Planning The Storage Closet — My Preliminary Ideas
I had hoped to have the studio bathroom wallpaper completely finished by the time I went to bed last night so that I could show you today, but that didn’t happen. I’ve made good progress, but let me just tell you that the wallpaper I’m using in that bathroom is the most difficult wallpaper I’ve ever installed. The difficulty is because of the design, but I’ll share more details on that when I finish the wallpaper and share it with you. So I’ll need another day to finish that up. But in the meantime, while I’m working in the bathroom, my mind is already planning my next project — the storage closet in our bedroom suite.
If you’ve been reading and following along on my projects, you already know that our guest bathroom is in our master bedroom suite. That’s very awkward, and obviously, we can’t keep that layout. So that bathroom is going to be turned into a much-needed storage closet where I can store Matt’s equipment (power wheelchair, shower wheelchair, and Hoyer lift) when he’s not using them. So all of the current bathroom fixtures will have to be taken out to make room for storage.
The bathroom that I’m talking about is behind these double doors in the bedroom suite foyer.
That bathroom used to look like this, and it’s been our main guest bathroom the entire time we’ve lived in this house (since 2013).
It looks a little different now. I had a new countertop installed a couple of years ago. And at one time a while back, I was planning a bathroom makeover, so I took the colorful shower curtain down. But for the most part, it still looks the same today, and it’s still being used as our guest bathroom. For the foreseeable future, my studio bathroom will be our one and only guest bathroom (as soon as it’s finished), and then I’ll be able to remove everything from this bathroom to turn it into a storage room.
I’ve had all kinds of lofty ideas about how I want this room to look and function, but the one thing I’ve never done until now is sit down and make a list of everything I want and need to put into this room and then try to come up with a solid plan of action. I’ve had lofty ideas of having a utility sink, lots of cabinet storage, and of course, our hot water heater needs to go in here. I’d also like for the cats’ litter box, food, and water to be in here.
But when I sat down and actually started planning the room layout, I realized very quickly that just how small this room is. The whole room is only 93″ x 88.5″. That’s 7′ 9″ x 7′ 4.5″. That’s pretty small. And once I put a hot water heater (even if it’s tankless), a Hoyer lift, a shower wheelchair, a power wheelchair, and a utility sink in there, that will leave almost no room for actual storage. So something has to go, and obviously, that thing has to be the utility sink.
I’m a little disappointed, but it’s fine. To be honest, I haven’t really had a need for a utility sink. I just thought it would be handy to have one. But unfortunately, I have no room for things that aren’t necessities.
After taking the measurements and coming to the realization that this room has to be a “necessities only” area, I started thinking about what kind of storage I want in here. I would like one full wall to be a storage area with shelves and drawers, and then the other wall will be for Matt’s equipment with shelves above them going the whole length of the wall. And then I’m hoping that our tankless hot water heater can be installed in the center of the wall opposite the door.
For the one storage wall, my first thought was to try out IKEA Pax wardrobes. That would be so much easier and faster than building from scratch. On one wall, I could fit two of the widest units with about 14 inches between them where I could add more shelves.
While I’d love the ease of just purchasing something that can be put together quickly, I don’t think this will work because of the door placement in the room. Here’s a layout of the room…
The wall where I want to put the storage is the wall to the right of the door in the layout above. On that wall, I only have 21.5″ of space between the wall and the trim on the door. The IKEA Pax wardrobes only come in two depths. One is 22 7/8″ deep, which is too deep for that space. The other is 13 3/4″ deep, which will leave too much wasted space. I want to utilize every inch of space that’s available for storage, especially since I want drawers in there, so I want the drawer storage to be every bit of those 21 inches of available depth.
So it’s looking like I’ll be building from scratch. Again, that’s another disappointment because I wanted this to be as simple as possible. But I don’t want to sacrifice storage space just to make things easy. Since this is our forever home, I want to get this right.
I have a lot more to think through before I’m ready to commit to a definite plan or even a definite layout for the room, but at least now I know for sure that (1) there’s no room for a utility sink, and (2) I need to gear up for a custom build for the room. I also need to think through every single thing I plan to store in here and make sure that there’s a place for everything. That includes things like my vacuum cleaner, carpet cleaner, power mop, cleaning supplies, etc. All of that really needs to go in here, and I want to take my time to plan this out just right so that everything has a place. I’m learning very quickly that designing small spaces is actually way more challenging than I thought it would be when maximum utility and maximum storage is the goal.
I’m really excited about this project, though. If I’m being totally honest, I’m way more excited about this storage room than I am about my studio bathroom. We’ve lived in this house for so long without adequate storage, and I dream of a day when everything has a place and everything can be stored away properly. My walk-in closet was a huge step towards that goal, and this storage closet will be another huge step towards that goal. I want to get it right.
Anyway, I’m really hoping to get the wallpaper in the studio bathroom finished up today so that I can show you the progress tomorrow. I’ll also share the details on why this wallpaper has been the most difficult to install. What I thought would be a two-day process has now become a four-day process. At one point yesterday, I was almost ready to throw in the towel, but rather than rip it all down, I decided to stop, sleep on it, and look at it with fresh eyes and renewed energy this morning. So today, I’m plowing ahead, and I think I can get it finished today. More details on that tomorrow (hopefully).
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
It looks like you have a little more space on the other side of the door. Isn’t it possible to put the cabinets on that side?
