"h" wrote in message
...
We're going to be putting a second story over our existing living, which
will become our master bedroom. The new space will be a perfect rectangle,
23'x18'. This space is for the bedroom and closet. We're going to put in a
walk-in closet, but are debating how big it needs to be. In our current
bedroom we have a walk-in that's 8'x10', and it's much more space than we
need. We keep suitcases and sports gear in there and it's nowhere near
full.We are both VERY low-maintenance, and DH actually has more hanging
clothing than I do.

I'm planning a closet with a center door, two hanging racks (one down each
side), with some shelving above the racks and floor-to-ceiling
shelves/storage on the far wall across from the door between the racks.

The architect is telling me that a walk-in "should" be "at least" 10'x12'
or we "won't be able to sell the house". Since we plan to be carried out
of here feet first, we couldn't care less about resale. Plus, I refuse to
design new construction solely for "perceived" resale value when I plan to
live here for at least 35 more years.

I don't care what the architect says, I neither want nor need a closet
that big especially since we will still have the current master closet for
storage when that room becomes the guest room, plus the tiny closets in
the other two bedrooms (office and exercise room).

So...those of you with walk-in closets - how big are they and do you wish
your closet was bigger or smaller?


I like a width of 7 feet. Allows clothes to be hung on each side with a 3
foot walkway. If I went wider I would jump to 12 feet with two aisles and
hangers down the center as well. 14 foot would allow for two wide down the
center. My current closet is 7X12. Plenty large in my single days.
Starting to feel a little cramped with a woman using it too. I call them
dressing rooms and include chairs, mirrors and built in cupboards. With
everything in the closest the bedroom can be a modest size.

"Pat" wrote in message
ny...

"h" wrote in message
...

I like a width of 7 feet. Allows clothes to be hung on each side with a 3
foot walkway. If I went wider I would jump to 12 feet with two aisles and
hangers down the center as well. 14 foot would allow for two wide down
the center. My current closet is 7X12. Plenty large in my single days.
Starting to feel a little cramped with a woman using it too. I call them
dressing rooms and include chairs, mirrors and built in cupboards. With
everything in the closest the bedroom can be a modest size.

LOL. As the female half of the couple who will be using the closet, I can
tell you that DH has more clothes, is much more appearance-obsessed, and
takes up a lot more space! I just want a rack on each side with shelves
above and about 3' of floor-to-ceiling shelving on the far wall between the
two racks. Sounds like my "too-small-closet" will work just fine.

Thanks for the comments!

On May 19, 8:18*am, "h" wrote:
"Pat" wrote in message

ny...

"h" wrote in message
...

I like a width of 7 feet. *Allows clothes to be hung on each side with a 3
foot walkway. *If I went wider I would jump to 12 feet with two aisles and
hangers down the center as well. *14 foot would allow for two wide down
the center. *My current closet is 7X12. *Plenty large in my single days.
Starting to feel a little cramped with a woman using it too. *I call them
dressing rooms and include chairs, mirrors and built in cupboards. *With
everything in the closest the bedroom can be a modest size.

LOL. As the female half of the couple who will be using the closet, I can
tell you that DH has more clothes, is much more appearance-obsessed, and
takes up a lot more space! I just want a rack on each side with shelves
above and about 3' of floor-to-ceiling shelving on the far wall between the
two racks. Sounds like my "too-small-closet" will work just fine.

Thanks for the comments!

You're not putting in a bathroom? Personally I'd take an end off your
original retangle and divide it between a walk in closet and a bath.
And I'd also plan a stackable washer/dryer hookup in the closet. The
laundry hookup is probably more personal preference but once you have
a laundry closer to where you remove and put on your clothes you'll
never go back :-) As to the bath, I can't imagine having to go
downstairs to use a bathroom.

"jamesgangnc" wrote in message
...
On May 19, 8:18 am, "h" wrote:
"Pat" wrote in message

ny...

"h" wrote in message
...

I like a width of 7 feet. Allows clothes to be hung on each side with a
3
foot walkway. If I went wider I would jump to 12 feet with two aisles
and
hangers down the center as well. 14 foot would allow for two wide down
the center. My current closet is 7X12. Plenty large in my single days.
Starting to feel a little cramped with a woman using it too. I call them
dressing rooms and include chairs, mirrors and built in cupboards. With
everything in the closest the bedroom can be a modest size.

LOL. As the female half of the couple who will be using the closet, I can
tell you that DH has more clothes, is much more appearance-obsessed, and
takes up a lot more space! I just want a rack on each side with shelves
above and about 3' of floor-to-ceiling shelving on the far wall between
the
two racks. Sounds like my "too-small-closet" will work just fine.

Thanks for the comments!

You're not putting in a bathroom? Personally I'd take an end off your
original retangle and divide it between a walk in closet and a bath.
And I'd also plan a stackable washer/dryer hookup in the closet. The
laundry hookup is probably more personal preference but once you have
a laundry closer to where you remove and put on your clothes you'll
never go back :-) As to the bath, I can't imagine having to go
downstairs to use a bathroom.

We already have a full bath upstairs in the origanal section of the house.
The one-story living room was added in the early-1900s. We'll be adding on a
much larger two-story addition in 2012 which will have a small,
separate-entrance office/client area with a half bath, and a 24x40 garage
down, with a master bath, commercial washer and dryer, and an enormous
industrial workspace upstairs.

By the time both construction projects are completed we'll have more than
doubled the size of the house and my workspace can move from the garage into
the house, where I'll have plumbing and real heat! I'm so sick of running
down the stairs and across the deck and into the house every time I need the
bathroom. In the winter I have to shovel my way to and from. I'm SO not
going to miss that! Also, having a separate office for clients means that I
won't have to make sure the entire downstairs is pristine in case they have
to use the bathroom.

We're doing it in two stages because the existing detached garage will need
to be knocked down for the new addition, and I wouldn't have any place to
work for at least a month, plus no place to store my equipment. Once the new
master bedroom is built I'll move my work space in there for 18 months until
we move to stage two.