Offering style, variety, and flexibility, freestanding wardrobes are a great alternative to built-ins. They’re a perfect choice if you want to use a bedroom as a home office in the future (or vice versa!), or if you’re renting your home. Here are six options that promise to turn a simple storage solution into a bedroom centrepiece.
Kmart Scandi Wardrobe Rack: A minimalist and budget conscious choice, this Scandi inspired garment rack is easy to move around your room. Plus, it showcases all your favourite outfits, even when you’re not wearing them. $45.
Mustard Twinny locker: Available in nine stunning colours, (and with a 10th coming soon!) these lockers slot right in to any room, from a kid’s bedroom to an office. This new expanded version of Mustard’s original Skinny locker solves all your storage needs, with four adjustable shelves and two removable clothing rails. $699.
IKEA Nordkisa Open Wardrobe: An airy and affordable option, the Nordkisa offers clean Scandinavian design, while introducing a natural element with its bamboo construction. $349.
Fantastic Furniture 2 Door Mirror Wardrobe: For the style of a built-in without the commitment, this wardrobe is the ideal choice. Flexibility is increased with the option to customise your storage with additional inserts, and the two full length mirrors make sure you’re always looking your best. $649.
Stefan Double Wardrobe from The Design Edit: With Scandinavian design and retro inspired walnut veneer, this wardrobe is a luxurious addition to any bedroom. Between the double door hanging rail and roomy bottom drawer, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to space. $1,299.
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“Even at a young age, being neat and tidy gave me a sense of relief and calmness. Looking back, I had always understood that having the right objects in your life can make you feel happier and more balanced,” says professional organiser Gemma Quinn, Australia’s first person to be officially trained by the Japanese organisational guru Marie Kondo.
And I don’t know about you but my wardrobe, with its limited space, is a bit of an organisational nightmare so I was keen to glean some wardrobe organisation tips from Gemma after her Kondo immersion. “Using the KonMari Method allows all your items to be visible at once, allowing you to see and enjoy all your clothing and you don’t forget to wear the items you love due to not being able to see them,” says Gemma. I would love to be able to see all of my clothes, shoes and accessories and for the space to ‘spark joy’ and here Gemma, who has teamed up with Freedom Wardrobes, shows us how.
Vertical folding Given the column inches devoted to the art, the KonMari folding method still remains a little elusive to me but Gemma elucidates. “Using the vertical folding method allows you to see all of your clothes at once, rather than being hidden under layers, and makes for a more efficient use of space,” says Gemma who explains that folding protects delicate clothes from unnecessary damage as some fibres stretch out of shape when hung.
Marie Kondo’s vertical folding method
Dirty laundry storage While doing laundry may not ‘spark joy,’ finding a practical space to store it before washing certainly can. From a chic laundry hamper that matches your décor, to a hanging hamper (yes please!), keeping dirty clothes stylishly out of sight is the goal.
“Once people have tidied their belongings with the KonMari Method, they generally cherish and want to take care of their items; this includes their laundry and not wanting to just throw it on the floor anymore,” says Gemma.
Find the joy While the KonMari Method prides itself on decluttering, it does also encourage us to include sentimental items in our everyday lives. “For instance, using glass display shelves in a wardrobe allows you to arrange and engage with those items that touch your heart the most. Imagine opening your wardrobe and seeing a photo of a loved one, your favourite perfume or a magical rock given to you by your child.”
Glass display shelves work a treat in this Freedom Wardrobes walk-in robe
After manufacturing kitchens and laundries for over 20 years, Freedom Kitchens has just expanded its cabinetry offering with the launch of Freedom Wardrobes. The range includes walk-in, hinged and sliding door wardrobes alongside island benches and is available at key store locations in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The hinged option
“Here at Freedom Kitchens we’ve got a wealth of expertise in cabinetry and joinery, having designed and manufactured kitchens for over 20 years. Our customers seek designer style at an affordable price, and we’re proud to introduce the same level of style and value to our new Freedom Wardrobes range – these truly are wardrobes with wow factor,” says Tracy Smedley, director of marketing.
The walk-in option
With prices starting from $3,286, you can choose from 12 door finishes and four interior finishes. You can also choose to include jewellery drawers, a home safe, black frame glass shelving and matte black hardware for hinges, hanging rails and shoe racks amongst many other customisable options.
The sliding option
“The premium materials and finishes used for this range are irresistibly on-trend, but will endure for years to come. Our wardrobes are also backed by a seven-year guarantee, just like the cabinets in our kitchens and laundries, giving customers peace of mind when they invest in a Freedom Wardrobe,” says Tracy.
