Fashion weeks have come and gone in London, Milan and New York, raising life’s big questions: culottes? Even on short people? What in heaven’s name is sports luxe? Seeing the new collections on the catwalk reminds us it’s time for a spring clothes cull at home.
In our interiors, the significant sartorial issue is one of storage: finding the designs that provide the neatest solution and enough space for our garments. From rails to wardrobes and walk-in closets, clothes storage is among the furniture that gives us the most pleasure, and designers delight in getting creative in this very personal area of the home.
Some argue that, in a high-value refurb, a walk-in closet is the interior closest to the client’s heart. Kelly Hoppen says: “Women especially talk about the importance of a space that is their own, almost a mini-sanctuary, that they can escape to. Family spaces such as the kitchen and living areas are created especially for socialising, entertaining and for the family in general, whereas a woman’s dressing room is something quite personal. If it is a separate room, away from everything else, she can close the door and get on with the stress of packing or picking an outfit and just having a general fight with her wardrobe in peace.”
The former star of Dragon’s Den speaks from experience. Hoppen’s own closet is her happy place. “I absolutely adore my dressing room. I have an archive of fashion that I have collected over the years, which I am proud of. My schedule is so busy that having everything laid out in front of me the way it is makes picking an outfit every morning stress-free. My dressing room is a real girly space; my friends come over and we giggle about all sorts of things over a vodka.”
Given the choice, we’d all go for the Hoppen option, including vodka. But in most homes, space is limited, and so is budget. Fortunately, there is a wealth of space-saving fixes available to those of us on more of an H&M than a D&G spend. Hooks, pegs and racks that make a display of favourite clothing have become increasingly popular. The interior designer Tanya Leech’s favourite budget solution is a cluster of Dots, Muuto’s disc-shaped wall pegs. “They tick the space-saving box — they take up zero floorspace — and have proved a great option in small bedrooms. They come in three different sizes, and coat hangers fit over all of them.”
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While pegs have been a go-to solution since Shaker times — hardly a cutting-edge trend — what’s new, in the campaign for tidy clothing, is the rise of the classy rail. Could it be related to the countless Instagrams we’ve seen from behind the scenes at the catwalk shows? Whatever the origin, Romaine Lowery of the Organised Home, an expert on the art of domestic decluttering, is a fan of the new-look rack.
“Typically, clothes rails have been cheap and tacky, and easily fell apart, however, now designers have turned their attention to them, they have gone upmarket with practical and beautiful designs made to last. Increasingly, designer-maker-chic clothes rails are on show in the hall, dressing room, utility room and in spare or children’s rooms, where there may not be space for a wardrobe. No doubt we are influenced by stylish fashion bloggers looking fab by an edited rail of colour-coded clothes — and if that inspires us to seek organised living, it’s all good.”
Lowery’s bestselling rack is the cutest I’ve come across: the little Lume from the Finnish brand BeDesign (£250; theorganisedhome.co.uk). Other examples to covet include the new launch from Untitled Story, a lean-to rail that saves space by resting against the wall, and the Pendura coatstand, from Galula Studio, a cool, colourful spin on the traditional coatrack.