Black and white photo of an empty walk-in closet with shelving and hanging rods. Text overlay reads "A New Closet For A New Master Suite.
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A New Closet For A New Master Suite

ByLisa

Black and white photo of an empty walk-in closet with shelving and hanging rods. Text overlay reads "A New Closet For A New Master Suite.One major disadvantage of buying an older house is the size of the closets. Luckily, That 70s House did come with a small walk in closet in the master bedroom (technically the bathroom), but it is by no means comparable to the ones built today. This has been a major first world problem for me from day one.  Since we can’t change the size of the closet without sacrificing bedroom square footage, we are going to make it more efficient. This is what my closet looked like before the renovation began. And in case you didn’t catch that, this is not a shared closet. I love Barry more than anything, but I do not share closets. But not to worry, his closet will get a makeover at some point too 🙂A well-organized walk-in closet featuring hanging clothes, boots, and neatly arranged bags and accessories. Shelves on the sides hold shoes and purses, while a purple backpack rests on the floor.

This closet has many issues, but my first concern in here was shoe storage. Yes, I have A LOT of shoes, but let me explain. I have child sized feet. No seriously, your 7 year old probably has bigger feet than me. I wear between a 4-5 in women’s. True story. And if you know anything about women’s shoes, you know this is incredibly hard to find. Nordstrom is about the only place I can find shoes. Did you know they started as a shoe store? Anyway, since shoes are hard for me to find, I tend to buy a lot all at once because there are very few affordable brands that carry my size. And yes, technically I can wear kids shoes, but I LOVE high heels and they don’t normally make 4 inch stilettos for kids 🙂 So the cliff note version of this is, I have a lot of shoes. Which leads me to my closet need #1, more shoe storage.

The 2nd major challenge here, aside from size, is the placement of the door. It is smack dab in the middle and the remaining space on either side is not big enough to accommodate any closet systems, believe me I have looked. Below is the layout to help you visualize the space.Diagram of an original bathroom layout featuring a shower, toilet, vanity, half wall, and closet. Includes measurements, an area labeled "Extra Space Hidden Behind Shower," and a "Doorway w/ Full Wall" next to the closet.

So, I had a semi custom closet bid out with a popular retailer and the quote came in at $2,500! Call me crazy, but I think that is too much. It wasn’t anything fancy in my opinion and was a wire system not wood. The worst part was, it didn’t actually solve any of my space issues, it actually made them worse! Not to mention I really had my heart set on a wood system because they look much more high end and custom. But I was determined find a solution without breaking the bank.A small, empty walk-in closet with white walls and wooden trim. It features a shelf and rod on the right side, additional hooks on the walls, and a bare floor. The ceiling appears slightly slanted.

This daunting dilemma haunted me for quite some time. I knew the bathroom renovation was quickly approaching and the best time to rip apart my closet would be with the bathroom renovation. So I took a different approach. If I couldn’t change the closet systems without going 100% custom and spending thousands and thousands of dollars, maybe I should change the closet? More specifically, move the door. So I went back to my original wish list which was a PAX system from Ikea (you know I love me some Ikea!) I have always been fond of the PAX systems because they are so customizable! I spotted this one at my Ikea store when I was scoping out the options. Isn’t it dreamy?! Oh, and in case you are wondering, Ikea is not paying me for this, although they probably should 😉A spacious walk-in closet with neatly arranged clothes, shoes, and accessories on white shelves. A central island with drawers sits beneath a chandelier. Warm lighting highlights the room's organized, modern design.

Obviously, this closet is MUCH larger than what I am working with and completely out of the question. But seeing the options in person really helped me understand the components I wanted. I found if we moved the closet door over a few inches, one side of the closet could be all hanging clothes and the other side could be reserved for mostly shoes and a small section of shelves for folded items.Floor plan of a bathroom labeled "New Layout" featuring a shower with a seat, a toilet, a vanity with double sinks, and a closet. Measurements are shown: closet 61.5" x 59.5", with sections marked 14" and 23". Floor plan of a bathroom and closet layout. Features a shower with seat, a vanity with double sinks, and two barn doors. The closet includes sections for hanging clothes and shoe storage. "New Layout" is labeled in blue text.

In addition, I totally fell in love with these jewelry drawers!!!A white cabinet with red velvet-lined drawers displaying various necklaces and bracelets. Some drawers are partially open, revealing jewelry arranged neatly. One drawer holds smaller accessories, while others appear more sparsely filled.

With that, I was sold! The total of all the closet components I want is under $1,000 and I can customize the majority of it. Yes, moving the door over has a cost, but since we are already re-doing drywall with the renovation, this addition is very minimal and in no way compares to what we would spend on a 100% custom closet. In case you missed our progress on the bathroom, you can catch up on the design plan, demo day, and the progress here. I am so excited to be moving forward on this and CAN’T wait to have a new closet 🙂 Stick around to see how it goes! You can subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss a post and don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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