Walk-in closet
space depends on individual needs and use.
A walk-in closet expands the space available in your room for storing clothes and other items like camping gear. These closets also provide a private dressing area. If you plan to build or design a walk-in closet, you'll need to know how wide to make it. No set rules exist, but a few guidelines will help you decide. Does this Spark an idea?
Minimum Width for Walk-Ins
When designing a walk-in closet, you'll need to create enough space to actually walk into the closet. Normally, people need between 30 and 36 inches to comfortably walk around, which is open space with no shelving or clothing racks. Walking room must be added to whatever space is allocated for the shelves, racks and other items installed inside the closet. This minimum distance is increased if the individual wants more walking space or needs additional space for any other reason.
Shelving and Clothing Space
In a walk-in closet, the main shelving units take up at least 2 feet of interior space to allow for garments to hang from a rod without contacting any other surface. The 2 feet begins at the side wall and extends into the center of the closet, adding a full 2 feet onto your final width of the closet. So, if you plan to design a walk-in from scratch, add 2 feet for the shelving and 3 feet for the walking area, which gives you a measurement of at least 5 feet to begin with.
Home and Bedroom Sizes
In some cases, expanding the size of the closet makes sense. When the home is very large and offers additional space for building a larger closet, expanding the width of your walk-in is easier. Larger master bedrooms have plenty of space to spare, so making the closet 8-feet wide or even 10 -feet wide is not an issue. You should balance your needs with the space available. Enlarging the closet shrinks the size of the bedroom in most cases. So find a happy medium that provides enough storage space and living space.
Making the Most of the Space
When you plan the width of your walk -in closet, take into account the number of clothes and storage shelving needed for whoever is using the closet. Most people use about 4 feet worth of closet rod space to hang all their clothing. In a walk-in closet, stacking rods one on top of the other affords twice the hanging space in the same area. One 4-foot section of the closet holds enough rod space for two people, which might not be enough for everyone. Determine how much space is needed for your clothing, and add areas to install shelves and drawers alongside the hanging areas for sweaters, socks and undershirts.
Tags: walk-in closet, additional space, closet need, closet space, design walk-in
