Ideas for setting up a small walk-in wardrobe

How do you create a small dressing room in a flat? You have several options for making the most of limited space. Yes, we are fans of Sex and the City too, where one of the main characters owned a beautiful dressing room. And perhaps you remember why that flat was up for sale? Because the previous owners were getting divorced (possibly) over the dressing room. So, to spare you the divorce papers, your best option is to divide the room with a partition. The newly created space then becomes the dressing room.

Besides, this creates a space for more than just storing clothes. You also gain space along the new wall that the partition has created. A good idea is to set up a work corner there, for example. This is a great solution if you work from home and don’t have an office of your own.

Our small dressing room has a girly corner

Instead of a work corner, you can also create a beauty corner, with a dressing table and a mirror. Here you can get ready for the new day every morning. Then all you have to do is slip into clothes taken from your perfectly organised dressing room. Either way, you gain a dressing room and still have enough space for all your bedroom furniture.

Another option is to “hide” the dressing room behind the headboard of the bed. This option is ideal if you sleep in a really small room with no space to spare. You gain a dressing room and still have enough room for a sleeping area.

Ideally, build the partition from chipboard. This material is cheap and easy to work with. Cladding panels, for example plasterboard, are then fixed to the partition. Want something really stylish? Put wallpaper on the plasterboard, for example a concrete effect. Some people choose classic wood instead, which is also possible. When building the partition, however, allow for the greater weight.

What should a dressing room include?

A dressing room cannot do without a wardrobe, even outside the bedroom. Some people solve this with a system of shelves, but we won’t hear a word against a classic wardrobe. You can also combine both approaches. Wardrobes are available with classic or sliding doors, with a mirror, or as corner units. 

As the dressing room is out of sight, you can opt for a more economical design. But definitely don’t forget drawers, which are ideal for ties, belts, sunglasses and more. Be careful, though: drawers that are too deep spell trouble. They invite clutter. Choose shallower types. 

In the end, a well-chosen wardrobe can even act as a kind of “partition” that separates the bedroom area from the space where you get dressed. In this case, however, we would recommend a made-to-measure solution.

A proper dressing room needs good lighting so that you can see everything clearly. LED spotlights or LED strips work particularly well. And, of course, mirrors. These can be built into the wardrobes, but you can also buy freestanding ones. If a mirror won’t fit in the dressing room, put it in the bedroom, in the area where you sleep. 

More tips for a small dressing room

• A dressing room in the bedroom should be neither small nor too narrow. The minimum width is around 1 m 20 cm. As for the length, this depends on the size of the room.

• Make sure the space is easy to access from both outside and inside.
• Try to make it match the rest of the space. It doesn’t look good if the dressing room and the bedroom seem to come from completely different worlds.
• A dressing room has no natural light, so be prepared for it to look quite dark. To make the space feel less cramped, decorate it in lighter colours.

Once you’ve read our article, take a look at others, for example which colours suit your flat, 7 tips on how to furnish a bedroom or ways and styles of resolving conflicts.