Walk-in wardrobes - yes or no?

Question

A walk-in wardrobe is a popular design choice that one Domain contributor deems unnecessary. You do lose floorspace and probably don't gain much storage space, although you do typically get a "private" area to dress/undress.

Do you like walk-in wardrobes or do you think the space is better utilised elsewhere in the home?

Andy_Mann · Answer

@Isobel, from an aesthetic point of view, they do tend clean the lines of a bedroom, & provide extra wall space for furniture/decoration.

Ours is simplistic, in that it's a single door entry from the master bedroom, to 1.8m of hanging/stacking space either side, leading to the 1.8m square en-suite. No evidence of mildew/mold in the robe, in the 41 years of occupancy.

I also like the part wall behind the bed design, with the doorless robe being easily accessible from both sides of the bed, & completely out of sight. My very clever/creative Uncle, did that about 50ish years ago, & it looked amazing.

BibbyKat · Answer

Yes- yes- yes ... would love to have a walk in robe .. BUT it would have to be LARGE - roomy and tons of shelves - drawers- shoe rack -hanging space.

Hmmmm .. think I have to build on to the house!     lol

DanB · Answer

I once lived in a tiny apartment that had a walk-in wardrobe built around the ensuite bathroom. I call it a 'walk-in', but in reality it was barely bigger than a regular built-in wardrobe. Despite the strange design, it was actually a really clever way to maximise space in the tiny apartment, although it did make using the only bathroom in the apartment very poky - it was a bit like entering Narnia when you emerged out the other side into the bathroom! A strange experience for guests no doubt...
I think if I was renovating a house, the only time I would really include one is if there was an awkward space leftover that I could take advantage of, but the majority of the time I think a standard built-in wardrobe would be sufficient.