Bedroom closets conform to a few standard sizing guidelines.
While there is no legal size for a closet in a bedroom, there are some typical sizes to consider. There are also some definite standards to follow and guidelines to keep in mind. If you are planning a new room in a home, or redesigning an old home, these sizes, standards and guidelines will help. Does this Spark an idea?
Closet Depth
The first consideration to make when choosing a closet size is the depth. This dictates how much storage space is available in the closet just as much as the length does. The depth is the measurement from the interior walls in front to the interior walls in back. It does not account for the width of the interior walls, which is about four inches. Usually, the depth of a standard closet is at least 24 inches to provide room to hang clothing on a closet rod. Depths up to 27 inches are typical as well, and provide a few extra inches for storage below the rod on the floor.
Closet Height
Sizing up the closet height is another simple matter. The height of any interior closet is usually the height of the ceiling in the room, because the closet is created by installing a floor-to-ceiling framing wall in one section of the room. Using the ceiling height as the interior height simply makes the closet construction easier. There is no reason to make it lower, and it is very difficult, because of the ceiling joists and construction, to make it any higher. In most homes, this is eight feet. In luxury homes and condos, the ceiling height is nine feet.
Closet Width
The width of the closet is variable and ranges from three feet to ten feet. The width depends on two factors. The first is the size of the room and its interior walls. Closets tend to be built into one wall and may extend the entire width of the wall, or a portion of it. It also depends on your storage needs. Wider closets provide more room for shelving and closet rods to hang up your clothes, for instance. Making a wider closet will reduce living space, and it also reduces floor space for furniture, as chairs or desks may not be placed in front of a closet door. Unless the closet is a walk-in, it must have doors running the entire width of the closet to allow access to the clothing inside.
Special Dimensions
Walk-in closets have special dimensions because they provide a different means of access. A walk-in closet may have one smaller door through which someone enters the closet. This means less wall space is taken up with a door, and the closet is less intrusive in terms of living space inside the room. A desk or chair may be placed along the closet wall, as long as it doesn't block the small doorway. Walk-ins therefore have a large range of dimensions. On the smaller end, they are at least five feet square, which grants three feet of open walking space, and two feet of clothes hanging space along one wall. They may be up to 12 feet wide or larger, depending on the home size.
Tags: interior walls, ceiling height, entire width, height interior, living space, three feet