Wardrobe details
The design process includes a free on-site design appointment after which the wardrobes are delivered directly to the home as ready-to-assemble flat-packs allowing you to choose your own installer.
So, did you watch last night’s Block master bedroom reveals? Or, as I like to call it, a really good ad for Kinsman wardrobes! I spent a lot of it with a sort of grimace on my face like Wallace from Wallace and Gromit. You know the one?! There’s an emoticon for it… I do try to be kind and not harp on like some mean know it all because let’s face it I’m a) not an expert and b) it’s bloody hard being on that show. But last night’s bedrooms were so underwhelming on the whole I felt annoyed. And then Hayden and Sara, who threatened to walk last week on account of always coming last, came first. What a surprise! Coincidence? Perhaps, but still!
None of those rooms were particularly different or inspiring. And the fact that words like ‘cute’ and ‘nice’ were used to describe the winning room, said it all really! That and the fact the judges liked all the walk-ins better than the actual rooms.
The worst for me though was Courtney and Hans’ room, by a long way. It was so huge (yet empty) and full of expensive pieces but ultimately looked cheap and wasn’t in the slightest cohesive. All I could see was bloody carpet, carpet, carpet! Speaking of which, what does everyone have against rugs this season?! Where are they?! And, while I’m ranting, enough with the velvet bedheads! I love velvet bedheads. I have one in my own master, but they’re not the only bedhead out there and they certainly aren’t the only way to give a luxury look. Ok, I’ve got that off my chest now! Let’s see something a little different, could we?
There were a few redeeming features for me, namely Jess and Norm’s killer gold LED wall lamps, Bianca and Carla’s timber besides, the wardrobes in general, the herringbone floors and the girls’ Samsung Frame TV (they’re very cool, I want!) that doubles as artwork. I’ve linked to my favourites from each room below.
So, here you go if you missed it: the judges’ comments, what the couples did and how they scored…
2nd (24/30) KERRIE AND SPENCE
Just a bit blah
Kerrie and Spence used luxurious velvets and a soft, romantic colour palette in their main bedroom, which featured dark drapes, a custom-built bedhead with seafoam fabric inlay, and huge, dark ‘his-and-hers’ walk-in robes.
But it failed to get the judges excited. Neale said: “We’re in the master bedroom of a luxury apartment. I’m sorry, I want a bit of va-va-voom. It’s a white room.” Shaynna thought the problem was scale. The bed was perfect but the bedhead too short, the artwork and pendants were in the wrong spot. Diplomatic Darren said the light fittings are not as impactful as they could have been. Shaynna said they were ridculous! “It feels a bit hospital.”
Had to agree with Shaynna on those lights and the bedhead behind the bedhead reminded me of a bad hotel one (sorry Spence!)
Neale said they were playing it too safe. “It feels like they had a great idea and then they pressed pause because they got scared.” Shaynna said it was very forgettable.
But they all loved the huge walk-in robe. Shaynna said it was amazing. Darren thought it was what buyers would remember. And Shaynna said they could easily restyle the entire thing to make it a penthouse master.
Courtney and Hans’ main bedroom featured a pink bedhead, a large statement fan, a round mirror, two dark pink velvet chairs and a gold coffee table as a seating area, and THAT controversial artwork. Their deluxe walk-in robes featured a last minute marble stone bench.
This room is killing me. I don’t even know where to start.
The judges were blown away by the sheer size and couldn’t believe it had its own hallway! Darren said: “These spaces are massive!” Darren and Shaynna loved the bed, its styling and the colour palette. They said the lighting was well planned.
But that was where the good news ended.
Neale said he must have been in a slightly different room. “There is nothing in here that’s going to make me want to buy this apartment. It feels like an exercise in wasted space. The hallway serves no purpose. And that’s the worst piece of art I’ve ever seen.” Eek!
Yes Neale, you were right about the art! And what’s going on with that fan in the context of this room?!
He continued: “I know I’m sounding over the top but the choice of art dictates the emotion you feel when you walk into the room. There are elements that are nice but they don’t come together.” He thinks they should have made a bigger deal of the sheer size with a rug, couch, ottoman or floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
They all noticed the finishes weren’t up to standard either. But, once again, the robe was nicer than room itself! Neale said it was one of the most impressive walk-ins he’d ever seen on The Block. Shaynna agreed it was beautiful.
