In many homes, closet space is a luxury. Thus, when it's time to find extra room for another closet, it can be difficult. While many people choose to renovate their home in order to create more closet space, many others look to the existing space to find room for additional storage. For some homeowners, taking a small bedroom and converting it into a walk-in closet often turns out to be the best decision. Yet while this is a very practical idea, deciding how to turn the bedroom into a closet can involve plenty of planning. If you've decided it's time to turn that small bedroom into the walk-in closet you've needed for years, here are some great design ideas being used in many of today's closets.
Interior Barn Doors
When it comes to your closet's access point, using an interior barn door can be a great choice. Made to slide quietly along a decorative rail, these doors offer a great way to close off a room without also closing off natural light. As an interior sliding door, it's a perfect solution for creating a walk-in closet. By using these sliding glass doors, you'll not only have plenty of natural light, but you'll also make the closet and the nearby master bedroom look bigger and brighter.
If you're not very eager to pull out a power drill and put hole after hole into your closet walls, consider purchasing some rolling racks to set along with your closet walls. A very efficient way to store clothing and other items, these racks are relatively inexpensive, yet stylish enough for almost any home. As an added storage space, if there is enough room available in the closet, you can turn two small dressers back-to-back, creating a storage island
Wire Shelving
When it's time to install shelving in your walk-in closet, wire shelving is a practical, affordable, and stylish option. In addition, it's very easy to install, making it a great DIY project over a weekend. Used primarily for hanging clothes, the shelving can also be used for storing shoes, bed sheets, and other items that are always taking up extra space. However, when installing these shelves, be sure to put the supports in as many of the wall's studs as possible. Since the clothing and other items that will be on the shelves will be rather heavy, the shelves will fall off the walls if not properly secured.
Creating Your Own Boutique
Once you've decided to turn that small bedroom into the walk-in closet of your dreams, it's time to go all the way and create your own in-house boutique . For starters, find a small table that fits in well with the closet's decor, and use it to lay out clothes when choosing your outfit for work or dinner. Along with a table, take the credit card and head to the modern furniture store, where you can pick up an upholstered bench or chaise. Not only will these items take up additional space, but they will also give your closet that boutique looks you've always wanted. And of course, once you've got your table, bench, and chaise in place, buy a full-length mirror and place it on a nearby wall, so you'll be able to see how great you look.
Planning Tools
In many homes, the walk-in closet will be used by both the husband and wife, so you'll need to include some fixtures that will cater to a man's needs. One of the best is a valet rod, which can be used to lay out an outfit for the next day or for staging outfits for a business trip or vacation. Along with the valet rod, you can also include racks and trays designed for storing belts and ties. If you really want to go all-out, you can install racks and trays that spin or slide out, which will make efficient use of the closet space.
By incorporating these ideas as well as others into your walk-in closet, you're sure to create a closet that once you walk into, you may never want to leave. After all, once you walk through a set of beautiful sliding glass doors such as an interior barn door or other interior sliding doors, you'll wonder how this closet was ever nothing more than a small bedroom you rarely if ever used. Whether it's pulling out the valet rod to lay out the next day's outfit, installing rolling racks or wire shelving, or enjoying the natural light from your new sliding glass doors, you'll definitely have plenty of reasons to smile when you look around at your new surroundings. So no matter whether you make it a DIY project or hire a pro, turning that small bedroom into an amazing walk-in closet can be a labor of love.