A wardrobe with all the extras
If you’ve got the space and the cash why not splash out on these wardrobe add-ons, asks Katie Newton.
Shoe shelves, jewellery drawers and makeup stations are popular.
When Kylie Jenner’s closet designer recently Instagrammed images of the lavishly mirrored room the celebrity displays her handbag collection in, people reacted in one of two ways. In utter envy at the way hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bags were reflected ad infinitum on the shelves, or in utter disgust at the materialism of it all.
While that level of excess isn’t quite as common in this country, custom designed wardrobes are a growing trend here too. Monty McKeefry, from Beyond Storage says they are no longer seen as just a place to store clothes.
‘‘People want to put everything in them now, from shoes to jewellery and makeup,’’ he says. ‘‘They don’t want drawers in the bedroom, they want that luxurious experience of going in there and getting ready for the day with everything in the right place, or to enjoy getting dressed up for that special occasion.’’
One of his most popular requests is for shoe shelves. He says angled shelves that display a shoe collection and push-in, pop-out shoe drawers are two of the favourite options. ‘‘They make the shoes a feature,’’ he says. ‘‘You might display the nice ones and store the other ones away.’’
He’s installed shallow, lined drawers with customised dividers for jewellery, watches and accessories and display boards with pegs for necklaces. For clients who wear a suit every day, custom designed trouser, belt and tie racks are handy, while some people choose to include additional full length mirrors hidden in cavities so they can see themselves from all angles.
McKeefry also installs customised makeup stations with a special cosmetics storage, a mirror and strip lighting. ‘‘It beats doing your makeup on the bed or whatever,’’ he says. ‘‘You just need to add a fancy chair and you’ve got the perfect spot to get ready.’’
A wardrobe doesn’t need to have its own room to be impressive however, with one of McKeefry’s favourites built to look like an entertainment unit. Two cupboards flanked a bedroom TV and drawers below held shoes and folded items. ‘‘We did it in a nice wood grain and it looked fantastic.’’
Standard white MDF shelving is the most cost effective material but more people are requesting a thicker 25ml board. ‘‘It looks more classy. All our product is New Zealand made and good quality but that just gives it a really nice, solid look.’’