Sara and Hayden finally broke their three-week losing streak, presenting a Deco-inspired main bedroom. They achieved their look by painting a blue-grey charcoal feature wall, including an Art Deco-inspired upholstered bedhead with gold stud details, a pink fur throw and a contemporary artwork in shades of blue and pink.
Nice perhaps, but not setting the world on fire
The judges all felt something grand greeted them. Darren loved the coffered ceiling and the way it covered the curtains. Neale said it was cute. Shaynna felt a sense of relief. “The restraint they’ve shown is great.”
All the judges thought it had really worked. Darren liked the bedhead and the blue wall behind it. Shaynna said it was the right balance of Deco and contemporary but the artwork wasn’t hitting the sweet spot. “It feels everyday.” Neale said it was a little generic.
This is pleasant
They all agreed the air con vent was very well considered and planned. And they also all noticed the unfinished painting!
It was another popular walk-in. Shaynna said there was so much storage it wasn’t funny and raved about the sensor lights. Neale and Darren said the mirror wall was very clever. Darren said it had a look of finesse with all the LED strip lighting.
Shame about that cheap looking laundry hamper
Shaynna finished though by very rightly saying that last week’s en suite definitely didn’t match the room and the walk-in.
They might have only had a small space to work with, but Jess and Norm dialed up the luxe with their extra cash from challenges, presenting a room that featured marble, parquetry, bespoke neon lights and a walk-in robe space that had all three judges singing its praises.
The bed styling and light situation is nice. Just don’t look at the TV wall!
It certainly made a good first impression. Darren said he loved everything, especially the layering of the bed, the colours and the lights.
Neale and Shyanna however, were a little less enthusiastic! Neale asked if it was a bedroom or a gold class cinema seat? “It’s all about the TV.” There was way too much going on. “If ever a room cried out for a little bit of less is more, it’s this one. Wow, what an overload. This room is giving me indigestion!”
Loving this
Shaynna was overwhelmed. “I feel so claustrophobic. Scale has got the better of them. This room needed to feel very elegant and simple but they went and filled it with too many distractions. The year 2000 wants its niches back!” Oh, how I laughed!
Those niches were the worst!
Neale said a lot of people would call it their idea of heaven but it wasn’t the master suite the apartment needed.
They all loved the walk-in (again!), calling it excellent and beautiful.
Bianca and Carla continued to impress with their subtle, moody monochrome master, but it didn’t get the great feedback of last week. The girls used a dark timber feature wall, dark drapes, custom wooden side tables, parquetry floor, charcoal-coloured linen on the bed, and a timber cabinet under their state-of-the-art (pardon the pun) Frame TV by Samsung.
50 shades of grey and I’m not loving them. Don’t go off track please, girls!
That lamp. Oh dear oh dear.
Neale said the girls certainly knew how to surprise them each week. Darren thought they’d delivered a different kind of luxury. “That charcoal tonal, monochromatic look is very tactile. For a neutral palette to be so visually interesting is tricky.” Neale agreed.
Shaynna loved the signature bedsides. They all loved the Samsung Frame TV, cleverly disguised as an artwork. Neale didn’t love the ball light and found it a little bit cold. He thought the bedsides were too small. He wanted to love the wall but was struggling. “I don’t think these girls are thinking how we actually live. It’s style over substance.”
Ingrain Designs save the day with these timber bedsides
Foreman Dan Reilly had raised the issue about them presenting their reveal without including the air con vents. The judges thought it was a bit arrogant to leave them out while everyone else was wrestling to make theirs work.
They all had issues with the execution of the feature wall which was badly painted and didn’t all match up.
Shaynna said it was so heavily masculine that there was very little that would instantly appeal to a female buyer. Neale said he really like the girls’ ideas but I do want them to spend more time thinking about functionality.
They loved the walk-in but agreed it felt half the size of the others.
Are you looking to instil some order into your walk-in wardrobe? Perhaps you’re dreaming of hooks and hangers that cater for your partner’s trousers and ties that seem to endlessly accumulate on the floor…
A well-designed wardrobe can make a striking visual impact whilst providing everyday functionality. As Marie Kondo says, “keeping your physical space tidy allows you to tend to your psychological space” and couldn’t we all do with a little more self-care time and a little less searching-for-that-lost-shoe time?
Stegbar’s new range of built-in and walk-in wardrobes, the Galleria Series, optimises space with clever design and flexible storage options to suit any bedroom size or style.
The entire range is completely customisable, allowing you to take advantage of tall ceiling heights, small spaces and difficult corners. Clever features such as soft close drawers, adjustable shelving, pull-out laundry hampers, shoe and trouser racks help keep things organised.
