There are certain items in our homes that we interact with everyday: the desk from which we work, the table at which we eat and, of course, the wardrobe from which we choose our clothes. These are items which exist to aid our lives, to ease our passage through the day and, particularly in the case of our wardrobes, to inspire the way we present ourselves to the world.
Whether you live in a small rental, a sleek modern apartment, a country cottage, or a townhouse, you will no doubt be aware of the constraints and challenges of creating enough storage for your home. As columnist Rita Konig says, ‘unless there is proper storage in a house, life quickly unravels into chaos.’ So, it is incredibly important to choose the right pieces. If you are debating what exactly it is you need from your fitted wardrobe, storage shelves or wardrobe rail, consider the item of clothing you have most of. Perhaps your go-to outfit is a dress or a shirt? Ensure you have plenty of hanging space. If you have lots of woollen jumpers, you’ll need shelf space, as hanging them will make them lose their shape.
Once you have figured out what exactly it is you need for your house, whether it’s something substantial to add to the dressing room, additional hanging space in the form of useful bedroom furniture, or a neat coat rack in the hallway or some simple storage for the living room, you can make a more informed decision regarding your storage needs. And although the old saying goes, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, we are of the opinion that how your storage solutions look is just as important as the contents within. So read on to discover our top picks, whether you prefer open storage, or shutting everything away behind closed doors.
Best wardrobe and hanging rail, at a glance:
Don’t have time to read the full article? Here are our top two picks:
Should you buy a wardrobe or hanging rail?
Freestanding armoires and wardrobes can be lovely additions to a bedroom as they are beautiful to look at in themselves. Ensure you have measured your space correctly before purchase, paying particular attention to doorways and entrances if you choose a piece that arrives assembled. Often, these items are a good fit for those who don’t have a neat streak yet want their rooms to remain tidy as their doors can helpfully conceal a messier approach. Do bear in mind that they are not always the best choice in smaller, darker rooms as they do tend to eat up the space and have a somewhat looming presence.
As an alternative to wardrobes, renters and minimalists alike will rejoice in the large selection of hanging clothes rails that are popping up in some of the most stylish houses of late. With airy styles of architecture and decoration coming to the fore, and with plenty of us living with modern architecture and city proportions, many designers have turned their attention to space-saving lighter, simpler clothing rails, modular systems, organisers and other ideas for nifty, open clothes storage. Both freestanding wardrobes and clothes rails are good choices for people who rent and move frequently, in living spaces where it is not possible to build in storage. However, as a wardrobe tends to be heavier, larger and more cumbersome to move, a streamlined clothing rail storage solution could be ideal for those with a slightly more nomadic lifestyle. Or if you have simply run out of space in your wardrobe, a rail is a great option to create additional storage space, with a small footprint.
Best wardrobes to buy 2025
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Best hanging rails 2025
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