Why dressing-room design is an add-on that makes sense

Demand for made-to-measure dressing-rooms with statement islands, integrated lighting and floor-to-ceiling open wardrobes is on the up making it an easy add-on for both manufacturers and retailers – Sally Smith finds out more.

Consumers are looking to make the most of all available space in their homes, but what they really want is cohesion and quality of design and the reassurance of working with a trusted supplier. This is why it makes perfect sense for them to work with their kitchen retailer on a dressing-room project.

"Instead of reserving rooms for occasional use – like a rarely occupied guest bedroom – homeowners are looking to make every area of the home functional and purposeful. Choosing the same retailer for both kitchen, bedroom and dressing-room furniture ensures a consistent standard of quality and design aesthetic throughout the home," says Caroline Shepherd, bedroom category manager at PWS.

In larger properties walk-in dressing-rooms featuring central islands offer additional storage as well as adding the wow factor and touch of luxury. "Integrated lighting is also a frequent request, to simplify installation, our rechargeable lighting options are a practical option," adds Shepherd.

James Bodsworth, creative director at Daval Furniture, agrees. "We’ve seen a marked increase in our retail partners placing orders for made-to-measure dressing-room schemes over the past couple of years," he says. "There’s always an opportunity for retailers to increase overall project spend by incorporating integrated tech and appliances such as a television, sound bar, or champagne chiller into the dressing-room design."

Retailers have a choice of flexible dressing-room furniture configurations including soft-close drawers, hanging rails, open shelving, and slide-out footwear storage solutions to achieve an organised and luxurious look.

"Dressing-room islands work particularly well when turning a smaller bedroom into a dedicated dressing room as they create a focal point that’s central to the space and elevate the design from simply a room with wardrobes," adds Bodsworth.

Tam Reed, kitchen designer at Tom Howley’s Brentwood showroom, has seen the demand for bespoke dressing-room design increase, mainly driven by the trends seen on social media. "Walk-in dressing-room layouts give the opportunity to design an immersive, boutique-style space. Clients with the available square footage are increasingly requesting central islands, often with quartz worktops fitted with drawers featuring dividers for jewellery and accessories. Full-height wardrobes with integrated lighting and a mix of open shelving to display favourite items and closed storage are always a popular choice," says Howley.

"As a fitted furniture manufacturer, we have seen a steady growth in dressing rooms and walk-in wardrobes. Clients are looking to add a defined zone whether utilising a spare room or incorporating within a main bedroom. With over 1 million hashtags for ‘dressing-rooms’, interior bedroom organisation looks like it’s a trend here to stay," says Sophie Devonald, designer at Crown Imperial.

Janet Moore, marketing manager at Martin Moore, has seen firsthand how customers come back to them for their dressing-room design after they have completed a kitchen project for them. "Once clients gain an understanding that we are cabinet makers with our own workshops we are often asked to create custom dressing-rooms  – usually both 'his and hers' primary rooms. Pull-out shoe racks, glass-fronted shirt trays and accessory trays are perennial favourites. Cabinets are either handpainted from a virtually limitless colour palette or crafted from dark walnut."

There is an increasing choice of modular dressing-room furniture available to retailers to suit a wide range of customer requirements from space availability to bespoke design requests.

"With the rise of multigenerational living and more young adults living at home for longer, it makes sense for retailers to consider how they can offer furniture solutions to support these lifestyle changes and develop a new revenue stream for the business," explains Matt Phillips, head of UK operations at Rotpunkt. "Partnering with a premium manufacturer who can offer tailored support with everything from logistics, marketing and sales training is vital to build sales and deliver an even stronger USP as a whole home fitted furniture retailer, showcasing your design team’s creativity."