HOUSE KNOW-HOW
Everything you need to know about integrating built-in storage into your bedroom
FEATURE HOLLY REANEY
Whether large or small, abedroom that lacks storage space will be amessy one. Create ahome for all your clothes for an organised and peaceful space, where you can have agood night’s sleep .
Q Should I buy custom or bespoke fitted furniture?
A Fitted furniture is the generic term for furniture that is fixed to the walls or floor of aroom and comes in two forms: custom and bespoke. Bespoke furniture is unique to your space. This is ideal if you have an unusually shaped room and want to make the most of nooks and crannies. As expected, this service commands ahigher price than acustom design.
Custom furniture adapts a pre-existing shell to your needs – altering the height, depth and interior to suit your requirements. Custom furniture is sometimes marketed as ‘bespoke’ due to its personalisation.
Q Should I opt for full height wardrobes and cabinets?
A Rachal Hutcheson, national retail manager for Sharps, says ‘one key benefit of fitted wardrobes is that you can use the “dead” space above, creating efficiencies that freestanding furniture doesn’t offer.’ ‘Using floor-to-ceiling wardrobes will create the illusion of higher ceilings which, alongside the added storage, is welcome in smaller rooms,’ says Simon Tcherniak, senior designer at Neville Johnson.
Q Which internal fittings should I choose for my wardrobes?
A Start by looking at your clothing and accessories. If you don’t have alot of trousers but love long dresses, then your needs will be different to someone who tends to wears suits. There are plenty of different options available, from rails and shelves, to half rails, pigeonholes, shoe racks and specific trouser and tie storage options. ‘More and more customers are opting to incorporate shoe and bag storage. Regardless of how many pairs of shoes you have (and the average woman owns over 24 pairs), clever shoe storage solutions will keep them in check,’ says Megan Baker, head of design for My Fitted Bedroom.
Q Is it best to opt for backs to my wardrobes, or can I do without?
A Opinion differs on which is best –ask your supplier for advice specific to your setup. ‘We always recommend putting backs in our wardrobes as it provides apremium finish and helps the structural integrity of the custom units,’ says Megan. However, Rachal at Sharps notes that ‘not opting for unnecessary panels enables you to utilise up to 40 per cent more space inside the wardrobe.’ When it comes to bespoke designs, Rebecca Nokes, design director at John Lewis of Hungerford, believes that ‘backs are awaste of money and space; the only reason we
