By Johnni Wong | Jun 19, 2009
Made in Heaven
Photographs by Raymond Ooi
To many homeowners like restaurateur T.H. Theng, it appears very costly to install a walk-in wardrobe system or even a built-in wardrobe unit. But the surprise is that the cost of installing a wardrobe has come down dramatically over the last 10 years.
As an avid reader of interior design articles, Theng, who in his 30s, decided to convert one of his seven bedrooms in his Petaling Jaya bungalow into a walk-in wardrobe. He had budgeted RM10,000 inclusive of accessories.
 |
|
BEFORE installing the walk-in wardrobe, this bedroom which spans 3.4m by 4.1m, was a terrible mess
|
He did his homework by calling up the various companies who advertise their wardrobe installation services in The Star Homes Supplement. And after visiting several showroom units over the past couple of months, he settled for SignatureKitchen’s Stello walk-in wardrobe system, which apparently is one of the best selling series of the company.
“I was impressed with the design which looks and feels modern and costly. Of course, there were more exclusive design models with glossy, spray-painted door panels like those featured in luxury condo show units, but they were not within my budget, or so I thought.
“The exotic laminate which has the distinctive Zebrano wood pattern was what attracted me to opt for the Stello design. It was very masculine in appeal. I didn’t want a white colour scheme which is so old-fashioned.
“SignatureKitchen designer Julia Anberase came to my house to measure the room dimensions - three times! Then she sent me some computer-aided drawings of the proposed design based somewhat on the show room model. Originally, I had wanted the wardrobe to be from floor to ceiling. But because I have an existing hole-in-the-wall air-conditioner that I didn’t want to move, the solution was to have the tall unit reach just below the air-conditioner. And the other units to be of similar height for a uniform look.”
Colour Carcass
The bedroom, which spans 3.4m by 4.1m (11ft by 13&1/2 ft), with a 3m (10ft) high ceiling, had an original floor-to-ceiling, built-in wardrobe cabinet. It had to be torn down. The exposed walls had to be plastered over and the ceiling gap boarded up and repainted. The bare patch of concrete floor where the old cabinet used to rest on, had to be laid with boards to match the same level as the parquet flooring.
The designer also advised the homeowner to repaint the whole room and ceiling before the installation of the wardrobe units. The owner spent RM400 for a contractor to have the room whitewashed and the bald patch laid over with boards.
Says Theng: “After agreeing to the final design, it took three weeks for the panels to be fabricated in their factory and installed. And one important feature of SignatureKitchen’s wardrobe design, is that the inside panels or drawers are actually colour carcasses which match the wardrobe surface. This is one feature which not many suppliers offer.
 |
| AFTER installing the wardrobe system, there's a place for everything. |
“The installation process took one whole day from about 10am till 8pm. A team of four Chinese workmen laboured to fit everything together. Some of the laminate boards had to be cut on site. After the job was done, the rubbish was retrieved and disposed.
“It was quite apparent that the team were skilled workers. After they left, I checked for flaws like disjointed seams and corners but was quite happy to find that I didn’t suffer the fate of some of my friends. They had horrible stories to tell of bad workmanship with their built-in wardrobes and kitchen cabinets, especially with doors that can’t close properly. And it had cost them quite a huge sum. They had sourced theirs elsewhere.
“In fact, two of the workmen came back three days later to check for touch-ups and to fit the mirror.”
Inexpensive
All in, the total cost of the walk-in wardrobe was a surprisingly affordable RM6,350!
The bigger L-shape tall unit (2240mm height; 600mm & 2100mm width) was RM3,490 inclusive of the RM1,440 for the pull-out baskets and retractable mirror. The slightly, lower L-shape tall unit (2000mm height; 1200mm & 600mm width) was RM1,120. The triple-unit, low cabinets (700mm height & 2700mm width) which costs RM860, come with soft-closing swing doors.
And finally, the remaining tall unit (2250mm height & 1400mm width) which fits into the niche of the old built-in cabinet, costs RM880.
Says Theng: “I never expected to be able to have such a totally, efficient walk-in wardrobe at such an inexpensive price. The detailed features thought up by the designer matched all my expectations of storage space to fit all my clothes, trousers, hats, blankets, suitcases as well as my CDs, hifi components, musical instruments and even my Pu Erh (Chinese tea) collection!”
Space-saving Wardrobe Designer
 |
| SignatureKitchen's showroom in its headquarters, feature a much bigger version of the Stello walk-in wardrobe. |
When it comes to designing a wardrobe for a room make-over project, interior designer Julia Anberase of SignatureKitchen knows exactly what to plan after viewing the belongings of the client.
With 15 years in the interior design industry, Julia found the latest project of a walk-in wardrobe for PJ homeowner T. H. Theng to be a cinch. And her forte is space-saving concepts. “There wasn’t any challenge as there weren’t any beams or pillars in the room (to overcome),” says Julia, who has been with SignatureKitchen for only a year.
“For a walk-in wardrobe, we proposed the Stello wardrobe range due to the characteristics of the client and we felt that it matches the lifestyle of the owner.” The main material used for the wardrobe was melamine boards, explains Julia, who typically takes three days to come up with a wardrobe design. And for a typical job, it only takes half a day for installation. But for this client, it took one full day due to the size of the room.
Illusion
As a designer, what would Julia generally recommend to clients when it comes to choosing the panel surface or finish?
“I would recommend, according to the space availability - swing door or sliding door. And it depends on the overall room design, and his or her preference on the overall concept. However, I will still plan the design or finish based on the client’s budget. Most importantly, I will emphasise on the illusion of space for my client.
“When it comes to popular choices, I would usually propose wood laminate due to the contemporary feel and timeless look. Besides, it is cost effective too!
“For this particular wardrobe make-over project, I have planned a well-mixed range of storage space with rods for hanging ironed shirts and long coats, shelves for folded clothes, pull-out compartments as well as drawer systems for storing small items. There is also added storage space with the corner cabinets for keeping rarely used items!
“Above the cabinets, I did not plan to build up to ceiling height, so as to enable my client to store his oversized boxes or luggage on top. It gives ample storage without limitation on top for future utilisation.”
*E-mail the writer (johnni@thestar.com.my) if you know of interesting homes to feature.
|