More likely than not, you want to look and feel good so chucking your clothes over the back of a chair or leaving them in a heap on the floor just isn't going to cut it. After all, no-one really wants to walk around in a crumbled t-shirt or creased trousers, which is why you should take care of your clobber by investing in a decent wardrobe.
But which one? The wardrobe you choose is going to be dependent on how you're likely to use it. Is shelf space more important than a hanging rail or do you want a perfect combination of both? Would drawers come in handy and how tall should the unit be?
It's perhaps a good idea to take a look at how many clothes you have in the first instance. That way you'll have a good idea of the required space. From there, you should consider the room the wardrobe is going to fit into. Large wardrobes in small bedrooms will simply overwhelm while small wardrobes in large bedrooms could look a little silly and prevent you from taking advantage of the available space. Always consider height too: why not go tall if you have high ceilings – an extra shelf can make all the difference.
Here we're going to look at freestanding wardrobes rather than fitted ones. Not only are they less expensive but they're also able to go with you when you move home, or shift into a different room if you ever fancy a change. Certainly consider the overall décor of the room when you come to choose a style or a colour. Some wardrobes are also part of a range and so have matching furniture such as bedside cabinets.
Whether you're a student looking for a way to temporarily store your clothes during term-time or you're simply after a quick and easy way to increase the amount of storage space you have, a canvas wardrobe could well be the answer. This inexpensive model mixes style with practicality. Assembly should also be straightforward enough.
You simply construct the frame by slotting the steel tubes into the plastic joints before adding the nine shelves and pulling the dust-proof and water-proof fabric over the top. There's a good amount hanging space for dresses and suits, and the doors rise up and down on zips, keeping everything neat, tidy and out-of-sight.
This beautiful, sturdy-looking wooden wardrobe offers loads of storage space and gives you two hanging sections and a central column of shelves in a unit spanning 2.5 meters in length. Most striking are the large mirrored sliding doors which allow access to the three compartments. Not only will they allow you to get a good glimpse of yourself as you get ready in the morning, they should also make your bedroom look more spacious too.
As with many wardrobes, the item will arrive flat-packed so it'll be worth getting a friend or family member to help you assemble it. It's just a shame that the inside back of the unit isn't in the same colour as the rest of the wardrobe – it's white as opposed to oak – but once you pile in your clothes and other items, it's unlikely that this would become a major bone of contention.
Amazon UK has two furniture own-brands. One is the high-end Alkove, which makes use of quality materials, while the other is Movian that leans more towards trendy, Scandinavian and Japanese-inspired designs. It is the latter brand which has caught our eye in this instance, thanks to this two-door sliding wardrobe in an oak-effect finish that's sure to look great in any modern bedroom.
For those who prefer a different colour, you can also choose to have it in grey or white, but in each case, the doors have a finish to match with protruding handle that run its entire length. As you can imagine with a wardrobe that's 197 centimetres in length, 180cm tall and 61cm in depth, it'll take a couple of people to assemble. Shipping, however, is free.
Although this wardrobe describes itself as shabby chic, there's no sign of any distressed wood or an attempt to make it look like it's been lifted direct from a by-gone era. Even so, it would undoubtedly lending your bedroom a timeless look since it has been crafted in a beautiful antique French style and given a standout cream finish.
The wardrobe will arrive partially assembled, which will take the brunt of the assembly work away from you. It also comes with metal handles, a strong hanging wooden rail and a top shelf for extra storage space. You can also get hold of a three-door version, complete with a trio of drawers if you want even more space but most people should find it already offers plenty.
This wardrobe offers a choice of five widths – 90cm, 120cm, 150cm, 180cm and 203cm – so you should be able to find one that fits most spaces. There's also a choice of colours (white, grey, walnut, oak and wenge) and in each case, you get two mirrored sliding doors, between four and 10 shelves and up to four hanging rails.
As such, it's a flexible offering that gives you as much or as little storage capacity as your room and needs will allow. The finishing touch of an LED light is also welcome since it means you won't be scrambling around in the darker recesses off the wardrobe and end up looking like you got dressed in the dark.
This is a wardrobe for which the term “it's what's inside that counts” was made for. Here you get eight adjustable shelves running down the right-hand side of the unit, ample hanging space, storage at the top and three internal drawers.
The main downside is that the drop for clothes is short. You'd be able to hang shirts and jackets without any issues but long dresses are most certainly out unless you remove a good number of shelves.
Still, this makes for flexibility. We certainly like that it has sliding doors and, because the base is closed, we love that you won't need to worry about clearing away dust from underneath. It looks best in white, though, with the maple cream finish appearing a little too 1970s for our taste.
