Luxurious dressing room design ideas from the House & Garden archive
For those of us who live in small spaces, a dressing room might seem like an unattainable luxury–but we can always dream, right? A room devoted to clothes and toiletries, with plenty of space for both, is one of the first things we'd install if we had the space. The essentials for a dressing room are fairly straightforward: wardrobes and clothes storage of course, a dressing table and mirror, and somewhere comfortable to sit, such as an ottoman or daybed.
When it comes to storage, the more decorative the better. It's bound to be the main feature of the room, so choose a bold paint colour, a striking shape, or line your doors in a pretty patterned fabric. Built-in wardrobes are a popular choice to maximise space, but a beautiful antique wardrobe can really make a statement.
Since it's a small room, it's a good opportunity to be playful with the decoration; a patterned wallpaper or a bold colour on the walls can work well in a dressing room. If it adjoins a bedroom, you can run the same wallpaper through both rooms to help them feel unified. Gloss paint is another popular option for these rooms; mildly reflective, it lends a sense of glamour to the space.
Lighting should be soft and flattering, but not so gentle that you can't spot a mismatched sock. Wall lights are generally more forgiving than overhead, and lamps on a dressing table can allow for lower lighting in the evening. Choose a soft surface for the floor, as you'll probably be padding around barefoot; wall to wall carpet might have largely lost its appeal, but if you're going to do it anywhere, this might be the place.
Paul Massey1/12In this walk-in wardrobe designed by Beata Heuman for a Sussex cottage, walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Stiffkey Blue’ pick up on the inky blue motif in Beata’s ‘Palm Drop’ linen mix fabric. Her ‘Dodo Egg’ pendant light adds a playful touch.
Simon Brown2/12Beata Heuman has brought her signature cocktail of ideas to this expansive London apartment, in which one of the bedrooms has been transformed into an enviable dressing room. The main bedroom has a jib door into the dressing room, which is disguised as a mirror with a yellow frame. The wardrobes are a striking design feature, with Svenskt Tenn fabric built into the panels.
Paul Massey3/12If clothes storage is going to be the centerpiece of a dressing room, it should be as stylish as possible. Annabel Bevan found an antique wardrobe at Lots Road and painted it to match the walls in her London house. A half-moon table is an elegant, space-saving option, with wall lights either side of the mirror to cast a soft glow.
Christopher Horwood4/12What was once a nine bedroom bedsit has been transformed by Natasha Howard, the designer behind Instagram's 'Philamena', into an elegant and inviting family home. The dressing room, which leads off from the bedroom, continues the blue and white theme, with fitted wardrobes making the most of the space.
Simon Upton5/12In this elegant newbuild, legendary interior designer David Mlinaric has created a three room suite that comprises the main bedroom, an adjoining dressing room and a bathroom. The dressing room and bedroom are papered in the same pattern, the ‘Patmos’ wallcovering in pompeii by Carolina Irving Textiles for Tissus d’Hélène. Here it is paired with complementary ‘Patmos Stripe’ linen on the Regency sleigh bed.
Simon Brown6/12At her Georgian house in Oxfordshire, Vanessa Macdonald has created a charming dressing table set-up in her main bedroom. A skirted table with a glass top is a traditional choice, topped with a trifold mirror from William Yeoward and antique candlestick lamps.
Simon Upton7/12The dream dressing room in an 18th-century country house renovated by Hugh Henry. Hugh introduced modern colours into the historic house, and painted the dressing room in three different shades of blue from Sanderson. The ottoman in the middle of the room is an essential for this kind of space - perfect for sitting on to put on shoes.
8/12Fashion stylist Louise Roe looked to British Standard for the dressing room in her Georgian farmhouse. The company designed and installed two units, painted a glossy mulberry colour.
Ngoc Minh Ngo9/12Sophie Asby has created a sophisticated dressing area in this newbuild flat in Chelsea with a long burr elm dressing table lining one wall. 'It drives me crazy that so often in newbuilds everything is built-in, so I wanted something free-standing and moveable,' explains Sophie. The result is a quirky combination of two circular mirrors, a smattering of brass wall lights and a pair of leather pouffes, which exudes a modernist glamour - part Bond girl boudoir, part Seventies ski chalet.
Paul Whitbread10/12This space in an Oxford house designed by Charlotte Boundy sits between the main bedroom and bathroom. The room is painted in a gentle shade, ‘Bath Stone’ by Little Green,e and features an Art Deco Dish light from Jamb.
Dean Hearne11/12This house in Putney was designed by Field Day Studio for a stylish young owner. The dressing room adjoins the bedroom; it has extensive cabinetry painted in a bespoke brown gloss, and a set of vintage shop drawers stands in the middle of the space.
Paul Massey12/12Interior designer Peter Mikic has used his trademark eclectic style to bring a vivid new energy to this traditional Victorian villa.The wardrobe fronts are a bespoke design by Peter Mikic Studios, featuring cracked lacquer in blue eggshell with brass accents. The blind is made from ‘Gru’ by Colony in the bronzo colourway.
