It turns out that moving house is the perfect time to clear out your wardrobe. Digging out those items from the back of the cupboard lets you really see what you need and rediscover things that you’ve not worn in ages. Plus, it’s easier to see why you’ve not worn something and can give it away so that you don’t have to move it to the new place with you. Well, that’s what I found anyway. Yet, despite my huge clear-out, I’ve still got more clothes than wardrobe space. How did that happen? blush
Fitted storage is the dream…
The trouble is that our wardrobe had to stay behind in our rented home and we no longer have space to hang our clothes. Actually, there’s a small cupboard in the bedroom, but it’s too shallow for hangers. And we do have grandad’s old tallboy (which currently houses hubby’s work clothes) but it has to be the tiniest wardrobe ever. Considering that we’re finally living in a house that’s bigger than any others we’ve lived in before, you’d think that storage wouldn’t be a problem.
That’s the thing; we can fit in plenty of storage, but we don’t already own any so… hi-ho-hi-ho, it’s off to the flat-pack store we go. Although, it turns out that flat-packed furniture isn’t the bargain it once was. When I started adding up the components we’d need to create a semi-fitted wardrobe in the bedroom, my eyes watered. The prices were staggering, and I was going for the basic option every time.
I gave up looking at the Swedish store catalogues and switched to UK catalogues instead. But to buy just one freestanding wardrobe was a rather spendy price and I’d need two, at least. And even then they wouldn’t be making the best use of the space we have. All that air above and below the wardrobes would be wasted storage space and I was really hoping that I’d get all our clothing stored neatly for once.
That’s when I discovered Jali – the people who make fitted wardrobes at flat-pack prices. I was surprised at the number of options available for colour, design and style – even the style of the skirting at the base of the wardrobes could be chosen. Of course, every design choice comes with a price tag but, as I started using the design software on the website to ‘have a go’ at creating a wardrobe, it became clear that this custom-made service wasn’t going to cost me as much as some of the options I’d researched so far.
I started to get serious with the interactive design software, adding sizes and compartments. After only 20 minutes of fiddling around, I had designed my ideal fitted wardrobe without any trouble at all. It was white, with shaker doors (to match the existing 50s style doors throughout the house) and sleek metal handles. I wanted two sections so that my husband and I could have one side of the wardrobe each, although I’m sure I’ll take over some of his side at some point.
I added a shelf, hanging rail and some drawers. This was quickly becoming my dream storage solution. What I’d imagined in my mind was coming to life before my eyes. And, most importantly, it was exactly the right size for my room. The length, height and depth were millimetre-perfect for the space we had available in the bedroom. I sent over my design and quickly received a set of specification drawings via email.
I checked the measurements, asked about the possibility of moving the shelf higher up, and soon my order was being processed. The Jali representative that I spoke to explained that the wardrobe would be made in their UK factory, constructed to check that it all fits together perfectly, and then dismantled and shipped to me flat-packed. Now all I have to do is wait for it to be delivered and get out the screwdriver! Watch this space for some photos of the installation process; I hope it goes smoothly – I’ll be sure to let you know how we get on.
Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