I never hesitated to cut the depth of an ikea pax. For an inch and a half I think it’s still through the frame of particle board that’s keeping the panel rigid. It’s possible to cut only the cupboard that’s near the door and keep the other one at the standard depth in order to accommodate drawers.
Just an idea that flashed through my mind.
That’s wha I’d do. Or take the trim off that side of the door and re trim it after the boxes are in place. For such a small amount, there’s gotta be a way.
Can your vacuum cleaner, carpet cleaner, power mop, cleaning supplies, etc., be stored in your studio closet? That may give you room for a utility sink in the storage closet in the bedroom suite.
Ikea Pax has more options for “depth” they have a 16 7/8″ Pax/Auli cabinets and a 19 5/8″ depth Pax/Fardal series. They also have other shelving possibilities other than Pax you might want to look at.
Would you be able to put a pocket door in here?
You’ve talked before about building storage on either side of the pantry doors in the dining room. Could that be storage for your vacuum, mop, etc so they don’t have to steal space from this room?
Could your water heater go in the closet with the furnace?
If you put in the deepest shells possible on the right side in the diagram above, will you have enough room to maneuver those three pieces of equipment in and out easily? What about putting the shelves on both sides but only at the back half. Giving you more width near the front of the closet? And when it comes to estimating how long something will take, I now always double my original estimate. Between project issues that arise during the work, and life, jumping in the way, I never get things done in the original 2 to 8 hours, or whatever, I originally estimate. So when you said Friday, you hoped to show us a complete completed room today, I’m mentally added two days to your estimate. 😆
Is there enough wall space to change your doors to pocket doors? From the pictures it looks like there is enough space and those walls shouldn’t have any structure necessary for support. I think you could install the “pockets” from the bath/storage room side once all the room is cleaned out. And pocket doors might be easier to deal with when moving equipment in and out.
I love your idea to maximize storage and for everything to have a place. One thing to note, from someone who has been through a major declutter and downsizing, don’t be too exact.
For instance, having a spot where you vacuum can live is great. But at some point you’ll need to replace your vacuum and if the space is too custom sized for this vacuum, you may have way too much or worse, not enough space for the new version. This is just an example, but I wish I had a little bit more flex storage.
This past summer, we had a leak in the bathroom off our bedroom and we didn’t know for literally weeks. In that time the floor of our adjacent walk-in closet rotted and got moldy. Finding somewhere to store everything from our closet for the weeks it took to remediate and repair was a struggle. All the storage in the house already has a dedicated use which is great, day to day. My clothes ended up lounging across the guest bed and my husband’s on the couch in the den.
Of course, I’m scarred slightly from our experience :), and hope for only the best for you as you move forward on your forever house.
Kristi, I am sure you have thought about manuverability within this small space but since you haven’t mentioned it, I thought I would ask out of curiosity. You mention about having static places for these three big items that take up space. That is fine if they don’t have to move, but what happens when you have to move the wheelchair to get to the Hoyer lift? Is your plan to to move one big item into the foyer to get to a different big item, move that big item into the foyer and then put the first back? I know the Hoyer lift and power wheelchair are not small, but wondering if the showerchair is collapsible to help make this easier? Truly no critique here, so I hope the questions don’t come off like that. I know you will make this work in the best way possible to fit your space and your needs due to your unlimited creativity and talent! When you get to the point you are truly working on the storage closet, maybe you can add a pic of the layout with rough dimensions of the items? For those followers who need more in-depth visuals. 🙂 Thanks for all your inspiration!
It seems to me that storing your big items is the priority and accessing drawers and cabinets will require awkward maneuvering around the big items. You have amazing storage in your studio and closet, and have yet to tackle the workshop storage.
Consider what you plan to store beyond the large items and see if there is an alternative area for those.
I love it when a plan comes together as the saying goes. And sometimes the planning is the hardest part of a construction project. I’m with you on how hard it is to work with small spaces; it was what I did for 27 years as an Army spouse. I love now that we are in our forever home, but we did not get a big house, far from it, so making storage places in it has been challenging to say the least. I am taking notes now to see how you manage this space. Looking forward to seeing the end result and the ride along the way too.
Cheers to you, Matt, and the Fur Babies!
I so loved that bathroom and I’m sad to see it go.
I understand 100%, but still it’s just so nice.
I’m a little confused about the storage room; can you do one of those computer mock ups on where stuff will go?
I would definitely trim the Pax! I did it with Hemnes cabinets for our entryway and it was easy peasy.
Also, if you trimmed just a little off the width as well, we have this tiny utility sink in our tiny mud room – only 15.5” wide. We love it – small footprint, with drawers, good flexible faucet, and a few enough sink to not really splatter.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Transolid-All-in-One-15-5-in-x-22-4-in-x-34-9-in-Metal-Drop-In-Laundry-Utility-Sink-and-Cabinet-in-White-TC2D-1522-W/315516300
Is there any reason you can’t take the trim off the interior door? If it were me, I’d opt for more storage space and quicker build with the Pax, and reinstall the trim after with something smaller.
I too have thought about Matt’s equipment needs. Can the shower chair stay in the master bathroom, can the hoyer lift stay in bedroom?? You can store when you have company coming and want to show off your house. Can the wheelchair stay by Matt while he is up during day. I really don’t know how often during the day that you have to maneuver these items so my thoughts may be way off base.