How to Fit a Walk-in Wardrobe (in Your Tiny HDB)

Thanks to our hoarding (or shopaholic tendencies – you choose), walk-in wardrobes have become one of the most popular features homeowners ask for in a renovation. Problem is, when you've got a small-scale HDB flat to work with, is it possible to fit in a sizeable walk-in wardrobe – and still be able to walk in it?

The answer? Yes! These 11 bright ideas prove that when there’s a will, there’s a space efficient way - no matter how small your home is.

Combine two rooms for easy access

If you’ve got a spare room adjacent to your bedroom, consider hacking the walls in between and convert it into an en-suite walk-in wardrobe. Not only does it make for an easier flow, it can also help to visually open up a space.

1. By hacking the walls in between and conjoining it to the master bedroom, the thin, adjoining guest room is just the perfect size for a walk-in wardrobe area.

Interior Designer: U & Me Interior

2. If you’d like to keep sleeping and dressing up separate, create a walkway of sorts to demarcate combined rooms instead of removing the walls completely. Here, the wall area that was left intact is used as a convenient prop for a pole shoe rack system.

Interior Designer: Boon Siew D'sign

Turn a spare bedroom into a full-fledged closet

Oh the extravagance – having a whole room just for your clothes, shoes and accessories – like a movie star. But hey, if you’ve got a spare room that you don’t see being occupied soon, why not?

3. While joining two rooms into one has its own perks, having four full walls for your walk-in wardrobe means more space for lining up your wardrobe compartments! Using two entire wall lengths for a modular open wardrobe, the third wall is used to prop a gigantic mirror (perfect for checking out your entire outfit).

Interior Designer: Corazon Interior

4. Sometimes, you just need a little more privacy when changing – so having a proper door and room helps! Besides, no hacking also means less works done and less costs – great if you’re working on a tight budget.

Interior Designer: KDOT Associates

Carve out a nook

Of course, forfeiting an entire room isn’t the only way to get a walk-in wardrobe in this town. If space permits, create a small ‘pocket’ or nook in your bedroom without having to eat too much into others - the key is in getting the amount of walking space right!

To be frank, you don't even need much - depending on your size, a walkway gap as narrow as 80cm – 1 metre can actually be enough for fitting in a decent walk-in closet.

5. Besides giving the illusion of a much bigger space behind those black-framed, sliding doors, having this slim, walk in wardrobe entirely enclosed also serves a practical purpose – to keep dust bunnies away!

Interior Designer: Aiden-T

6. With a glass encased walk-in wardrobe entirely created within the confines of this bedroom, it’s surprising how everything doesn’t look cramped and clustered at all. This is all thanks to the see-through glass panels, which lend a hint of shine and brightness, and minimal furniture.

Interior Designer: Co. Prozfile Design

7. Entering your walk-in wardrobe should be an experience. Proving you can still make a statement even in a tiny space, the unique arched entryway to this home’s ultra-slim closet area gives off major hip-boutique vibes. No space is left untouched – even on its thin sides, mirrors are installed for the homeowners to use - and to reflect and visually elongate the space.

Interior Designer: Free Space Intent

Use the wardrobe as a room divider

Here’s a spin on the usual 3-door wardrobe set up. Create a ‘divider’ with those full-length built-ins to form a partially enclosed space that works just like a walk-in wardrobe!

8. Instead of lining them up flush to the walls, simply propping them up freestanding allows this clean and bright bedroom to have a small, walk-in corner. Installing them adjacent to the bathroom also makes it conveniently accessible after a shower.

Interior Designer: Charlotte's Carpentry

9. After all that time trying outfits and coordinating the perfect look, you’ll need the perfect backdrop for that obligatory photo-op. That’s where this walk-in wardrobe unit comes in handy - with its backing set in a stylish chevron-patterned finish, all it takes is 2 – 3 steps for an #OOTD shot.

Interior Designer: JDC Interior

Create a partition

If you’re blessed with a sizeable master bedroom, good for you! Things get a lil’ easier here, as you can simply carve out a decent wardrobe space out of your existing area. Even so, you don’t have to start building walls or anything; instead, use panels/partitions to subtly ‘divide’ your space.

10. A partition doesn’t have to be a single (albeit useless) slab of glass. Besides dividing the master bedroom to form a walk-in closet area, the tinted glass divider is actually a vanity table at the bottom, bringing additional functionality to the otherwise unused space.

Interior Designer: Edge Interior

11. It’s like a totally different room, but yet it isn’t! With colourful Peranakan tiles dotting its walls, the open-shelving walk-in wardrobe corner is a huge contrast to the white-washed bedroom. Thankfully, translucent glass partitions help to tone the visual overload down a notch for the sleeping area and work as a privacy screen.

Interior Designer: Poetus

You've got the ideas, it's time to achieve them!

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