Collection: Open Wardrobes

If you want to turn your clothing collection into a design feature, open wardrobes are a fantastic choice.  They are also great if you are working with a smaller room where a bulky wardrobe with doors would feel imposing as well as restrictive.

Open Wardrobes are a great choice that will help you to trade the "hidden clutter" of traditional closets for accessibility and a sense of space.

Popular Styles

The Pros and Cons of Open Wardrobes

The Upside

• Space Saver: If you are tight on space then this may well be the solution for you as the lack of doors means you can fit them in smaller gaps without having to worry about having space to open the doors
• Visual Depth: Because you can see to the back of the unit to the wall behind the clothes, it will make your room feel larger as more space is on view.
• Accessibility: Everything is "grab and go." It actually encourages you to keep your clothes tidier because they are on display.

The Reality Check

• Dust: Given the lack of doors, it means that dust will settle on your clothes faster. You will want to rotate your wardrobe seasonally to try and avoid this.
• Visual Noise: If your clothes are a mix of brightly coloured gym gear and on a collection of mismatched hangers, then realistically an open wardrobe may not be the right answer for you and your space as it will make the room feel messy.
• Sun Fading: You need to be careful because if you place your wardrobe in direct sunlight, you will find that fabrics will fade and bleach over time.

Pro Tips for Top Look

To help you prevent an open wardrobe from looking cluttered, follow these "retail" secrets:

• Uniform Hangers: This is the number one, most important rule for you to follow if you want to achieve the best look you possibly can. Switch to all-black velvet or all-wooden hangers, this will instantly create for you a cohesive, high-end look.
• Colour Coding: If you order your clothes by colour (light to dark). It will make the wardrobe look more intentional rather than an accidental mess.
• The "Rule of Three": In an ideal world you should try and use a mix of hanging space, shelving, and drawers/baskets. Ideally you want to aim to use baskets at the bottom for socks and underwear that you don't want on display.
• Lighting: To take your setup the next level you can add either a cheap and simple LED strip or a clip-on spotlight both of which will help transform a basic open wardrobe into a boutique-style feature.

Quick Tip: If you love the open look but fear the mess, then you could consider going for a semi-open approach that uses a sheer linen curtain instead of doors.

By doing this you will get the soft and more gentle aesthetics without having the pressure of perfect organisation.