My original replies on my thoughts on dressing rooms
some of which has appeared in the Daily Mail interiors feature on Dressing Rooms below
To me, there’s something very luxurious and glamorous about having a dressing room – do you agree? Why do you think it is? Is it our associations with showbiz etc?
Dressing rooms have an association with celebrity, glamour and 50’s style old-school Hollywood glamour in particular.
To have a dressing room also means that you are affluent or successful enough to own a large selection of clothes and accessories and also to have enough space in your home to be able to create the dressing room which is not a necessity but a luxury.
Have you worked with clients to create dressing rooms at all? Have you noticed an increase in demand?
All my female clients would like a dressing area- or a whole dressing room so that they have a separate space for their clothes to their husbands or partners. Usually I find that the man’s wardrobe space and indeed many of the wardrobes around the home have been overtaken by the wife’s clothes/shoes/coats/evening dresses etc
I created a weekly column in a magazine, quite a few years ago now, when I was regularly styling celebrities, “in the closet with….”
It was an interesting insight into the world of celebrity and how, what and where they stored their clothes….
Are dressing rooms just for very big homes/ very wealthy clients – or can they be achieved on a budget?
My whole Interior/property styling business/ethos is to create an aspirational lifestyle for my clients on the budget they can afford- however small- (cerilcampbell.com)
There are always ways of creating the look/the dressing-room/the living space you want within your budget. Its about thinking outside the box.
This is my forte.
Making the inexpensive appear expensive, and the simple look luxurious.
Have you seen or worked on any examples where space has been used creatively in this regard – for instance, a cupboard being turned into a dressing room?
yes- with clever use of room dividers, dressing areas in bathrooms, in corridors, walk-through wardrobes, walk-in wardrobes. Borrowing space from the room next door, creating a dividing area between bedroom and bathroom. Anything is possible with creativity,
What to you makes the ultimate dressing room? How can you combine practicality and luxury?
Firstly mirrors
You would be surprised how few clients have long mirrors to see how they look- (many try never to look in a mirror at all)
and mirrors to see your backview too.
Hanging space that creates logical storage and easy access to the clothes to be worn in the current weather/season.
Ie;Summer clothes in the Summer and Winter in the Winter and the rest to be stored.
rails high enough for long clothes and enough shelving for folded clothes, accessories and shoes.
My top tip is plastic or acrylic shoe boxes which can be stacked and you can see what shoes you have. I have changed many a clients life with these!
Its all about organisation
It has been said that a dressing room can add value to a property – are they quite a savvy investment in this way?
I would say that a stylish kitchen and bathroom add the most wow factor and value to a property, but I think that its often women who may help sway the decision to buy a property, so a dressing room would always be a plus point for us.Bit like Carrie in Sex and the City when she was going to get a flat with Mr Big- the flat had a walk-in closet where she could put all her shoes!
With the difficult housing market, have you noticed a trend for people making modifications to their home instead of moving/ selling – as a sort of more affordable treat?
Absolutely, especially as it is often cheaper to modify than move and also will add value.
Is it necessary to undergo serious building/ structural works to create a dressing room or can it be done more easily?
Are there any recent developments – hotels, blocks of flats, etc – which have featured dressing rooms in a way you have admired?
Dressing rooms I admire
see my board on pinterest ( ceril campbell)- “dressing room” board
Finally, any top tips for our readers looking to create a dressing room on a budget?
Find from the High st/online/charity shops/car boots etc
the following
Boxes
stack various sized attractive boxes/vintage suitcases/hatboxes for storage
arrange accessories/bags/jewellery to hang from hooks on walls
source a vintage or 2nd hand dressing table to renovate/paint/decorate to fit your dressing room theme.
find a chair or chaise longue that will make a statement in the room- maybe to re-cover with a new fabric.
A glamorous statement chandelier style light- loving the ones I have just seen at BHS press day for autumn/winter 2014
Fake or real fur cushions/rugs/throws( according to your preference)
any cushions or fabrics which are tactile and appear sexy and lush
Coloured rails for clothes