You've seen them in the movies – the walk-in closet. They're awesome, and they make it feel like you live in a castle, a fancy hotel, or that you're in a mansion. But, many people don't have a walk-in. If you'd like to have one, you might be surprised at just how easy it is to make one from a spare bedroom.
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| Dreams and Designs: Transform Your Spare Room Into a Walk-In Closet |
Walk-Ins Work Best When The Room Is A Standard Size
The small rectangle with the rod just isn't working for most people anymore, including you. You need an actual room dedicated to your clothes. Most homeowner's insurance companies will cover rooms like these, but not always the contents of the room, like shelving units or custom items. This is where a home warranty can come in handy. Companies like http://www.choicehomewarranty.com often sell contracts with variable provisions that you can specify (or, they contain a bit of wiggle room in the contract design).
Once you have a basic plan for your closet laid out, it's time to get the room in order. The basic design of a walk-in closet demands that the room be rectangular or square in most cases.
Not Too Much Sun
Sun is good, but not in closets. Too much sun can actually fade clothes. That's not what you want. You want something that will be there for you and protect your valuables. You also want something that won't cast harsh shadows on you when you're getting dressed or putting on your makeup. Windows are also an obvious bad idea in the closet – you don't want people seeing you dress.
Wall-Mounted Vs. Floor Mounted
Both wall-mounted and floor-mounted units are good choices. They stand up equally well. The only difference is how they are mounted. Wall-mounted units are mounted primarily to the wall or hung on the wall with no floor support.
Floor-mounted sit on the floor. They, too, are often fixed to the wall, but they're primarily supported by the floor. They tend to look more like built-in cabinetry. The choice is up to you. There are no real wrong answers here. The benefit of the wall-mounted units is that you have space underneath them to put stuff. The benefit of the floor-mounted units is that you don't need to drill into a lot of studs for support and it'll give it an integrated look. So, do you want a “floating” wall system or a cabinet system. That's what you're really choosing between.
Looks Vs Budget
If you want to maximize space in your closet, you'll probably have to hire a professional, like California Closets or Elfa. Both of these companies are design-oriented companies. Of course, you can always check out the best designers in your area via Inc.com, the Yellow Pages, or Google.
It's going to cost you money if you hire a professional, but it will always yield the most efficient results if you just don't have any design skills. If you do, you can probably build a simple melamine system from a big-box store.
Katy Butler is an empty nester with lots of time on her hands. When she's not scraping or spackling, she's blogging about what she has learned in the process.
The small rectangle with the rod just isn't working for most people anymore, including you. You need an actual room dedicated to your clothes. Most homeowner's insurance companies will cover rooms like these, but not always the contents of the room, like shelving units or custom items. This is where a home warranty can come in handy. Companies like http://www.choicehomewarranty.com often sell contracts with variable provisions that you can specify (or, they contain a bit of wiggle room in the contract design).
Once you have a basic plan for your closet laid out, it's time to get the room in order. The basic design of a walk-in closet demands that the room be rectangular or square in most cases.
Not Too Much Sun
Sun is good, but not in closets. Too much sun can actually fade clothes. That's not what you want. You want something that will be there for you and protect your valuables. You also want something that won't cast harsh shadows on you when you're getting dressed or putting on your makeup. Windows are also an obvious bad idea in the closet – you don't want people seeing you dress.
Wall-Mounted Vs. Floor Mounted
Both wall-mounted and floor-mounted units are good choices. They stand up equally well. The only difference is how they are mounted. Wall-mounted units are mounted primarily to the wall or hung on the wall with no floor support.
Floor-mounted sit on the floor. They, too, are often fixed to the wall, but they're primarily supported by the floor. They tend to look more like built-in cabinetry. The choice is up to you. There are no real wrong answers here. The benefit of the wall-mounted units is that you have space underneath them to put stuff. The benefit of the floor-mounted units is that you don't need to drill into a lot of studs for support and it'll give it an integrated look. So, do you want a “floating” wall system or a cabinet system. That's what you're really choosing between.
Looks Vs Budget
If you want to maximize space in your closet, you'll probably have to hire a professional, like California Closets or Elfa. Both of these companies are design-oriented companies. Of course, you can always check out the best designers in your area via Inc.com, the Yellow Pages, or Google.
It's going to cost you money if you hire a professional, but it will always yield the most efficient results if you just don't have any design skills. If you do, you can probably build a simple melamine system from a big-box store.
Katy Butler is an empty nester with lots of time on her hands. When she's not scraping or spackling, she's blogging about what she has learned in the process.
