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Expert tips for perfect robes

If you have ever dreamt of owning a luxurious wardrobe, good enough to rival the one made famous by Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw, dream no more. Experts say creating the wardrobe of your dreams is not as expensive or as hard as it may seem.

A PERSONAL TOUCH

Interior finishes consultant Alessandra Salomone says choosing a wardrobe comes down to what best suits people.

"When designing a new home most clients incorporate either a walk-in- robe or a wardrobe to suit their personal wants and lifestyle," Ms Salomone says.

"This isn't always an option especially when the client is looking at a short-term stay in the home or is renting, so then renovating or revamping the wardrobe is probably the best way to go.

"There's also the option of freestanding wardrobes which come in a wide variety of shapes, styles and colours."

STYLE STAKES

Home Matters professional organiser Marianne Shenton says there are modern styles to suit every lifestyle need.

"Wardrobes come in one of three categories; the 'boutique look', 'modern look' and 'traditional look'," she says.

"The boutique look mainly comprises racking systems either freestanding or mobile and are popular with younger people because they offer a chic look, adjustable shelving and drawers, portability and affordability.

"The modern look is usually a built-in-robe with adjustable shelves and drawers and is most desirable with second-homebuyers, while the traditional freestanding robe with doors has started to regain popularity."

According to Manor Home Builders project manager Rob Mastrocola, wardrobes are taking on a room of their own.

"People are spending more money on luxury fit-outs of these rooms including extras like wall-to-wall cabinetry with pigeonholes, shelving, cabinet drawers with full-height mirrors and a preparation quarter with lights, mirror and bench," he says.

Some clients liked to have the walk-in-robe meet the ensuite.

"The area also becomes more of a habitable room because they are spending more time there," he says.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

IKEA Innaloo's interior designer Ulrika Thor says a simple design with flexible storage is the way to go. "Wardrobes that grow with people's needs and allow them to customise accordingly are the most popular," she says.

"Clean lines and contemporary finishes are preferred over the traditional heritage look and we've also noticed sliding mirror doors have come back into fashion."

Impact Cabinets director Rob Settineri agrees, adding mirrored wardrobes are particularly popular with those renovating smaller bedrooms. "In most cases these areas tend to be smaller and a mirrored wardrobe opens up the room," he says.

"Some people don't like the full mirrored look so if the wardrobe has six doors then they might just do the middle two with mirrors.

"And though it might sound quite simple on the outside, inside you will find drawers, pigeonholes, storage, full and half-hanging spaces and low-voltage lighting as well as being able to spruce it up by adding belt and tie racks."

DO-IT-YOURSELF

So how does one go about creating their dream wardrobe at home?

Ms Thor says the first consideration should be how much you need to store and what you need to store. "Some people will use a wardrobe for items like bedding and towels as well as clothes, so usage should drive the design," she says.

"It should also be considered how much of a feature the wardrobe needs to be within a room."

Capital Build and Design building designer Sally Larner commends considering your lifestyle and desires.

"A walk-in-robe is an example of a multi-functional space and while it is somewhere to store and hang clothes, think of it as a dressing room or somewhere to display your fashion treasures," she says.

"Other things to think of include lighting and mirrors, cabinetry design to suit your needs and different fashion needs with changing seasons or work/casual clothes spaces."