There’s a detail I’ve been noticing in interior schemes constantly of late, and, for the most part, it’s a trend taking place in the closet. Inset into your glass-fronted wardrobe doors, curtained closets might be the chicest way to store your clothes right now.
Practically, they’re a clever choice. You get all the benefits of glass-fronted cabinets (in that you’re not faced with a solid wall of doors, so your space feels bigger), but you don’t have to actually see your clothes within or deal with less-than-chic treatments like frosted glass.
On the design side, it also opens up a whole new world of opportunities, ways to play with color, pattern, and materiality that a traditional built-in closet can’t offer.
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We’ve found a few examples that show the scope of what closeted curtain doors can achieve.
1. Add to a Freestanding Closet
This bespoke cabinet feels less bulky thanks to an arched cutout, finished with an interior curtain.
(Image credit: Leighton James / The Property Photographer. Design: Hamish Vincent)
In this modern bedroom in a London apartment, designer Daniel Jones of Hamish Vincent wanted to create a custom freestanding wardrobe that felt like a family heirloom, but curved to add softness.
“The ribbed oak panels provide a contemporary touch whilst the walnut-stained oak grounds it to the space,” Daniel says. “Fabric paneling was added, again to soften the piece.”
2. Use Curtains to Add Pattern
A patterned curtain breaks up the expanse of yellow in this color drenched room.
(Image credit: Haris Kenjar. Design: Nicky Kehoe)
Where wardrobe doors offer a canvas for paint colors, this curtained interior design trend can be a way to introduce pattern too, as in this dramatic closet designed by studio Nickey Kehoe.
“The fresh, pale blue complements the deeply saturated saffron walls,” co-founder Amy Kehoe says of the fabric. “The intent was a Californian take on a dressing boudoir — dramatic but through the lens of our golden light.”
3. Design as a Complementary Color Palette
A tonal scheme offers some contrast, while keeping things harmonious.
(Image credit: Nicole Cohen)
In this walk-in closet designed by interior designer Nicole Cohen, a tonal yellow closet curtain is used to bring some punch to the softer cabinetry palette.
“The yellow linen relates to the color of the adjacent primary bedroom, and the closet matches the trim color used throughout,” the designer explains.
4. Play With Shape
This dramatic, retro closet play with shape and texture.
(Image credit: Ana S. Barros. Design: Atelier Karansinki)
Introducing cut-outs in your wardrobe doors offers a chance to play with shape, while the curtaining keeps messy rails out of sight and mind.
In this walk-in wardrobe by Atelier Karasinki, the pill-shaped cut-outs disrupt the formal design, bringing “softness and a certain familiarity, because this shape has a long history in classical interiors,” says founder Laura Karasinki.
Freestanding Closets to Try
Wayfair.co.uk
Bubalo Wardrobe With Sensor Light
Barker and Stonehouse
Kasey 4 Door Wardrobe
Dunelm
Indus Valley Atomic Glass 2 Door Cabinet
It’s the sort of idea worth considering before you commission built-in wardrobes, but also something you could easily add to existing designs with glass doors, or even freestanding styles.
If you need help pulling together your scheme, why not sign up for a Style consultation from Design Lab by Livingetc? And for more inspiration for your home, sign up to the Livingetc newsletter.