Makeover: Creating My Dream Wardrobe From Start to Finish!

Paid partnership with Elfa, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love. 

Remember I said this was going to the year I finally organise my home? I've moved one step closer - my new wardrobe is finished! 

Allow me to paint the scene. My previous wardrobe was sandwiched between the girls' bedrooms on the floor below, it was really small and cramped and I had to tip-toe through their rooms at night. I could never find anything; it simply wasn't practical in any shape or form and honestly, a total mess!

The far side of our bedroom on the top floor seemed like the obvious choice for a new one. In the past, this corner a reading corner, yoga studio and even once graced the cover of a book as my home office! But I've never really felt it's been put to great use - until now! 

The problem was, it's a slightly awkward spot: sandwiched between the stairs and a large radiator - plus it has a sloped ceiling. 

Here's how I transformed it with the help of international Swedish brand Elfa. 

The brief

I had an entire jumble of items that needed a home - from maxi dresses, jumpsuits, sweaters, jeans and gym kit, to hats, tights, jewellery and lingerie! Since we share a bathroom between five of us (two of which are teenagers) I was also keen to incorporate a little spot to do my hair and make-up. A girl can dream!

The obstacles

Radiator

This mighty radiator was in the way. To be honest, we hadn't used it all winter since I like to keep the area cool for my beloved lemon tree (AKA my fourth child!) while it winters indoors. Removing it was a no-brainer, so we called the plumber in. It left a gaping hole which we plugged and painted over.  

Bannisters

The bannisters to the left of the space were also an obstacle. In the end we decided to build a short floor-to-ceiling wall to frame the side of the wardrobe. 

Angled ceiling

Probably one of the most common problems when building a wardrobe is an awkward sloped ceiling. We hired a builder to insert a made-to-measure triangular shaped wood piece above the open-topped wardrobe. It was painted the same colour for a seamless look. The best thing about this is that we can use the full height of the room for storage. 

The design
The beauty of Elfa is that the system is fully flexible and can be adapted to fit your space and your needs. Plus, they offer a great online planning tool which enables you to easily design and plan your wardrobe to the exact measurements of your room - love that!  

The system is centred around a series of vertical rods from which you 'click-in' your choice of shelves, sliding shoe racks, trouser rails, tie racks, rods, drawers, mirrors, hooks etc. 

Since it's in our bedroom, I wanted to go for a slightly smarter option, choosing a few items from the Décor assortment which combines function and flexibility with the style and luxury of wood. I combined open and closed solutions together with extra features such as a gliding shoe and trouser rack and somewhere to hang shorter and longer clothes. 

Door selection

I chose Forma doors in melamine satin white - a three door sliding solution. There are countless others to choose from (for those of you who live in Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Finland) - or you could go wild and opt for an open solution (I'm WAY too messy for that!).

The results

Once the vertical rods had been installed, everything else could just be clicked into place. Most of my wardrobe is made up of wire shelves with Décor fascia for a sleek, smart finish. 

I don't know how good you are at folding, but I think Marie Kondo would describe mine as distinctly sub-par! If you're the same, let me tell you, these click-in wire shelf dividers are a game changer. Not only do they condense the width of your folded sweaters making them appear more neat - they also allow you to double up on each shelf so you have room for more clothes. 

A long closet rod means I have place for longer and shorter clothes. And I placed some of my smarter sweaters in boxes from the Elfa studio - love that they can be dust free but still visible. 

I particularly love the Décor gliding pant rack and gliding shoe mesh shelf. How smart and practical are they? Only the best for my gold sparkly boots! 

Over to the opposite side of my wardrobe and guess what? 

Tadaaa! I have a special place to do my hair and make-up!

This is thanks to a click-in Décor mirror and accessory shelf for all my brushes, make-up, perfume etc. I also picked up a jewellery box from the Elfa studio in Malmö. 

So much more relaxing to get ready without someone else on the loo behind me (not kidding!). 

Underneath, two different sized mesh drawers with Décor drawer fronts provide storage for everything from scarves, sunglasses and purses to lingerie and nightwear. I chose the knob with leather pull.

