Wardrobes as a Design Feature
Why Your Storage Wall Could Be the Most Beautiful Thing in Your Bedroom
There is a moment on almost every bedroom project we work on where our clients gesture apologetically at their fitted wardrobes and say something along the lines of — "I know they're not great but there's not much we can do about them." And every single time, we find ourselves smiling. Because in our experience, a wall of fitted wardrobes is not a problem to be tolerated. It is an opportunity waiting to happen.
Wardrobes take up more visual space in a bedroom than almost anything else. They span entire walls, they are the first thing you see when you walk into the room, and they set the tone for everything around them. So why do so many of us treat them as purely functional — something to be hidden or ignored rather than celebrated?
Fitted wardrobes are having a genuine design moment. Across the interiors world we are seeing a move away from the flat, handleless, high gloss doors that dominated the last decade toward something far more considered and characterful. Arched panelling, decorative moulding, tactile wallpaper, fabric inserts, richly toned paint finishes, dark, sculptural handles in aged brass, black iron or warm oak. The wardrobe wall is becoming one of the most exciting design decisions in the bedroom — and rightly so.
What we do at LuLa
We work closely with our team of trusted trades to develop wardrobe designs that are completely bespoke to each project. We never start from scratch if we don't need to — in many cases the existing carcasses are perfectly sound and simply need reimagining. With the addition of new doors, panelling details, moulding and the right paint colour, a dated wardrobe wall can be completely transformed without the upheaval and expense of a full replacement.
On a recent Nottinghamshire project our clients were utterly convinced their dark grey wardrobes were beyond saving. They had resigned themselves to years more of living with something that made their bedroom feel heavy and dated. Working with our joiner, we designed a full wall of elegant arched panelling, added decorative moulding throughout, created a central arch over the television recess with tactile wallpaper behind it, and specified warm dark oak handles from Matilda Goad throughout. The wardrobes were repainted in Coat Paint’s Cargo — a greeny greige — and the result was so transformative that it is hard to believe they are the same wardrobes.
Where to start
If you are looking at your own wardrobes and wondering how you could transform them, here are a few things to consider:
Paint first. The single most impactful and affordable change you can make is colour. Dark grey or stark white wardrobes painted in a warm, considered tone can change the entire feeling of a room overnight. Don't be afraid to go deeper or richer than you think — wardrobes painted in the same tone as the walls create a beautifully seamless, enveloping effect.
Think about handles. Handles are a touch point in the space. Swapping out dated chrome or plain bar handles for something with more character — aged brass, dark oak, ceramic, black iron — doesn’t have to cost a fortune but can make an enormous difference to how the whole room feels. Paying attention to the smaller details really does add a designer look and feel to a space.
Consider panelling. Adding simple shaker-style or arched panelling to flat wardrobe doors brings instant character and architectural interest. This is something a good joiner can do relatively quickly and without the need to replace the entire unit.
Layer in texture. Wallpaper or fabric inserts behind glazed doors, or set into panels as a detail, add depth and warmth, softening the wardrobe and making it feel far more like a piece of furniture than a built-in unit.
Choose a finish that connects to the rest of the room. The most successful wardrobe designs we create are ones that feel completely at home in the wider scheme — where the paint colour, handle finish and any textural details are all chosen in relation to the fabrics, furniture and colours around them. The wardrobe wall should feel like part of the room, not separate from it.
The result
When a wardrobe wall is designed with the same care and consideration as every other element of a bedroom, the room stops feeling like a place where you sleep surrounded by storage, and starts feeling like a space that has been properly, thoughtfully designed from every angle. A sanctuary for sleeping in, a relaxing retreat, a space that is just for you.
And that, in the end, is what every bedroom should feel like.
Are your wardrobes letting your bedroom down? We would love to help. Get in touch to find out how we could transform your space.
