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At home with Hannah 

“I created my own luxury closet in little space”

Thanks to Décor, Hannah Graaf has transformed her home’s shabby, cramped wardrobe space into a charming, sparkle-filled walk-in closet!

Text Charlotta Flinkenberg Images Stephanie Sifvert

Before

After

Can you describe how the space for your walk-in closet looked before the work?

Like a shabby storeroom, with an old plastic mat that almost looked mouldy. The interior was very dated, from the ’70s. It was seriously depressing and horrible, and became more of a crummy storage cupboard where I shoved loads of boxes and winter clothes. 

“Everything else in the house is the kids’, this is the only thing that is MINE”

Media personality Hannah Graaf has put a few turbulent years behind her. First there was the move to Spain and an enormous luxury home with its own lift, cinema and pool. Followed by a divorce and return to Sweden and Sigtuna, where Hannah bought a terraced house. The house had to be rebuilt so that all four kids would each have their own room. “In our new home, I put my full focus on what was best for the kids. My own needs were less of a priority, so for example I had to squeeze all of my clothes into the wardrobe in my bedroom. Whatever didn’t fit was left in boxes and bags.

“Elfa’s flexible system was a huge help for the narrow, tight space”

 

Did you have a vision of how you wanted the end result to look?

Not really – but I’ve had walk-in closets in previous houses and knew more what my needs were. I need a lot of hanger space, jewellery storage and nice ways of keeping and displaying my shoes and bags. I like airiness and actually being able to see all of your beautiful things. Elfa were so helpful in making these wishes a reality! They are real pros, and gave me loads of tips and suggestions when designing the closet. For example, they thought I should choose the angled display shelves, which gave a really cool effect.

What were the biggest challenges you faced while building the closet?

The narrow, tight space! But this is probably the type of space that most people will have in their homes for this type of project. Not everyone has the option to devote an entire room to clothes! What really made this build process easier was Elfa’s flexible system. When we installed the closet I realised I wanted to add more hanging space and change the distance between a few shoe shelves. All of that was just a matter of moving and clicking things into place. I’m sure there’ll be other things I want to adjust further down the line. You truly can make it all come together beautifully – just look at how my walk-in-closet turned out!

What were your thoughts on colour, etc?

I wanted white, as it’s a small, tight space and white makes it look bigger, visually. Plus it feels fresh and makes for a nice base for my colourful and sparkly clothes and accessories. The brown cord-pulleys feel exclusive to me, and remind me of high-fashion stores. Some people may have slightly preconceived ideas about Elfa’s range and think that they only have those classic wire baskets, but Décor’s elegant wooden-fronted drawers make a very sophisticated impression. 

What are you most pleased with?

That this is something that is MINE in the house! The kids have taken over almost everything else in the house, but this is my very own luxury closet. I call it that because it’s where I’ve chosen to keep only my beautiful things and more dressy clothes with sequins. These drawers have only my fancy lace undies, and it’s also where I keep my jewellery and high heels. In my old wardrobe in the bedroom I keep my old, moth-eaten T-shirts and lounging clothes. But here I want it to be an oasis of aesthetics and order. I even fold my nice underwear carefully in the drawers. And I love it! I just want to stand in here with a glass of bubbly and admire everything. But the question is how long I get to have the closet all to myself, as my two girls have already been very eager to spend a little too much time in here...

Hannah’s tips for creating a luxury closet with little space

  • Hang clothes by colour and fold even knitted garments by colour
  • Categorise what you hang: have only blazers on one rail, trousers on another etc
  • Put your most beautiful sequinned garments on display! They become part of the decoration 
  • Make the space inviting and personal by putting out scented candles and reed diffusers, framing photos and adding decorative ornaments – it doesn’t have to be just clothes 
  • A mirror is very important and fulfils a practical function, while also making the space look a little bigger 

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