I added a soft drawer accessories tray to the upper drawers and then simple mesh metal dividers to the lower drawers - all of which help to keep the drawers neat and organised! 

Don't mind me while I hang out around my new dream wardrobe picking out jungle-style clothes and generally admiring ow neat it is! I've got no excuses now not to use a wardrobe instead of a chair at night (gaaah!) and up my style game. Oh, the pressure! 

I hope you found this wardrobe build interesting / inspiring - especially if you are looking to organise a room in your home. If so, check out Elfa and find your nearest store here - they ship pretty much worldwide. 

Next step: Allie's bedroom. Back to the planning tool! 

I look forward to sharing the results with you in early June!

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark

Styling: Helen Sturesson

READ MORE...

14

A Fabulous Walk-in Closet Idea in a Norwegian Home

It might not feel like spring in Southern Sweden yet (it snowed in some parts of Skåne yesterday!) but it's on its way, I can feel it! Can you? One of the biggest joys is preparing the home for a new season - which also means storing away heavy winter clothes and making room for pretty spring and summer clothes!  

In my experience, one of the biggest dilemmas is lack of storage space. In 2023 I made it my mission to create organised storage in our home - building a wardrobe and adding shelves to our attic. And our house definitely feels less cluttered as a result (although not always tidier - but that's a whole other issue!). Even so, I am always on the lookout for more clever ideas. And I instantly fell in love with the smart walk-in closet solution in Caroline's Norwegian apartment! 

Caroline is a journalist and editor for Elle magazine and lives in the beautiful neighbourhood of Grünerløkke in Oslo. Read on to feel inspired by her 57 m2 (613 ft.sq) home and clever storage idea, it might just solve a conundrum for you too!  

Carolina has gone for a wonderful palette of blue, dusty pink and brass in her Norwegian home which adds a feeling decadence. I love that it is also filled with one-off pieces, pattern and quirky touches! A Togo sofa is always a comfy addition! 

In the bedroom, a 'sky' headboard adds a wonderfully fun and unique touch to the space - and the blend of new nordic pieces such as the Flos light beside antique finds adds to the relaxed feel. 

And THIS was what I was talking about in my intro: a fabulous walk-in-wardrobe built into the corner of the bedroom! 

The 'wardrobe' is made up of two glass doors which Caroline designed and had made according to the exact measurements of the space. 

Inside Caroline has used the Décor design from Elfa (which I also used for my storage - the entire system is great as it's really flexible and you can personalise the design to work for your needs and the space you have) to create shelving for her shoes and hanging space for clothes and other items. 

What a clever way to transform the corner of a bedroom into storage - do you agree? The frosted glass doors provide a glimpse of the interior of the wardrobe, without allowing the clothes and shoes from taking over the room and making it feel cluttered. 

I have to say, I'm drooling over her clothes and shoe collection too - so many fabulous items! 

I hope this has filled you with inspiration for the weekend! Or maybe just inspired you to pull out those sparkly shoes and hit the town! Follow Caroline's instagram for more interior and lifestyle inspiration. 

Speaking of which, I don't own many pairs of shoes, but last year I bought a pair of gold sparkly ankle boots, and they really seem to bring out the best in people and put a smile on everyone's face. I always make a point of wearing them on friends' birthdays to add some sparkle! Do you have a favourite pair of shoes too? 

Check out these other ways to get organised at home: 

Divide and conquer - ways to make more out of a room

7 simple steps to a tidy home

16 ways to turn a small room into a practical and organised bedroom

Before and after: our laundry room makeover

That's it from me this week folks. Thank you for stopping by - see you Monday! 

Trevlig helg! 

Niki

Photography: Birgit Fauske

READ MORE...

7

Tuesday DIY: a fab walk-in wardrobe on a shoe-string

In the first chapter of The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin talks about how de-cluttering and organising your home is the first step to feeling happier. I have to say, I admire people who make organising spaces look so effortless. One girl who knows her stuff is the talented interior designer Nina Holst from the Norwegian blog Stylizimo. She created this fab DIY walk-in-wardrobe on a shoe-string budget.

