Alex O'Brien
Beauty & Style

5 tips for creating the perfect wardrobe

No matter the space or budget you're working with, organisation is the secret ingredient to any wardrobe. Your clothes deserve a nice place to sleep, so check out these tips on how to pull off the perfect, ordered wardrobe on any budget.

1. Purge

Let's forget the diet to fit into that dress. How about eliminating the toxic dress instead? You've heard this all before, if you haven't worn it in 12 months, throw it out. The best way to do this is to take everything out of your wardrobe. Yep, every single thing.

Clothes that are too big, too small, too old have to go. "Be ruthless!" says interior stylist Emma Blomfield. "It's easy to become an unintentional hoarder when you have ample space available but that's no excuse to hang onto things you no longer wear or fit."

2. Space

Now your clothes are lying all over the house, you can see what space you have to work with. This is where all the real organisation comes in. Be clever. How you structure your wardrobe is key. There is no point over-engineering this baby, so it takes heaps of work to maintain. We are lazy, we don't put things back properly, and we shove things away before people come over. Build that into your planning. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration.

3. Home sweet home

Once you've grouped all your items together, give them a home.

"Splash some cash at your local storage store and buy handy things like scarf holders, shoe boxes to keep your beloved shoes dust free, small tubs to organise inside your drawers and even plastic tubs to store seasonal items." says Blomfield.

4. Colour coding

This is not so important, it's just really, really aesthetically appealing. Jennifer French, interior designer of Inside Out Colour and Design says colour coding means you can locate items easier.

5. Renovating

If you are lucky enough to renovate and plan a walk-in wardrobe from scratch, here are a few points to keep in mind. "Walk in robes are a luxury so make it luxurious. Soft carpet underfoot, large mirrors to see yourself from all angles, space to change, space to lay out clothes" says French.

"Luxurious walk-in robes are those that aren't cluttered so installing shelving systems from the floor all the way up to the ceiling and then ensuring each section has doors or drawers to hide the mess are the key," says Blomfield. Remember doors hide flaws.

"Install as much hanging space as your room allows for. Consider installing some shelving space under shirt hanging space, too, for versatility and flexibility for seasonal outfits." says Blomfield.

French says we can't forget about the little details like good lighting and room spray to keep the room feeling fresh. She says we should be mindful of "carrying on the decor colours and style from master bedroom so it's not disjointed."

Both agree that having an ottoman or armchair is a must in putting on and taking off shoes.

This article first appeared on Domain.com.au.

Related links:

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The reason why there’s a tiny pocket in your jeans

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Tags:
wardrobe, fashion, style, clothing, renovation