Five design tips for a Hollywood-style wardrobe

We’ve all admired or coveted Carrie’s wardrobe in Sex and the City – the rows of gleaming Manolo Blahniks, Jimmy Choos and shiny ‘it’ bags. There’s something alluring about having a perfectly organised dressing room that’s the height of sophistication, and it helps you to set out on your day knowing you look good.

Creating that feel of Hollywood glamour in your own home is very achievable – and customising the space that you have with a stunningly designed wardrobe solution can revolutionise how you live and dress.

Technical director Neil Robinson of Innovative Interiors, a company that specialises in premium custom wardrobes and clever storage solutions, offers his top tips on how to achieve that Hollywood look.

Clothing retailers and set designers have a clever trick to make a wardrobe look really elegant and sophisticated, and it’s something that anyone can achieve at home: space between garments.

“The key to making a wardrobe feel more luxurious is creating space between the hanging garments,” says Neil.

But what if you have a small space to work with?

Neil says you can create more hanging space by having pull-down storage installed. But while this will create more hanging room, it won’t necessarily make your wardrobe feel more spacious.

“Pull-down storage creates a lot of volume, but doesn't necessarily look beautiful. I would suggest as an alternative that we include some high cupboards with doors where you can store clothes that aren’t in season. Then you can use a ladder to access them.”

Lighting is a really critical part of your wardrobe, and it is one of the small, often-overlooked, details that help elevate your closet to the next level.

Ambient lighting is most important because it lights the entire space, so when you walk into your wardrobe you can quickly and clearly see the colours of your clothes. Accent lighting adds another dimension to the space, and Neil says there are many ways to do this, but probably the most effective is to create a wash of light over your garments.

“LED strip lighting integrated into the hanging rail is a stunning way of lighting your clothes, and toe-kick lighting creates a soft glow on the floor. A wash of side- or downlighting from the side or back walls is also a great way of creating a glamorous ambience.”

The colour of your light is also key, says Neil. He suggests a warm yellow to give the space a golden glow. And if you really want to take your wardrobe to Hollywood level, consider incorporating lighting in your drawers. It looks dramatic and, on a practical note, the lights come on when you open the drawers.

There’s no specific best height for hanging your clothes – rather, your wardrobe should be customised to you. So, whether you’re five foot or six foot tall, you need to be able to easily reach your clothes, and items shouldn’t be dragging on the ground. It’s about tailoring a space completely to your needs – whether you have three dresses and 100 shirts, or a closet full of trousers and jackets, your wardrobe should comfortably accommodate this.

“One of my clients had 120 pairs of shoes, so we dedicated a lot of space to displaying them. I always ask clients if they are a Marie Kondo fan, because the way you store your clothing dictates just how much space you need for drawers and shelves. For example, if you fold your jerseys using the Marie Kondo method, we can get more jerseys into the drawers.”

When designing storage, Neil always asks to see the actual clothing that will be going into the space, because what people wear and its size when folded has a big impact on the final design. The key is to have “a place for everything and everything in its place” – you won’t see a Hollywood wardrobe stuffed with untidy piles of jeans!

Your glamorous clothes, handbags, shoes and other beautiful items should be stored carefully so they won’t be crushed, damaged, or indeed, acquire a layer of dust between outings. Everyone has something different they collect, and Neil says it’s crucial to get a bespoke solution to preserve and display your most treasured items.

“One of our clients had a massive collection of bracelets so, to display these, we created drawers that rolled out on dowels with a gloss finish. Another client had a small amount of clothing, but hundreds of handbags, so we incorporated 12 drawers for storing them.”

If you want to display your possessions while preventing any degradation, Neil says the ideal solution is glass-fronted drawers and cabinets.

“In terms of preserving expensive purses or items like that, putting them behind doors is a really good way to keep the dust away. Depending on how valuable they are, you may need climate control in the room, like a museum, but in most wardrobes you're trying to keep dust off everything.”

Creating a truly glamorous space also comes down to the materials you use, and the best place to start is by talking to your wardrobe solution specialist, who will be able to recommend high-quality solutions that look fabulous.

“Real timber veneer is always the top choice, but you can get Melamine and Melteca products now that look really sophisticated and elegant, and we can help you with choosing the best finish possible. We can also direct you to other elements such as hardware that can really lift a wardrobe to that next level.”

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