Walk In Closets Are WOrth The Investment

Walk in closets are one of the most valued rooms when a home is bought or sold. Outside of the bathroom and kitchen, walk in closets provide a space for the home owner to be themselves and what defines them…on the outside, at least!

As a closet organizing and designing professional, I have to quasi-define what I would consider to be a walk in closet:
-at least four walls with minimum lengths of 66” - yes, there is a reason for this!
-open frame, sliding panels or mirrors, bi fold or other doorway
-height would likely be at least 7’ or it becomes too claustrophobic

The 66 inch minimum above is defined by the approximate 24 inches off the wall needed for clothes to hang properly. If you have two walls facing each other, and clothes hanging from each, 66 inches minus 48 inches leaves an 18 inch corridor to walk between. For most people, that will be just enough so you aren’t dragging against all of the clothes as you decide what to wear.

Personally, I prefer a door that is centered on one wall. That allows full use of three walls and, depending upon width, a pro might be able to add more just inside the right and left of the frame. There would also be no dead corners that are so prevalent in white wire installations.

Of course, the larger the closet the more flexible the design would be. I once had a walk in closet that was 19 feet along the back wall which was larger than the master bedroom! Of course, that particular master bedroom didn’t have any furniture other than the bed itself and a couple of nightstands. With the eighteen drawers, three clothes hampers, two tall stores behind doors, 26’ of double hang and glass doors above hutches, they did not need any bedroom furniture.

You should verify that the industry standard ¾ inch melamine will be used and it is NOT from a home improvement store. The big box stores usually have a low density fiber board which is how they keep the price down. Your problem is that the material will begin to warp within a few years. Then you will spend twice the amount, or more, to get back to square one. Just bite the bullet and, for 20 percent more, you will not have to worry about doing it all over again!

Walk in closets are a HUGE selling point and, if you are remodeling, are an inexpensive way to add value while de-cluttering the bedroom. Let you local custom closet professional, such as Tailored Living, provide you with ideas for your walk in closet or any other storage area in your home.

As always, you should contact your local Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau or a user feedback service such as Angie’s List to verify your contractor's reputation and quality of work. Though most closet firms are fairly reputable, even your city's licensing office may have record of their time in business or other facts.

Good luck with your design or call a closet professional to have them make it the most efficient space in your home!