I Have My Closet Roadblocks Figured Out! (And NOW I’m Ready To Begin)

I’ve spent the last few days ruminating on the different issues I was facing with my closet/laundry room combo, going over all of your suggestions, brainstorming with my mom, tweaking the floor plan, and working to eliminate all of those roadblocks that were keeping me from jumping in with both feet and starting on our bedroom suite. And I’m thrilled to say that I have them all figured out!! And now that those roadblocks are out of the way, I feel very excited about getting started on this project. My plan is to work on cleaning up the area and finishing the doors today, and then hopefully starting on the floors tomorrow.

The first thing I did was make a slight change to the floor plan. The plan I had a week ago had two floor-to-ceiling cabinets built in front of the washer and dryer to separate the laundry area from the closet area like this…

In my final plan, I decided to eliminate those cabinets altogether. I realized that I didn’t really gain any storage space from them since the side cabinets are 20 inches deep, and those small cabinets sitting on the sides of the washer and dryer would only be 20 inches wide and 14 inches deep. So basically, I was giving up 14 linear inches of space from the 20-inch-deep closets on the side in order to gain 20 inches of linear space in those sections that were 14 inches deep. There’s no storage benefit in that, especially considering that I was creating even more awkward corner storage, which I like to avoid if possible.

So the new plan looks like this…

And even though I won’t be using IKEA Pax wardrobes for my closet, I decided to borrow from them (since those images are so easy to create using their wardrobe planner) and change the dimensions to fit my closet. So the details of my closet will look a little different as far as drawer faces, trim, etc., but I could at least use those to get the general layout. So when you walk into the room, the left side of the room will look something like this…

This side is where all of my hanging clothes will go. Each of the three clothing sections will be 46 inches wide. I’ll have one section on the far left for coats and long items like dresses with a few drawers. The middle section will all be for tops — one bar for long sleeve, one bar for short sleeve. And then the right section will be for pants and jeans. I want to be able to hang them full length so that I don’t have a crease where they fold over a hanger. And then all the way against the window wall will be the dryer with a hanging bar above it where I can hang clothes to dry.

The wall on the right side of the room will look something like this…

Again, each of the three larger sections will be 46 inches wide. The middle section will be the one with the drawers up to about 34 inches high, and then the section above will have the pretty wallpaper and mirror. I’ll probably add some pretty sconces there as well. And then the sections to the right and left of that will be all shelves. I love shoes and handbags, so my shoes will probably fill up one entire section. I’ll use the other section for my handbags, and then probably have some shelves left over for items like sweaters and other clothing that I don’t want to hang.

I really wanted to add some closed storage somewhere in the room, so those will go on the entry wall. Each section will be 30 inches wide, and I’ll put doors on those sections. The corner storage (where the X’s are) will be accessible in these sections, and I can store things in those corners that I don’t need to access regularly. The cabinet doors probably won’t look exactly like this, but this gives you an idea of what I’m talking about…

And then as far as the dresser that I’ll be building as an island in the middle of the room, which will be 72 inches long and 30 inches wide, I want to use this dresser from Grandin Road (affiliate link) as my inspiration.

Eliminating those two cabinets on the sides of the washer and dryer will make accessing the back of the dryer for hookup so much easier, so that solves one of the problems that was stressing me out.

And as far as worrying about leaks, I’m just going to make it as simple as possible. I’m going to put hardwood flooring throughout the entire room, and then I’ll put both appliances in a pan with a drain hose and put leak alarms on each appliance. (My dryer has a water connection for the steam function, so the dryer also has potential for leaks.) And then I’ll somehow disguise the pan with some trim that can be easily removed if and when the washer and/or dryer need to be pulled out for service.

And with that, I am READY TO START!!! I knew that I couldn’t start until these decisions were made, and I’m so glad that I gave myself time to figure them out. Had I jumped in and started on the project before I was ready, before I had the details figured out, and before I was in the right mindset to tackle such a huge project, I would have made mistakes. And these would have been costly mistakes–the kind that aren’t so fun to redo. But now, I feel like I have a clear vision, a solid plan, and I’m ready to get started. I’m so excited!!

 

 

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30 Comments

  1. So awesome. I knew you would figure it all out. I love the new plan, looks very user friendly and I cannot wait to see the end product.
    Cheers!

  2. Dear Kristi, will you be omitting the wall between your washer/dryer section and your clothes storage by omitting those two cupboards? I’m a bit concerned for your room climate/clothes storage if you do, as any humidity in the room will surely settle in the clothes and potentially give them mold oder the weaker form of it (“foxing”??). We were battling this only by drying our clothes in proximity to the wardrobes, not even having the washer/dryer close by. I hope you have this problem figured out as it would be a pity if you had to tweak this arrangement again (let alone having to fight the stains on your clothes). I’m looking forward as ever to watching you build your new rooms!

