Say goodbye to the chair-drobe – here’s what makes a dream dressing room, built for real life…
Imagine stepping into your own beautifully ordered, utterly personal space each morning – calm, uncluttered, and everything exactly where it should be. A good dressing room is much more than a glorified wardrobe. Done right, it’s a daily joy – combining everyday practicality with just the right amount of indulgence.
At Naked, we design dressing rooms that are useful and luxurious, elegant and functional. So what goes into making one truly perfect? Here’s what we’ve learned…
1. It’s built for your real life (so it actually works)
A good dressing room doesn’t follow a standard template – instead, it follows your stuff. Long evening gowns? Tall boots? Cricket pads? Great bespoke storage should be built around your habits, quirks, and everyday chaos.
If you have shelves where you need them, drawers where you’ll actually use them, and space for the things you didn’t even realise needed a home, then you don’t need to be a naturally ‘tidy’ person to enjoy the uncluttered life.
You can banish that ‘chairdrobe’ forever –- and if you have a custom cabinet with a plug socket for your hairdryer and put the mirror in exactly the right light, it will be a daily pleasure to use.
It’s well worth spending some time on layout. A good dressing room has an ergonomic plan that lets you grab a shirt, find your shoes and check your reflection without doing laps of the room. Drawers should be where you naturally reach for them and shelves that don’t make you stretch or stoop.
When everything flows properly, your morning routine runs better. A great dressing room really can change your life!
3. It shows off some things – and hides the rest
Some things you want to look at, and don’t at all mind if everyone sees them… Other things, not so much. A perfect dressing room is a balance of what we like to think of as Glorious Galleries and Treasure Troves: one part tidy exhibition, one part secret stash.
So depending on your preferences, that might mean a mix of open shelves for your favourite ‘show off’ items (it might be handbags or shoes or particularly splendid hats), and a set of closed cabinets and drawers for everything else.
4. It’s genuinely nice to spend time in
Since you’re going to be starting and ending every day here, a dressing room should be a lovely place to be. So why not treat the design with the same care and thought you’d put into your kitchen or sitting room? Bold colours or calm tones, warm timber finishes, good lighting, space for artworks…
Add a seat, a rug underfoot and a drawer for snacks and you’ve got your very own secret hideaway.
5. Attention to the details (especially the ones you don’t see)
As well as looking a million dollars, a really great dressing room feels it. You want drawers that glide smoothly and handles that feel satisfying and weighty. That all comes to quality materials and careful handcrafting.
Attention to little design details make all the difference, too: well-lit wardrobe interiors, perhaps painted interiors for glazed cabinets. Putting that sort of love and care into a space is well worth it in the long run: it’s what turns a decent room into one you’ll enjoy using every single day. Get your dressing room right, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived with the chairdrobe.
At Naked, we bring the same design care and craftsmanship that made our kitchens famous to every room in the house. It’s all about discovering what works for you – and building something for your life.
Whether it’s a spacious walk-in or a cleverly fitted wardrobe in a tight spot, there really are no limitations. We can design and make beautiful bespoke bedroom furniture and dressing rooms, precision-engineered for your space and finished just the way you like it.
See also:
Secret storage: fabulous hidden solutions for every room in your home
Beyond kitchens: other beautiful bespoke rooms that Naked Kitchens can build for your life
How to create the perfect boot room – an expert guide
How to create the ideal utility room – an expert guide