Nina Holst, Stylizimo with kind permission

I spy two MALM chest of drawers, the STOLMEN used as a clothing rack, BYGEL which nina spray painted herself in gold, and two LEDSJÖ lamps all from IKEA.

To read more about how Nina created this space you can check out the original post here.

I would love to organise my jewellery and sunglasses in the same way in my dressing room. Thanks so much for the idea Nina! For more cool wardrobe inspiration you can always check here.

And if you're up for other DIY ideas this week you might want to check out this simple dotted wall, a cloud shaped door mat or a wall clock using a leather belt. So simple yet so cool. 

We are traveling South (in Thailand) tomorrow so I am handing the reigns to Dagny of Icelandic blog Feel Inspired for the day. Have a lovely day and I'll be back Thursday!

READ MORE...

12

10 fab ways to decorate your home with clothes

It's no secret that us girls love a walk-in-wardrobe. But sadly for men, clothes are creeping into the bedroom and acting as the latest wall space accessory too. From necklaces and dresses to shoes and bags, it's the walking-wardrobe. And I love it. 

New York stylist Mary Alice Stephenson's jewellery chest designed by Closet Factory via The Coveteur    

IKEA Livet Hemma

Via Wit and Delight

Via Xunya

Via Brunch at Saks

Via Atelier Rue Verte

Via Cherry Blossom

Via interior photos

House to Home

Adler & Co by A Merry Mishap

I love so many of these ideas. The layers of IKEA mirrors. Using cornicing as shoe holders - perfect. The motorbike sure beats a chair to throw all discarded clothes over or? How far would you go? Sometimes less is more perhaps, it just depends on how fab your wardrobe is!

PS I've hoarded all these pics in Pinterest have done my best to credit but unfortunately not all roads to lead to Rome so if you can give any tips on original publishing house / photographer / stylist I'd be sooo happy. Tack tack!

READ MORE...

5

A Beautiful Swedish Home in Beige and Klein Blue!

Why, hello there! Thank you for all your positive comments on my Malmö guide which I posted on Friday, it's always so fun to photograph and writer about my city! Today on the blog, we're heading a little further North to Stockholm. 

The open-plan apartment uses beige as a canvas and then wonderful elements including classic designer furniture, fluffy rugs and fabulous lighting have been layered over to create oodles of interest. But what I like most of all, are the on-trend pops of colour seen in the cushions on the sofa (lavender, orange, sky blue, green) and bed (Klein blue and cinnamon). 

There's been a lot of chatter lately about the lack of clothing seen in these Scandinavian homes, so I was excited to see that this apartment has a nicely filled walk-in-wardrobe - or at least plenty of space for clothes! It also gives a hint to the type of person that lives here - quite cool by the looks of things! 

Let's crack on with the tour!

The wall between the kitchen and sitting room has been removed to create a sociable living space. An well placed island works as the in-between. 

The marble backsplash is fabulous! I love that it goes all the way up to the shelves, creating a dramatic effect! 

Floor to ceiling sheer curtains allow a calming diffused light to enter the space and add softness to the room. 

Here you can catch a glimpse of the wall hung flat screen (not often seen in these tours!) and the hallway which enters straight out into the sitting room. 

If you're colour shy but love to stay on-trend or dabble with bright tones - bedding is a perfect way to add vibrancy! The Klein blue linen bedding breaks away from the sea of beige and looks fabulous with the dark brown wall! 

This Etsy store sells a similar duvet cover* and flat sheet*. 

When adding colour in this way, balance the look by adding another item in the same colour (in this instance a glass candle holder!). 

How pretty is the antique bedside table? 

Long rails provide plenty of hanging space for clothes. I would love to see some shelves and drawers here too - perhaps they are in the cupboard? 

I absolutely love this chair (any idea of the name?) - it's so decadent and raises the status quo from ordinary wardrobe to luxurious walk-in-wardrobe! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of this beautiful home in the Swedish capital! Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Would you like to see a few other homes today? Check out this archive! 

Have a fabulous start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Mia Borgelin

Styling: Petra Yngfalk

For: Historiska Hem

*affiliated links

READ MORE...

6