5 Ideas for Dressing Room Design for Your Home

Create the perfect pamper patch in your home with a cozy, chic, well-equipped dressing room. 

No matter how big or small your bedroom, dressing rooms or corners are a practical and smart way to organize your clothes and accessories. They also represent a private space where you can take a few moments to look and feel your best before you face the world. 

For many women, having a private dressing room feels like they have their little playroom where they can experiment with different looks and try out new styles in the comfort of their own homes. 

Dressing room design ideas? There’s a world of choice out there when it comes to dressing room ideas. But it’s great to know a little more about the idea itself. 

Where, how, and when did this architectural concept evolve? The history of the dressing room is both informative and fascinating. 

Dressing Rooms: A Glimpse Into Their History

The history of dressing rooms is closely connected with that of the dressing table itself. 

They were first made in 17th century Europe. 

By the 18th century, dressing tables were a mark of social standing and every woman of fashion had one. 

Two women share the credit for making personal dressing furniture fashionable: Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette. 

They also established the fashion of having space where a lady could have her private maid to sponge and groom her (since daily bathing was not in practice), where she could spend several hours getting her hair styled and choosing her attire for the day. 

High society women spent most of the day here, eating their breakfast in private, answering/writing letters, entertaining intimate friends, and relaxing. 

The more wealthy they were, the more elaborate and long-drawn-out their beauty routine. 

In time, the furniture and accessories required in the dressing room included closets for storing clothes/hats/shoes/jewelry, a fully-equipped dressing table, large full-length mirrors, a wash area, (some early ones included a hip bath), and special lighting. 

Women made it more personal by decorating them with photographs, ornaments, and pretty accessories. 

Men had their dressing rooms that were less elaborately decorated, but equally functional and luxurious. 

Early custom and lifestyles demanded that both men and women of a certain social status change their clothes several times a day. 

The dressing room also offered a private refuge where they could relax for a while before joining the rest of the family and friends. 

Today, things have changed dramatically. Home sizes have shrunk, lifestyles are different, at least for the large majority of people, and fashion trends are less elaborate and time-consuming. 

However, the dressing room remains a symbol of quiet indulgence and luxury, no matter how big or small it is. 

5 Ideas for Dressing Room Design for Your Home

• Analyze the space: 

Before you create the perfect dressing room, analyze and understand the space available. If you have to carve it out of your bedroom, make sure that you don’t end up with a cramped and cluttered bedroom. Today, the walk-in closet performs many of the functions of the traditional dressing room.

If you plan to share it with your partner/spouse, you will need to demarcate the spaces clearly for both of you. Take measurements so that you can purchase/fit in the furniture and accessories properly.

• Decide on placement: 

The must-haves in your dressing room include the all-important dressing table, seating solutions, mirrors, lighting, and storage. Place these accurately so that you can make the best use of any natural light that’s available during the daylight hours. 

You will need both ambient lighting and task lighting. Another important thing to note is the placement of your power points for your beauty appliances and tools, such as your hair styling tools and dryer, etc.

Make sure that they’re placed correctly next to the dressing table. Natural ventilation is a great idea, but if you can’t have that, make sure the space is well-aired. 

A good aircon system is a great investment to protect your expensive fabrics, leather, etc from mold and dust. 

• Color Palette: 

It is largely a matter of taste and individual preferences. You could sync it with the color scheme of your bedroom and follow the same theme, or you could take a different track altogether.

For instance, if your bedroom spells quiet elegance and pastel hues, carry the concept into your dressing room too. Some of us may want a neutral color palette that wouldn’t distract from their dressing and make-up. 

Give the room an identity of its own with some areas set aside for the display of your perfumes or collection of colorful stoles and scarves. Keep the woodwork sleek and neat, unless you have a large space to work with. 

The vanity area where you do your make-up or dressing can be demarcated clearly from the storage spaces through the use of color. If you share the dressing room with a partner, you can use color to separate the areas. 

• Masculine vs Feminine? Young vs Older? 

If this is a dressing room for a man, without overt stereotyping, keep it less “fussy” or “arty” if that’s what the man in your life likes. Similarly, if it’s a dressing room for a teenager or young adult, keep their personality and taste in mind when you create the dressing room for them.

Here colors, materials fabrics, and accessories can be matched to the theme you have in mind. This makes it a more personalized and bespoke space.

• Storage: 

This is a huge challenge in the dressing room. As they say, you can never have too many clothes, shoes, and accessories! Even if you’re a Kondo enthusiast, it’s often hard to resist the impulse buy and the temptation of a label.

Maximize storage in your dressing room and that’s something you can never have enough of. Closets, lofts, double-height cabinets, floor to ceiling units, etc keep your space clutter-free and give you more work area. 

It’s also a functional necessity that helps you to find things more quickly and organizing your stuff so that you don’t rush out to buy a fuchsia stole when you have three others hiding in various closets.

Whether you're starting from scratch or looking to revamp an existing space, consulting with professional closet designers can help you maximize efficiency and create a dressing room that reflects your personal style and meets all your organizational needs.