Getting the most out of a small bedroom closet can be a challenge in spatial recognition akin to playing a game of Tetris. So what if you discovered that you could expand your small closet to create a big, walk-in with enough room for even the most avid shoe buyer's collection?
I am stuck with one small closet that I share with my husband so when I saw this post detailing the expansion of a closet over at Life in the Fun Lane I was insanely jealous! That is, I was jealous of the amount of space they gained ... but not of the amount of time and work that went into the project.
It all started simply enough for Holly and Sean. Their original plan for this bedroom closet was to install hardwood flooring and reconfigure the hanging bars and call it a day. Then, Sean discovered that there was wasted space behind the closet and in the blink of an eye the expansion project began. As you can see in the rendering below, they couple tripled the amount of closet space in their bedroom.
As insanely jealous as I am over the amount of space in their new closet, I do not envy the work. Not surprisingly, the project kicked up a lot of dust. And then there was the little matter of falling through the fall and into the kitchen! Eek!
Check out the full posts about this closet expansion, including a detailed description of all the work, over at Life in the Fun Lane: Part 1 and Part 2.
Images: Life in the Fun Lane
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how do you just not know that there's a whole entire room hidden in your house?
That's a common dream, funny that it actually happened to somebody.
The new space is under the roof line. Lots of times, rooms and closets are only framed to the full height space, but often if you have a steeply sloped roof, there is more space with a lower ceiling to be had.
"falling through the fall and into the kitchen"
What does this mean, exactly?
Her name is Holly.....not Molly....
OMG! I had to look twice to see what they'd actually done! That's just fabulous! Add a skylight and that's a great secret escape quiet place!
oh crayfish, your username is is as sour as your comment...
crayfish and thorndale - I do not agree. Clothes go in and out of fashion (and also depending on the season) so just because there is something that you do not wear frequently today doesnt mean you wont be wearing it in a year. Better to save than constantly buy new things and throwing away the old.
Also, where I live, the seasons are quite different and it kind of requires a completely different wardrobe for summer than winter. Not just clothes, but jackets, shoes etc.
Some are fine with the consumption-thing - buying new things and throwing away the old - but I prefer to save and re-use and I have found that even though I sometimes have to store things for a couple of years, I will eventually wear them again.
I'm a big fan of the store and re-wear too! The majority of clothes I've tossed, I wished I hadn't. It's not because I'm a horder, but yes, buying new things all the time to replace the old, stinks. Also hand-washing and line drying really extends the life of your clothes if you have the time and patience for it.
And man oh man If we could discover a hidden room in our place...that would be disco.
-anna
at the chateau
RE the purging of the clothes comment...as someone who occasionally purges, but still has a lot of clothes and shoes, I really don't appreciate people telling me how to handle my wardrobe. I love fashion and hate getting rid of my clothes, shoes and purses. It's my thing..so what?
I don't walk into peoples' homes and berate them about 60" TVs, ipads and other things I deem useless. You know why? Not my money, my home nor my decision.
I love the new closet! Great job!
It looks great! I love the floors. My parents and grandparents both have homes with lots of unused crawl space, so I think it's great somebody is using theirs. I'd love to see it will all your stuff!
My only complaint is describing their original closet as "small"... definitely not a small closet haha
That is amazing! I can't believe there was all that wasted space!
This could never happen in my boxy, cement block, post-war tract home where every square foot is accounted for, but it's a fun fantasy. If I were in this position, then I'd be tempted to make the newly accessed space a secret room accessible only through a secret door in the back of the closet.
I'm doing this!
As soon as my neighbor dies or moves out, I'm knocking a hole in my bedroom and taking over the next apartment's 2nd bedroom for my new walk-in closet!
(I hope the landlord doesn't notice that the other apartment is missing a bedroom...)
;-)
@YoNella: "falling through the fall and into the kitchen" What does this mean, exactly?
I expect it's a normal human typo: read "wall" for "fall".
I have a walk-in closet and it's pretty full, since I buy most of my wardrobe at thrift shops so I can afford to get a lot of fun clothes. I really wear the majority of things, but there are some things I just love even though I don't actually wear them much (like that yummy blue velvet vest.) I DO purge twice a year, offloading mistakes, things that don't fit, things not worth mending, etc.