    1. I’ll be putting an exhaust vent in that area of the room. Someone in a previous post told me about an automatic exhaust vent that comes on automatically when humidity reaches a certain point. I’m looking into that option.

      1. I’m in a new-build home and both bathrooms have automatic exhaust fans that turn on automatically when is senses a certain level of humidity. It’s interesting, because even though I rarely use the guest bathroom, the automatic fan in there kicks on every now and then.

    2. I find myself a little puzzled by the concerns for humidity from some posters – there shouldn’t be any issues really. The dryer vents to the outside so even if Kristi uses the steam function (I didn’t bother hooking that up on my new dryer) any humid air won’t be circulating in the room. The washer is plumbed in and is closed while operating so humidity should be minimal there – limited to when you open the door to transfer damp clothes to the dryer.

      I have my washer and dryer in my entryway/mudroom and have had for 25 years. I’ve never experienced any humidity issues there.

      1. That’s what I thought, too. But since so many people have warned about humidity, I thought perhaps I was missing something. But I, too, am wondering where the humidity is going to come from. I have a pretty new washer and dryer, they’re plumbed and the doors have seals that work properly when they’re in use, and the dryer will be vented to the outside. So where does the humidity come from? I don’t get it, either. But there have been so many comments about humidity, so I just decided to give in and put a vent in there. I’d rather not, though.

  3. I’m surprised you aren’t putting in a laundry sink. Perhaps you’ve addressed that elsewhere. I live in a small apartment, and my washer/dryer is fairly close to both the bathroom and kitchen sinks – but tying either of them up on laundry day is still a pain when I’m also trying to do dishes and clean the bathroom.

  4. Are you concerned about “lint dust” on your clothing and shoes? I have lint partcicles floating around when I clean out the lint filter on my dryer.

    1. I’m not. I haven’t noticed a problem with that. Perhaps that’s because my washer and dryer are pretty new. Right now, my clothes are being stored right next to the washer and dryer, and I don’t have any problem with it.

  5. You could possibly add a 3/4” thick divider, kind of like a refrigerator cabinet if you don’t want to see the washer and dryer from the closet.

  6. I like the layout, I must of missed where you will have your shoe storage. I have seen a turn style that was floor to ceiling, for shoe storage. It was like a skinny Lazy Susan similar to ones used for corner storage in kitchens. It had dividers between each pair of shoes. The most worn shoes were at eye level. I would love to have a similar setup.

    1. I love that one! And they have the one that I want on their list, too. I’m sticking with the last one that I posted, but I’ll DIY something. I just can’t pay that much for a chandelier for a closet.

  7. We are excited too! I like your new plan because it covers just about everything you need to be able to store. Where will Matt’s clothes be? Where is your quiet reading space with the electrical outlet place covered up?

    Your workshop looks so cute so I’m glad you are moving on. What is your estimated time to actually finish the closet? Washer and dryer moved in and clothes transferred. Maybe 6 weeks? I have no idea, but I’d like to have a realistic itea from you.

    1. Matt doesn’t need any hanging storage, so the entire dresser in the bedroom will be his.
      The electrical panel is in the corner of the bedroom. I’ll be working on the closet first, and then do the bedroom second, and probably the vestibule last. That’s the plan right now, at least.
      I have no idea how long it’ll take, but I plan to work as fast as I can. I haven’t had a working dyer in over a month now, so I’m anxious to get the closet/laundry room finished ASAP. I’ll be working as fast as I can!

  8. Hi Kristi: I love the mock-up! So glad to see you got your layout configured to your liking and needs. It looks well thought-out. My only disappointment was that the gorgeous wallpaper had very little “floor space”. I know you have gone back and forth regarding the ceiling wallpaper but have you reconsidered also adding that wallpaper to the ceiling or maybe some wallpaper “inlay” to the cabinet faces? The wallpaper is so stunning but with the mirror covering it, it sadly almost looks like an afterthought. I look forward to seeing your process and the final room. So excited for you!!

    1. I’m going to wait and see how much I have leftover to decide how to use it. But I do plan to use as much of it as I can. So it’ll probably show up in at least one more place in the room.

      1. How about on the end wall above and around the window and washer and dryer? It would be pretty to see as you look into the room!

  9. I’m lucky enough to have 2 closets, a large one I have to share, and a smaller one all to myself. I’m here to warn you about the dust that’ll find it’s way into your closet. My small one has hanging space, some drawers. And tons of shelves for my shoes. The dust gets to every square inch except for the drawers. And it’s behind bifold doors in my dressing room! Which are kept closed!
    My larger closet has a full length cabinet, with seeded glass doors, which holds my handbag collection…no dust behind those doors. So take this info as a cautionary tale, and maybe consider some doors over some of your shelves. Good luck!

  10. I think the new plan will suit you perfectly. I had a question about the freestanding island. Is it possible to have the drawers be able to slide in both directions? So you could access from either side? Or does it make more sense to have shallower drawers for either side? I can’t wait to see how you build it! Thanks!