But our favourite part of Stegbar’s new range is that it doesn’t forgo style for storage. The Galleria Series includes a selection of on-trend textured board finishes and polished or matte brushed handles in traditional or contemporary styles allowing you to integrate the wardrobe with your existing interior styling.
“No longer standalone pieces of furniture, exquisite finishes in timber prints and realistic subtle veneer embossing on decorative board has enabled wardrobes to look and feel like custom timber joinery,” explains interior designer Marylou Paino.
The Galleria Series offers three unique collections to choose from – Couture, Tailored and Essentials. You can mix and match between the collections, choosing from a variety of board finishes, hardware, accessories and drawers. The collections range from the luxurious Couture range of on-trend finishes and architectural quality hardware, to the everyday Essentials collection which offers simple yet stylish wardrobe storage options.
As regular readers will know, we have been slowly but surely (some would say pretty quickly actually!) updating our family home from the “nanna house” we bought, for a year now. The bedrooms got off to a good start really quickly with carpet, paint, plantation shutters and new lighting. But the wardrobes were seriously letting them down. Until now!
New wardrobe doors in our master bedroom. These are huge wardrobes and the doors have made a massive difference to this room.
One of Seb’s wardrobe doors had fallen off so he’s very happy about the new additions!
Now we can access the spare room wardrobe space so much easier, we’ll be making use of this essential storage! Can never have too much!
Bedrooms are definitely a lot easier and cheaper to refresh than kitchens and bathrooms! But the old wardrobe doors, most likely original from the 60s, screamed DATED. They were wood veneer when we moved in (so much brown!) and we quickly had them painted white which made a big difference but they still didn’t exactly look great.
BEFORE: Seb’s bedroom wardrobes shortly before we moved in.
STOP GAP: His wardrobes looked better painted white but it didn’t stop the door falling off its broken tracks!
AFTER: New wardrobe doors were the last piece in the puzzle of finishing Seb’s room.
The wardrobes not only looked bad, were also really really annoying! In two of the bedrooms, the smaller wardrobes had an excessive three sliding doors which meant the space you could actually access the wardrobe through when they were open was frustratingly small. In Seb’s room they were continually falling off their runners until it got to the point that the bottom track fell out and it was game over. So what great timing it was to be approached by Sydney Doors about working together!
BEFORE: The wardrobe doors in the master were so huge and so brown, there was no missing them!
AFTER: Now they’re a pleasure to look at!
As mentioned, painting the doors white was a decent stopgap but did nothing for the functionality and usability of the wardrobes so we didn’t really use them much. And in under a year, that oil-based white paint had yellowed. Much as we weren’t in love with them, we had so many other competing jobs on our to-do list we didn’t really think about when or how we’d fix them because ripping them out and starting again seemed like such a huge and expensive task. I had no idea it was possible to replace just the tracks and doors.
Sydney Doors, who have been around for more than 20 years, offer the chance to update your wardrobe, or indeed kitchen, for a fraction of the price by simply replacing the doors only. They have loads of designs to choose from and you can have them custom colour matched (ours are Haymes White on White to match our internal doors and trim). They arrive made to your exact size specifications, which is why this works even with decades-old wardrobes like ours, and they’re spray-painted in hardwearing polyurethane with a satin, matt or gloss finish.
A kitchen made over with Sydney Doors doors
There are loads of designs but I was keen for ours to be in keeping with our internal doors and shaker-style kitchen, so the choice was easy. It only takes around three weeks for your doors to be made and then delivered anywhere in Australia. You can then install them yourself or use one of their recommended installers. If you’re not confident of measuring or installing yourself, they definitely recommend you use the services of a professional and can provide a list of people near you.
Our master bedroom wardrobes
An installer came to measure our wardrobes and he suggested we replace the three doors in the smaller wardrobes with two for better access. It was the best call ever! They’re so much more useable now. Meanwhile in the spare room, the existing three doors on the much larger wardrobe were replaced with four, which looks so much better.
I am absolutely delighted with the look of our doors, which have transformed and modernised our bedrooms; they really were the last piece of the puzzle. It’s also amazing to actually be able to use them properly. As we all know, you can never have too much storage and this has made a huge difference to us. The whole process from ordering to delivery and installation was seamless and quick and the end results have exceeded my expectations. This is definitely a great affordable option and I hope something I’ve brought to your attention if you didn’t know about it before, as I didn’t.
