Walk in Closet Fallout

[Michael Todrin]

I just finished a large walk in closet for a client. This is one side of a 16x7 closet. The clients were happy but the general feeling in MY house was one of sorrow. In our old farmhouse we would have to lose a bedroom to gain such a closet and that is unfortunately impossible.

One drawer handle came in the wrong size, which is why it is missing in the second photo. Sorry for the glare and the sideways photos.
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So, to assuage feelings I built this. Not quite a walk in but a built in set of Cedar drawers got some smiles. This was done in aromatic cedar to deter moths. Further reading has suggested that it does no such thing, which makes me a bit sad, because the half blind dovetails in the drawer would have been nicer to do in a less brittle wood. Carcase and drawer blades in 3/4 ply, drawer and face frame aromatic cedar.
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[Jim Becker]

That's a pretty kewel piece...and a great way to add more storage for sure. (Nice work on the client project, too)

As an aside, when I was doing the initially designs for our home addition back in 2007 which would include a master suite, I knew that we would want and appreciate a large, walk-in closet. But we also wanted lots of windows. The solution was to put the closet literally in the middle of the upstairs space and surround it with the bedroom and master bath. (plus my small office) We were able to keep the farmhouse feel but have the more modern amenities. Of course, this contrasts with the 250 year old portion of our home at the other end where bedrooms had zero closets. For that reason, an armoire I built a number of years ago serves as my older daughter's "closet" much in the manner that your new piece serves for storage in your own home.

[Michael Todrin]

That sounds like a nice design and use of space to put the closet in the middle. I definitely have some plans in my head for an addition to our place, mostly for closet and bathroom space to be honest. As you know the shoe-horning of bathrooms into a house built before indoor plumbing can be sub-optimal.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, there's no plumbing on the living levels of the 250 year old portion of our home and no sewer/septic even in the basement portion...just water supply (well comes in there and hot water system. So things like bathrooms don't occur until the middle section (1950s) starts. I've though about what it would take to put something the older area, but I don't believe it would be possible to get the required slope below the floor to be able to install a waste line.

The closet-in-the-middle thing came to me one evening when I was faddling with addition ideas in SketchUp and ended up being "the design". The architect (needed for the plans required by building/zoning) didn't have to do much at all with my design other than elegantly merging it with the existing structure so that roof lines made sense and were functional.

[Michael Todrin]

The shower in the old section of our house (only 130 years) is raised by about 8 inches for just that reason.

The old section and the 1950's section form an L with that section being only one story and the old section 2. The addition, were I to do it, would put the middle age section in the middle forming a C. So at least the roofline would be easy.

[William Fretwell]

The way you worked the grain on the drawer fronts is very cool, lots of visual appeal that will never get old.
i seem to remember just drawer bottoms being made of aromatic cedar because of the joint issues. The smell does fade but I can’t remember the last time I saw a moth holes in clothing!

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Nice work on both accounts. I love our walk-in closet, but wish we had more drawers and less shelves. The shelves require me to carefully place clothing, and I plan to move one hanging rack to the top (where there are now shelves) and put drawers below it. It's easier to put clothes in and take them out from a drawer. With the shelves I have to carefully dig for them and then try to get the stack neatly put back. Your solution for your own home is what I am wanting to do, just as soon as I find the time. (Which means it's not happening any time soon.)

Jim Becker, I understand your situation, as I live in an old home, but I love my two windows in my walk-in closet. I have always wanted a closet with a window, and now I have two big windows to let in light and provide a nice breeze through the closet.

[Jason Roehl]

Tip on the "glare": I can almost bet that is a fingerprint or sweat residue on your cellphone camera lens because you keep it in your pocket. Nice little project. I like the idea of walk-in closets, but when I was a pro painter, I dreaded them in new construction houses--so many holes to fill, so much sanding, and so much caulking for an out-of-sight room. And, it was always impossible to convey to the builders how much extra work it was when they could only think in terms of cost per square foot of floor space.

[Michael Todrin]

Thanks William, I really like how the fronts turned out. Since it is the only thing you can see once installed there was a great incentive to make it a showpiece. I did get some cedar oil for when the smell fades too.

[Michael Todrin]

I hear you on both counts Malcolm. If I had the time to do 1/10th of what I want to do...

As far as large walk in closets go, drawers are the only way to keep things neat and tidy. Unless you like re-stacking and folding all your laundry to make things neat and tidy. Neat, tidy and organized being the whole point of the walk in closet.

[Michael Todrin]

Thanks for the photography tip Jason, I am sure fingerprints and sweat were the most pleasant things on my camera lens that day. Didn't think to wipe it clean.

For this closet I used 25 4x8 sheets of plywood. If you think about the square footage that way there is more to paint than the much of the house.

[John Goodin]

I show my wife many of the great projects on this sight. I am sorry but for selfish reasons this will not be one of them. Don’t want to give her any ideas. Great work.

[Tom Bender]

Those light switches will be a nuisance behind the clothes. You can get remotes for them. Just replace the switches and stick the remotes anywhere. Other than the switch replacement there is no wiring.