WHAT SHOULD I THINK ABOUT WHEN COMMISSIONING FITTED JOINERY?
First, take the rest of the room into consideration. Look at the furniture you’ve already got and the style of the space. If you want a piece of furniture to house audio video equipment in your living room, you need to know exactly what you want to hide, what you want to be on show and if you have the correct depth for everything. Don’t worry if you only have a small space – that often means more innovative solutions. Recently we built a coat cupboard under the stairs and used a slide-out rail for accessibility. We also find that the eaves of vaulted ceilings can often be beautifully maximized by made-to-measure joinery. And we love our huge window seat that hides a huge cavity that houses all our family luggage and household vacuum cleaners.
IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO CONSIDER WHEN INSTALLING A FITTED WARDROBE?
All items of clothing and accessories need to be taken into account when designing built-in wardrobes, from cufflinks to socks. Think about how many handbags and pairs of shoes you own. Whether you prefer hanging spaces over drawers.
HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK?
There is so much choice at every stage that it can be helpful to consult an interior designer or architect to guide you through the whole thing – especially for larger projects. The first step is an on-site survey to measure the space and understand what the exact requirements are before drawings are produced.
Budget has a big impact on your choices of material.
WHEN IT COMES TO FINISHES, ARE THERE ANY RULES?
No, anything is possible. Think about the type of timber and finish (gloss or matt, wax or lacquer) required. You don’t just have to stick to wood either, leather or marble wardrobe inlays and metal trims can all be incorporated. The key is to maintain focus on the vision and even stonemasons can help create some beautifully individual commissions. Sustainable sourcing is also important. Cedar is a good option for wardrobe internals as it has natural moth deterring properties: similarly, mesh-fronted cabinets are on trend and offer air circulation that’s ideal when housing AV units.
