of Sophie Paterson Interiors, in London