I want to build a walk-in-closet along a 10 foot wall. A doorway thru closet into bathroom from bedroom. I’m asking for opinoins on what is a good width for a comfortable closet dial-it-in
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Replies
I suggest clients think of the room between the clothes as a hallway--how wide do they like the halls to be? Then just add depth to each side for the type of clothes or shoe racks or whatever. With clothes on each side I like at least 7' but 8' is better.
thanks for your reply. My sense said 7 foot wide would feel spacious but it sounds like this is a minimum. I would like the end result to feel roomy.so I'll draw it up a couple times (bigger closet-smaller bedroom; smaller closet- bigger bedroom).
That's sorta like asking "how
That's sorta like asking "how high is up". Seriously though, it depends on need, use, and space available.
If I read you correctly, the closet will both be accessible from the bath and the BR and could/will also serve as a hall/entrance to the bath? In that case I would think that it should be at least 7'-0" wide.
As to depth/length, I have made them as short as 3'-0" if the width was at least 6'-0". Do you want it to also serve as a dressing area with chest etc. or what? How much hanging space do you need?
Really need to see the existing plan/space you are working with.
Thanks, yes if this closet was roomy enough to accommadate a bench or chair and serve as a dressing area it would be ideal. The length willbe at least 7 feet
Are we talking about the closet for the lady of the house or the gentleman?
Doug
24" each side for clothing hanging and shelving and, if a true passageway as you imply then 36" (min.) so 7'-0" -8'-0" as noted.
It depends on how the closet is laid out. I'm guessing everyone including you are assuming cloths hanging on each side. Then you mention something about a bench, so that muddies the water a bit.... My suggestion is to draw up something and show it to us. It could even be just a quick hand drawing that you scanned or photographed and then posted. Please include some basic dimensions and show the adjoining bath and bedroom so we can place it in context. Then we can go from there. BTW - the rod hanging space for cloths is about 2' deep.
>>A doorway thru closet into bathroom from bedroom.
Seeing a lot of houses, I see this config sometimes.
FWIW, I think it is awkward, especially if the "hallway" isn't wide enough to accomadate a person looking over one side of the clothes and a person heading for the head.
Mileage may vary....
My wife has a WIC off her bathroom but you don't walk through it to get to the bathroom. I agree that I wouldn't like that set-up at all as most people don't keep their closets very neat and who wants to walk through a mess a couple of times per day?
BTW, you'll notice I said HER bathroom not the Master Bath. I knew when building the house she would take over the bathroom and I would never get to use it. When the builder suggested dual sinks and my wife agreed, I told him to forget it and just get me a single sink with an offset. Put in a cabinet under the sink and a single drawer under the other side and she has a sit down vanity to do her hair and makeup. She was never going to let me in there anyway. She is much happier than she would have been with a useless second sink.
I agree that I wouldn't like
I agree that I wouldn't like that set-up at all as most people don't keep their closets very neat and who wants to walk through a mess a couple of times per day?
I disagree to some extent. Often (although admitedly not always) using the bathroom involves changing clothes ... you get up, take off your jammies and take a shower, then get dressed. To me it makes some perfect sense to 'go through the closet'. But your point is well taken and many people may keep their closets messy and wouldn't want to walk through it.
Personally I always wanted to put the closet at the mud rooms, but could never figure out a way to practically apply that concept (maybe a mud room that opens to everyone's closet) that then goes to everyone's bedroom ... way to weird. Keeps me thinking outside the box, though.
The 7 ft seems a reasonable minimum. Dead end closets might get away w/ 6 feet (2 ft each side for clothes and 2 ft standing room) ... they aren't passageways ... which adds another element to consider. You want the passage way to be comfortable and the intent may be to stop and change/dress on the way through. You want it wide enough, but not so wide that you feel like you just wasted space. I'm going to say 7 ft. MAYBE e.g. 7'4". It also depends on the length. Longer may warrant a bit wider. Personally (and knowing NOTHING about your specifics/client), I'd think 4 ft would generally be to wide in the center (8 ft total).
Thanks everybody for your ideas. I'm going to make it 7' wide and 7'long with a dead end. The passageway to the bath will actually be seperate from the closet .The lady of the house seems excited and it looks good to me also. Thanks for helping me "dial-it-in"
Great article on this, with diagrams, options, etc., in Fine Homebuilding sometime in the last couple years.
You are a subscriber, aren't you?
If not, most libraries in the large metro areas have all those back issues up in the periodicals stacks.