READER DISCOUNT
Sydney Doors are offering our readers a 5% discount on all painted kitchen and wardrobe doors until 30 June 2018. Simply quote the code IA5OFF when ordering.
Get a free quote by submitting your door sizes at https://sydneydoors.com.au/quote-or-order/ or make an appointment for a measure and quote with one of their referred installers.
Surely I wasn’t the only one surprised about last night’s room reveal winner, eh? It was another week of double room reveals for the Blockheads and I liked what I saw.
Michael and Carlene really lifted their styling game this week. I loved their master bedroom! Neale’s first words were “Wow! Very cool!” and I have to agree. It may or may not have to do with the fact I love all the finishes they’ve used. The sheers were gorgeous and those pendants! Tom Dixon, need I say more? Shaynna loved the artwork in the entrance and described the room as sexy with a simple colour palette and lots of texture. Neale loved the natural linen look bedspread and thought the overall room was very contemporary but also very neutral; a very sophisticated blank canvas. To be perfectly honest, I felt it seemed smaller than the other bedrooms, but I loved it nonetheless.
I’m all for dark wooden finishes in a wardrobe, it’s just classy, it seemed to be a consistent theme cross the wardrobes and Neale also loved the dark wood. Shaynna was a fan of the storage (surprise, surprise), but there was no wow factor or anything to get the buyers excited in their wardrobe.
Did you see that copper wall? How’s that for a statement? I’m all for copper; that and gold are my current obsessions. But as much as I love it, I think it’s too much for a bedroom. That would have cost an absolute mint. Do you think it was worth it? Darren and Neale were truly wowed and Shaynna said it was insane! It was definitely a million dollar wall, however Neale said it leaves him completely cold and if you walk into this room and don’t like it, it’s all over. The judges agreed that to pull off the wall they needed to up the other finishes and I tend to agree. I loved that they used every inch of space in the wardrobe and thought the kickboard drawerss were a great idea.
Neale said now that is what he called a master bedroom. All the judges loved the colour scheme but personally I thought just a tad too much orange, however it did feel bigger than the first two rooms and I liked that they kept it relatively simple. Darren loved the bedhead, the high quality linen and that big bronze mirror; he said bronze mirror was one of his favourite things ever.
I liked the natural light coming through the wardrobe with the dark wood. The jewellery draws were a nice touch and Darren thought it was hot. Storage queen Shaynna was so excited about the laundry chute, and so was I! (it’s the little things, right?). Neale loved how they interpreted luxury and was really impressed.
The bedroom kings are back! The boys’ master bedroom felt huge — more like a master suite than a master bedroom. I absolutely loved it and it was hands down my favourite this week. The boys absolutely nailed it (from my armchair anyway!). Shaynna walked in and commented that it was huge and she loved the lounge space they created within the room. Darren liked that you could sit in the window and take the sun in and I have to agree. He loved the textures and said the boys have good style and taste and make good decisions. I loved the bedhead, those copper pendants and that throw (ok, let’s be honest, I loved it all). I also love that the boys know how to create a sense of scale within each of their rooms. Neale loved the splashes of colour and said he’d never seen a bedhead like that before (obviously not reading Interiors Addict often enough, Neale!).
Wow, wow, wow! That wardrobe is huge and I want it. Simon and Shannon’s wardrobe definitely felt substantially bigger than the other couples’ and I loved the sense of open space in it. The judges weren’t too keen on the exposed LED lights, however overall, were impressed.
It was kind of the Blockheads to style Darren and Deanne’s room in their absence attending to family matters. Shaynna did not expect the fireplace and all the judges were impressed with it. I think buyers will love the idea of a fireplace in the bedroom, especially during those freezing Melbourne nights. Neale said they are really really good and Shaynna said it suited the apartment they have created. I definitely think Darren and Deanne have the most consistent apartment so far. I thought the panelling behind the bedhead was amazing but think it would be a nightmare to keep clean. Their wardrobe was humongous and took full advantage of the ceiling height. It will be interesting to see how close the Blockheads got the styling and whether it have looked completely different had the couple done it. What do you think? Did they do Deanne proud?
It was a close call again with but Max and Karstan took out the win by half a point (to my surprise) with 28. Michael and Carlene came in a close second with 27.5 and bedroom kings Simon and Shannon came in third with 27.
I thought the boys would have had it in the bag! What were your thoughts? Did you agree with the judges’ scoring?
Kathryn is our girl on the ground in Melbourne and Block correspondent while Jen and Olivia are overseas (the globetrotters!). You can follow her design adventures on Instagram @thedesignrookie.
