As I packed my bags to move with my fiancé to the suburbs after five blissful years in my one-bedroom, miniature, bachelorette city dwelling, I knew I was standing at the start-line of a journey of compromise on issues of decorating, house chores, and (gasp) cooking. I wish I could travel back in time to that day to assure myself that the transition would, in fact, be wildly fun and easy.

Now, with two years under our suburban belts, I scratch my head at how smooth the ride has been. My wonderful fiancé never flinched at the sight of my Lily Pulitzer shower curtain, shook his head when I first set fire to our kitchen (Who knew stuffed clams come in cardboard, highly flammable shells? Looked like the real deal to me!), and doubled over in laughter when we returned home to soap suds covering the kitchen floor. That dishwashing liquid really can be confusing, folks.

But that was all in the beginning—and growing pains are certainly expected. Luckily, ours have been hilarious moments that my future father-in-law will likely never let me live down.

However, there are trickier issues that take harder work to resolve. It didn’t take long to identify that we, too, have one issue that we have yet to resolve…closet space.

Here is the scenario:

Our bedroom closet has ample space…for one. So, I decided to take over the closet and armoire in the guest bedroom. This has worked beautifully, except that piles of clothes frequent the guest bed and shoes line the wall. I must also let you know that I don’t own an exorbitant amount of clothing, in fact, I donate clothing twice a year to be sure everything is being used regularly. Our problem is simply one of space. So what to do?

Andrew and I have two very different solutions.

His: Consign or donate 25% of clothes and shoes.

Mine: Convert the guest room into dressing room heaven. (See images below.)

Those glass doors make dressing a breeze. And the bohemian Turkish carpet is stunning! This dressing room (above) is a total dream.

I love the romantic glow of a pink chandelier. And an armoire is a beautiful piece for displaying favorite accessories. Working clothing into home décor is a beautiful marriage!

The sporty look of this dressing room (above) is so hip. The benches for shoelace tying and layered textures are very livable. And yes, this is the dressing room of my design crush, Nate Berkus.

This dressing room, belonging to Nanette Lepore, slays me. The elegant ottoman (which doubles as additional storage) and mirrored vanity are so feminine. I also love how she has positioned many mirrors to make the space appear larger and flooded with light.

This sleek dressing space doubles as an office! Multifunction would certainly help me to build a case for such a room. Don’t you think?

Would it be reasonable to convert our (only) guest room into a posh dressing room a la Nanette Lepore?

Probably not…

But I can dream, right?  When we buy our first home, I will be sure to seize the opportunity to build a dream dressing space.  What would your dream dressing room look like?

- Erika

Finder's Keepers

The rose glow cast from a pink chandelier is always flattering!

A stately ottoman would be a stunning focal piece in any dressing room.

What’s a dressing room without a mirror? This one is framed beautifully!

A durable runner is a key component of a fitting room—and these stripes are so versatile!

A settee for additional seating is critical—and I love the modern glamour of this piece!