Walk-in closets seem to have a magic all of their own; seeming to be bigger on the inside, not to mention making it a lot easier to reach everything, they add a sense of luxury to any bedroom — and you can create your own.
Creating your own walk-in closet is a lot easier than you might think, so if you’ve been imagining having a walk-in wardrobe in your room you can now plan how to make it into a reality in a few relatively easy steps.
Step 1 — Take stock
First you need to see what you want to store in the walk-in closet to make sure that the space you’ve selected will be large enough to accommodate everything. Go through your clothes, shoes, jewellery and other accessories and make a list of everything you are both keeping and want to keep in the new closet.
You can also now start to measure how much space you’ll need to hang items like pants, shirts, skirts, etc. Keep these measurements handy for step 2. Items like thick winter coats, woollens, etc. will need more space than, for instance, summer clothes, so keep that in mind as well when you take inventory of your items.
While you are doing this, move your clothes, etc. to a safe spot (for instance another room) where they won’t get dusty by accident while you’re building the closet. The last thing you’d want to do is rewash all your clothes before being able to wear them again!
Step 2 — Measure and draw up a plan
Measure the space you have available to put the walk-in closet in and start plotting the layout of the closet. For example, will your clothes hang left, right or on both sides? Where will your shoes go and where will you put drawers for your underwear? Keep convenience in mind when planning and, for example, don’t make the shelves that you will use every day too high to reach.
If you are in need of some inspiration — especially if your space is very limited — Pinterest is great place to look. There you will see the great ideas that people have come up with for their own spaces.
Once you’ve plotted the layout roughly it’s time to get serious and draw up a proper plan that you can build from. Remember to leave space for the door, light switch, etc. If you can, use a sliding door for your walk-in closet. This will save a lot of space in the long run.
Use a roll of painter’s tape to measure out all the measurements on the walls to make sure that you didn’t make a mistake and then you’re off to buy materials.
Step 3 — Your materials
It’s best to take a copy of your plan with you in case you need to double check it for measurements at any time. That way you’ll also be able to show the person at the hardware store what you’re looking for. They will be able to give you good advice regarding the building of the walk-in closet. The advice is especially helpful if you’re not an avid DIYer that does projects like this every weekend.
Step 4 — Before you start to build
Clean the whole space thoroughly before starting to builld you walk-in closet. Make sure that you have everything at hand that you will need before you start building the walk-in closet. If you’ve decided on using a modular walk-in closet design, you also need to make sure that you understand the process of putting these walk-ins closets together. You may also want to “phone a friend” at this time.
Step 5 — Four hands are better than two
Working with heavy pieces of wood is always easier when there’s two people to hold up the larger pieces and check that they are straight! It’s a good idea to explain to your friend the whole layout, etc. of the walk-in closet before starting to prep the boards. In this way they will understand the project better and be a help as you will be working toward a shared goal.
Step 6 — Time for some lighting
Unless your walk-in closet is going to be absolutely gigantic, you might not want to use a whole chandelier! Opt for a light fixture that you love but that will hug the ceiling and uses only one or two LED lightbulbs. And remember to switch of your home’s electricity before installing the new fixture!
Step 7 — Finishing touches
Painting the cupboards a bright pure shade of white will show off your clothes the best and you’ll only need a few coats of a good quality paint to get an even coverage that will give that professional, bespoke look.
Once they are fully dry you can start putting all your clothes and accessories away in their preplanned places. Then all you have to do is stand back and enjoy your handiwork and think how much stress it will save now that you know where everything is and being able to reach everything!
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