Custom Built Wardrobes That Inspire: The Best Designs from Austria and Italy

The History of Custom Built Wardrobes

 

Wardrobes reflect our everyday lives and the style of our homes, combining practicality with personal aesthetics. What began as a simple cloak and linen storage has evolved over centuries to be a showcase design and lifestyle. By the 18th century, wardrobes became elegant pieces of carpentry decked with ornate carvings and often the room's centerpiece.

Today, custom built wardrobes are something much more dynamic. They're a blend of function, innovation, and style. This transformation is more apparent in Europe, where the European Cabinets have become a canvas for craft, sustainability, and engineering. This article explores two standout European custom wardrobe makers - Austria's solid wood, ecoconcious TEAM 7 wardrobes, and Italy's design-forward wardrobes by Guzzini & Fontana. 

Discover TEAM 7

TEAM 7 stands apart not just in design but in values. Based in Austria, TEAM 7 has been championing eco-conscious practices since the early 1980s. Their production is entirely in-house, each piece hand-finished with wood sourced from TEAM 7's sustainably managed forests. The results? It provides them with complete control over quality, craftsmanship, and materials.

Their "From Nature Into Your Bedroom" collection celebrates wood, engineering, and smart living. 

• Hinged Door Wardrobes: Available in multiple heights, depths, and widths, these pieces are customizable to the centimeter. Their simplicity makes them timeless for any bedroom cabinetry setup. 

  
  

• Floating Door Wardrobes: These custom built wardrobes bring an edge to German cabinetry. TEAM 7 designed this with precise element sizing, solid wood construction, and a flush front system. It's a sleek and fluid approach to storage. 

  
  

Inside, the story continues: 

• Drawers and Shirt Compartments: Thoughtfully hidden behind wardrobe doors, the drawers feature smoked glass, full extension runners, and optional organizers for accessories. The opening mechanism is soft-touch, handle-less, and whisper-quiet. 

  
  

• Linking Elements: These ingenious add-ons convert wardrobes into hybrid spaces. Flip-open a tabletop to reveal a vanity with a leather-lined shelf and wooden trays. Or integrate a writing top and shelving to transform your wardrobe into a compact home office, a perfect add-on for custom closet designs. 

  
  

• Lighting and Details: Optional LED accents highlight the wood-tone interiors. Every shelf, rail, and panel is solid wood, and the clothes lift features a black-brown finish that complements warm wood tones. 

  
  

For those who love modern living and pieces that will last forever without compromising on material sustainability, TEAM 7 custom closets are the solution.

Guzzini & Fontana: Italian Craftsmanship 

Founded by Luca Guzzini and Gary Fontana, this Italian design house blends traditional know-how with bold innovation. Every piece they create proudly bears the label "Made with Love in Italy," this passion is evident in the design, material, and texture, each detail contributing to a bold, moody aesthetic that defines their signature style.

Their approach to bedroom wardrobe closets offers a striking take on European closet design with a strong focus on modern cabinetry and the elegance of Italian-style cabinets.

Two key collections reflect this design spirit: 

• Wave: Inspired by the soft rhythms of bossa nova and named after the Tom Jobim album, this wardrobe line is a dance of light and shadow. A thick upper door panel, cut at 30 degrees, overlaps the lower one to create a wave-like silhouette. It's sculptural, unexpected, and instantly iconic. 

  
  

  

  
  
  
  

• Unlimited with Evans and Flat: This series reimagines the bedroom wardrobe closet as a seamless room element. The wardrobe feels like a living, breathing structure with open compartments and telescoping forms. Sides are no longer obstacles but passageways, offering seamless visual and spatial flow. They tailor finishes and fronts to create a truly custom European closet design.

  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

Thoughtful Interiors

Both TEAM 7 and Guzzini & Fontana approach interior fittings with the same level of intention as their exterior designs. Inside these modern European cabinets, you’ll find features beyond simple shelves and hanging storage. TEAM 7 wardrobes include solid wood interiors with glass front drawers, pull-down clothing rails and pull-out trouser rails with modular compartments above. Thoughtful touches like integrated vanities or writing surfaces reflect commitment to custom closet designs.

Guzzini & Fontana take a luxurious and architectural approach to bedroom cabinetry. Their interiors include leather-lined drawers, dedicated compartments for belts and jewelry, shoe shelving, and integrated LED lighting that subtly highlights every detail. These expressive interiors elevate modern European cabinets beyond storage.

So, What Makes European Wardrobes Special? 

Each design seems different at a glance: one is bold and moody, and one is earthy and timeless. However, both European wardrobes share a common thread of respecting design as a living element in our homes. 

Each brand brings a different kind of similarity: 

• TEAM 7 honors nature and craft, creating modern cabinets that feel warm, grounded, and a forever staple.

  
  

• Guzzini & Fontana channels movement and emotion, creating European cabinet designs that feel more like a sculpture than furniture.

  
  

Together, they represent the many ways European closet design can transcend function. They show us that furniture isn't just about organizing stuff but about organizing how we live and honoring it beautifully. 

Whether you're building your dream closet or just curious about what's possible, these wardrobe stories remind you that even the most personal spaces deserve great design. 

Find Your Dream Wardrobe in Our San Francisco Showroom

Take a look through our San Francisco showroom to see our collection of European-style cabinets.

Whether drawn to the natural warmth of custom cabinetry designs, the elegance of Italian-style cabinets, or the clean, modern lines of German modern cabinetry, our showroom displays offer you a chance to lay out the possibilities.

Our designers are here to walk you through materials, finishes and layouts, answer any questions, helping you create a custom wardrobe closet that feels right for your space and lifestyle.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

Are the wardrobes made from solid wood or engineered wood? 

European wardrobes often use a mix of solid wood and high-quality engineered wood, depending on the brand and design. Brands like TEAM 7 use 100% solid wood, while others use sustainable composites with natural veneers. All materials are selected for durability and eco-friendliness.

What kind of finishes and colors are available?

Can I customize the interior layout of the wardrobe? 

How long does it take to deliver a European wardrobe?

Are European wardrobes eco-friendly?

Are European wardrobes durable?