When renovating a kitchen, a general rule of thumb is that the budget should cost no less than 5% of a house’s value, but no more than 15%. Kitchens are the heart of home, but storage is always at the top of every homeowner’s list; so why can’t we use the kitchen rule to create exquisite wardrobes and storage solutions for the home?
Director of Neatsmith, Philipp Nagel, has seen an increase in the demand for wardrobe spaces in recent years, especially as a result of people spending an increased amount of time in their homes following on from the rise in work-from-home, and the popularity of ‘improve don’t move’.
In a difficult housing market where the majority of people have a renewed appreciation of the importance of furnishings, wardrobes and dressing rooms are moving up the list of desired renovated spaces in a house.
‘Storage is a part of our daily routines,’ says Philipp. ‘In the same way that we spend substantial amounts of money on kitchen units doors and handles for storage space, wardrobes serve the same purpose. Depending on clients, wardrobes also tend to hold items that are of much higher value than would be found in kitchen cabinets, so it makes sense that the container should reflect what is being held in it. Many are beginning to see wardrobes as more than just a vessel, Neatsmith’s Reflex glass doors create a museum-like effect for displaying beautiful clothing and accessories that can facilitate this aesthetic.’
Research recently published by Future on Home Trends in 2023 found that 83% of people interviewed said “My home is my sanctuary: peaceful and controllable” while 70% of people said, “My home (definitely/probably) impacts my wellbeing and positivity”.
Philipp comments, ‘Our bedrooms, dressing rooms and wardrobes are the beginning and end of our days. Creating a restful cosiness with wardrobes and dressing rooms is moving up the priority list for relegating budgets when renovating homes. Curating warmth and joy in spaces where we have ritualistic processes of preparing ourselves for the day is going to have a positive impact on our wellness. While we often spend a lot of our day in kitchens, wardrobes and dressing rooms play an equally important part of our daily routines.’
‘While some homes can’t accommodate taking a whole room to create a new walk-in wardrobe, clients are becoming more and more creative with the spaces in their homes. As a result, we are creating more mini-walk-ins than ever before. These are created within alcove spaces and while they look like a fitted wardrobe from the outside, when the doors are open, they reveal a wardrobe space you can step inside, often with double clothes rails, drawers and illuminated beautifully by LEDs.’