‘What I love is the bedroom stays very
serene. My husband is way messier
than I am, so there are no arguments’
Once you discover walk-in wardrobes, you, erm,
never walk out on them. The Manchester-based vintage
seller and content creator Sophia Barrese also designated
a room as her dressing room when she moved house, but
rather than the chaotic open rails of her last space, she
wanted fitted wardrobes to keep everything out of sight.
Yet she struggled to find something in line with her
mid-century aesthetic: “It was all so bland — literally 50
shades of grey. A rep for a retailer laughed herself out of
the job when I told her I wanted the doors to be terra-
cotta.” Eventually she found a local joiner to create
panels with striking cane cut-outs, which also provide an
impactful backdrop for the Reels she creates for her
203,000-strong Instagram following. “It was expensive,
but this is my forever home and I wanted to do it right.”
Anyone’s spare room can be zhuzhed up accord ingly,
but Mark O’Callaghan, co-founder of the architectural
design practice Echlin, advises paying close considerationto lighting for that high-end feel. “It’s important to have
flexible and dimmable sources, because you might want
to use the room as a study or relaxing area. Lighting
inside wardrobes is vital too, otherwise you end up
losing things all the time. I’d also go for lights that come
on when you open a drawer and automatically turn off
when closed.”
Neither Byrom nor Barrese define themselves as
conspicuous consumers: their wardrobes have been
curated over many years not with fast fashion but with
pieces they cherish, such as Byrom’s grandmother’s
camel coats and Barrese’s prized collection of vintage
clothing, which she stores very carefully. “The dressing
room has been a game-changer,” Byrom says. “My
husband is way messier than I am, so there are no
arguments.”
And there it is — the secret to happy coupling:
separate wardrobes. ■To p A space by
Laura Hammett
featuring
high-gloss
eucalyptus
timber, marble
drawers and silk
wallpaper.
Above Sarah
Jessica Parker in
And Just Like ThatIngrid Rasmussen, Chris Snook, Sky
Left In this set-up by the interior designer Laura Stephens
the fabric for the ottoman — a useful perch for putting on
shoes — matches that of the banquetteThe Sunday Times Style • 43