But some of us like having choices. When I no longer have to dress for work, I might pare down to a few fun outfits and mostly blue jeans and T shirts, but for now, there is more to my life than that. Wardrobe contents are a very personal thing. Some can make do with very little, others enjoy more. No judgments required.
This is a fantastic idea.I checked out their blog too.Very nice ideas.Lovely 'real' home.I also like how honest they are about the time taken to complete a reno.I have spent about 3 summers doing basic construction.I have yet to finish a room with paint and accessories.I wanted to live in it first before nailing down the decor.This year,after building my own closet in the bedroom,I should be finished.Then I start downstairs.Save me from myself! lol
First, that renovation gives new meaning to the word, FABULOUS!
Second, what a fantastic credo to live by: "Life in the fun lane!"
OP, I like your style!
wow. If the before is considered a "small closet", then they haven't been to my house (or any house built over 50 years ago). I only dream of finding space like that. Alas there is none to be had
Wow beautiful.. we have so much "wasted space" in my house but the ceilings in the mini rooms are so low! and just to put it out there you can never have enough clothes : P
I'm in love with that floor! Beautiful.
I try to do as crayfish recommended but I still have a lot of items, as someone else said, its my thing. I love fashion and worked for Prada for ten years. There are some shoes that I don't wear much because of my change in city/lifestyle but that I continue to keep because its reminiscent of a particular season or its an iconic piece. That said, I have purged a ton. But my well edited (its all relevant, right) collection still fills up a 6 x 11 walk in closet.
But I'm pretty minimal on other things, not much of a collector on anything else that doesn't also serve a purpose or have a use, never owned a wii/xbox/atari in my life and much prefer the "cloud" for movies/music.
I love "Life in the Fun Lane"! I've followed the blog for a long time. And I also love seeing wasted spaces put to good use. So many people might never realize they had all that extra space beneath the sloped roof. Sometimes you don't need to buy bigger, you just need to be smarter. Unfortunately, it only took about a week to discover every nook and cranny in my small rental.
Oh, okay. I see...
If I ever happen to discover some unused space in my house that was walled over during the original construction and am in need of more storage space, I should not try to turn it into any sort of usable space, but instead just get rid of some of my stuff
I'll have to keep that in mind.
All closets look great when they are empty! Best tip I got is to recycle one item whenever you buy a new one.
ahhh my biggest dream! Love the dark wood accented by the plain walls.
http://lolavidaclothing.blogspot.com/
This reminds me of how some people open walls and install shelves between studs for additional storage in bathrooms or other tight quarters.
The post at Life in the Fun Lane mentions falling through the ceiling (not a wall).
Even their "before" closet is gigantic compared to the one in my 1969 condo, but if I had a bigger closet, I'd probably just fill it up with more stuff; it's safer for me to keep a little one!
Eh to the naysayers. Just think about the resale value!
Obviously hoarding is not ideal, but I believe in a collection of beautiful fashion pieces. Many pieces I own have been carefully selected over the years and are investment pieces (sometimes actually appreciating in value, like a stock). There's absolutely nothing wrong about wanting a lovely closet to display your collection.
For many people, including me, space is a valuable limited resource. It's smart to find it and use it well. Some people would make the accessed area a hidden safe for firearms, furs, gold, cash, or smallish contraband. I don't have those things, but daydream of a dark, quiet, cool, private sleeping space.
P.S. Daydreams aside, what I'd probably do is build out a larger closet like the homeowners did. I'd store in the back rarely used or seasonal things ordinarily stored in an attic, basement, or garage, none of which my home has. They'd include empty luggage, boxed holiday decorations and gift wrap supplies, and off-season clothing.
I like what they did. I'm also thinking about how neat it would be if there was a hinged bookshelf (hidden door) between the old closet and new closet. More storage and a secret room. I've always wanted one of those.
Jealous! What a fabulous use of available space, and I'm sure totally worth the time and effort.
The after doesn't count till I see all the stuff put in the closet