JUST LIKE NARNIA
OUT OF THIS WORLD WARDROBES
THESE wardrobes rival the closet of Sex in the City star Carrie Bradshaw.
High ceilings, chandeliers and bulletproof walls are just some of the wardrobe musthaves in Gold Coast prestige property.
The trend is leaving some cashed-up homeowners with wardrobes as big as the average lounge room and costing them up to $50,000.
On the Sovereign Islands, luxury mansion Villa Blue Waters is fitted out with a television in the dressing room and champagne to keep you refreshed.
Just down the road, a sprawling mansion at King Arthurs Court comes with a 9sq m wardrobe – for shoes only.
Designer Michelle Marsden said wardrobes were becoming just as important as kitchens for some homeowners and costing just as much.
Ms Marsden said she has been styling property in Australia for 25 years and in the past 12 months has been inundated with wardrobe requests.
Some of the crazy requests include coffee stations, bar fridges, special sunglass storage, security safes and even bulletproof walls.
“Televisions and make up areas are becoming a norm in the wardrobes I’m seeing, homeowners are really thinking outside the box,” she said.
“Coffee stations are also a big trend simply due to the fact that the house is so big it is easier to make a coffee in the wardrobe than go to the kitchen.”
Ms Marsden said the luxury trend followed the Hamp-
tons style which was popping up in most Gold Coast homes.
“When I was working in the US big wardrobes were in most houses and the Gold Coast has adapted it just like the Hamptons trend,” she said.
Men are no exception either according to Ms Marsden, who said even they have wardrobes as big as their partners.
Mother-of-three Pat Worboys recently renovated her Surfers Paradise mansion and said her walk-in wardrobe was more than just a place to store clothes.
“More space means we are able to purchase more shoes and clothes, we don’t have to compromise and throw away things that we love,” she said,
“My husband and I still find that we have a lot of excess space that we can’t fill.”
In Mrs Worboys’ closet, French doors open to reveal a lavish room with a study nook and makeup area.
“One whole side of the room is devoted to shoes,”
Mrs Worboys said.
“We wanted to create a practical room that we could spend time in and not just have as another utility.
“My friends and I can hang out in the wardrobe and my husband loves working in there. These spaces are not like they used to be, they have a lot of potential if you have a great usable design.”
Mrs Worboys said the couple expanded the wardrobe considerably when they bought the house.
“The bedrooms were originally quite expansive so we were able to create a bigger wardrobe without taking away too much space from the bedroom,” she said.
“We’ve decorated it and made it a tranquil space with natural light and plants.”