Homemade in Room Closet for a Bedroom
No matter how many closets were built into your house, chances are you still do not have enough. There are always too many suits or too many dresses, and not enough seasonal storage space. This is especially true in bedrooms. But there is almost always some hard-to-use spot where you could build your own closet. It really is not difficult to do, and it will help you get organized. Does this Spark an idea?
Basics
When you build your new bedroom closet, you have a choice: You can build a free-standing unit or you can secure it to the walls as a built-in unit. Built-ins have the advantage of providing more space, but free-standing units can be moved around if your needs change and even be moved to another house if necessary.
In either case, your closet will contain (at minimum) a clothes pole and probably an overhead shelf. It will be at least two feet deep; anything less will be too shallow for large items like coats.
And you will be able to finish the outside of both types however you choose. While units with a lot of wood can be stained, many builders prefer to use paint or wall coverings.
Free-Standing
Free-standing closets are just big boxes, typically made from plywood or MDF and set on a base of 2 x 4s to raise them slightly off the floor. The door on the front can be just a flat panel door or you may decide to make it with enough depth that you can store things within it. One way to do this is to simply build shelves on the inside of the door--essentially creating a bookcase on hinges--and then adding rods or slats to keep things from falling out. Doors like this, which will weigh a lot even without a load, are best mounted with piano hinges; heavy-duty regular hinges work well for standard doors.
These closets are also often lined with cedar. This helps keep moths away from the clothes inside.
You can also convert existing cabinets into free-standing closets, no matter what they were used for originally, as long as they are big enough. Recycling furnishings like this can save you a lot of money and give you a unique storage unit as well.
Built-In
Built-ins take much less material to build than free-standing units because they use the existing walls in their construction. You frame out the remaining walls, and you can use wider stud spacing if you prefer since these are not support walls. You can either cover the inside walls with drywall, or you can leave the studs open and utilize them when building your storage systems inside.
Speaking of storage systems, built-ins give you the added advantage of using a commercial storage system or building your own. You can use the one that best fits your time, budget and storage needs.
Do not forget about interior lighting for your built-in. You can have electrical wiring run into your closet, use a plug-in lamp if there is an easily accessed socket inside, or you can use one of the inexpensive battery-powered lights now available.
Tags: your closet, build your, building your, Closet Bedroom, free-standing units, Homemade Room, Homemade Room Closet