Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t fit all of your clothing and belongings into a small closet—especially if you live somewhere like our neighbors in Chantilly, VA, with colonial-style homes that are, yes, charming, but also a bit reserved when it comes to closet space.

If this is the case, it may be time to create a new walk-in closet for your master bedroom—or expand your existing reach-in closet—to make more room for your items.

When you’re in areas like Chantilly, VA, with charming colonial-style homes, you’ll be glad to know some tips for adding a walk-in closet to your master bedroom, as well as ways to maximize space in your existing closets. Here’s more:

Tips for Adding a Walk-In Closet to Your Master Bedroom

First, determine if you currently have a room appropriate for adding a walk-in closet to your master bedroom—ideally, an adjoining or neighboring room. If not, you may need to know how to maximize space in an existing reach-in reach-in closet in the hall or bedroom.

Next, we’ll cover tips for adding a walk-in closet in an existing room. Then, we’ll discuss how to maximize space in an existing reach-in closet for those for whom that might be a better option.

Measure and Evaluate Your Space

Carefully measure the dimensions of your closet space and evaluate the shape of your closet to determine the best ways to add the walk-in and what components will fit best in this area. You may want to think about:

• An unused guest room that you simply don’t use that could be custom designed with key elements like shelving and cabinetry to become your nearby incredible walk-in closet for your master.

• A children’s bedroom that is no longer in use because your child is now grown and moved out into a home of their own.

• A large bathroom that could be easily reduced with the right help and turned into a larger master closet.

• You could even consider transforming an attic into a walk-in closet above your master bedroom. Hanging rods and dovetail dressers work very well in these areas, as well as lower adjustable shelves for your shoes and upper shelves for foldable items like t-shirts.

You might just want to rearrange your existing master bedroom closet, or a closet under the stairs could very well become your new master closet where you can include full shoe shelving.

Now that you’ve determined the best room and evaluated your space, then you can review some ideas for the best closet components for your master.

Best Closet Components Ideas

When selecting your best closet components, there are several key elements that add special touches and organizational help depending on the shape and size of your closet.

Things like custom shelving, cabinetry, and dovetail dressers can work well when you’re adding a walk-in closet to your master bedroom. Here are a few ideas:

• Custom adjustable shelving units for when you have a narrow walk-in closet and need to fold some clothes.

• Chrome baskets and bins for organizing ensures that you have the help you need for miscellaneous items you want out of sight.

• Single or double hanging rods can help organize your hanging clothing how you like, either parallel to one another or in high and low spaces.

• Custom cabinetry ensures that you have a polished look in your walk-in closet especially when you include one with custom, glass-front doors.

• Islands or peninsulas work well when your walk-in closet is particularly large and wide, and provide excellent counter space for folding clothes. Including drawers can further help you organize your underwear, socks, belts, and other accessories.

• Dovetail dressers provide the right amount of extra drawer and organization space for your jewelry, scarves, and other items. These work especially well at the far end of your closet.

After you’ve chosen your best closet components and the ideas that best suit your individual master closet needs, then, you can evaluate add ons.

Evaluate Add Ons

When you’re an efficient dresser and like to keep everything neat and tidy, you may want to add some custom elements that make life easier.

Evaluate add-ons like:

• A built-in laundry hamper works like a charm for dropping in dirty clothing and hiding away laundry from full view.

• A valet rod offers a unique way to hold clothing that either needs to be pressed or is ready for wearing and keeping wrinkle-free for the next day.

• A wardrobe lift provides the help you need to reach high areas in your closet, offering efficient use of your closet space, and storing items like formal wear in these areas.

Once you’ve selected add ons, there are some final touches that can truly dress up your master closet that you may want to incorporate.

Final Touches that Add Panache

Sometimes a little extra lighting, an exquisite chandelier, or even a dressing bench can be exactly what you need when you’d like to add a little extra flair to your walk-in master bedroom closet.

Determine extras you hope to include in your new master bedroom like:

• LED lighting. This can add an element of intrigue to a new closet for your master so you can see in the closet just enough to grab items on the run or to show off to your guests as they first walk through your home.

• A chandelier or antique ceiling light. Few things say “luxury” quite like a glittering chandelier or romantic lighting emanating from a tasteful antique.

• A dressing bench helps create tranquility in your walk-in closet and comes in handy for putting your shoes on or as a place to rest for a moment while you dream up tomorrow’s ensemble.

If you simply don’t have a room that will work for adding a walk-in closet to your master bedroom, then you may need to maximize your existing reach-in closet space for storing more of your master bedroom items.

How to Maximize Space in an Existing Reach-in Closet

Upgrading or custom designing an existing reach-in closet is one of the simplest ways to add more storage for your master bedroom.

Most reach-in closets are 6 to 8 feet wide and about 24 inches deep. That means you have to truly maximize your space while transferring more of your master bedroom items like seasonal and special occasion clothing to an existing hall or nearby closet.

Custom shelving that is adjustable using metal tabs offers the ability to make high and low shelves at the perfect height to maximize your closet space. You can also add chrome hooks to the back of the door to help with hanging items like aprons and a snack caddy.

You can definitely make more room in your closet without knocking down walls. You may just have to contact a custom designer to help.

Finalizing Your New Walk-In Closet Space

Maybe you’re lucky enough to have an extra room that could be the walk-in closet of your dreams connected to or close to your master bedroom. Or, you may find that maximizing a current reach-in closet, and maybe transferring some items to another closet, will work out just as nicely.

Whatever the case, a custom designer can help you with evaluating your current space and creating a crystal-clear vision (via innovative CAD technology) of your new closet-to-be. Once you’ve found a layout and closet design options that work for you, the real work will begin—and you’ll get to sit back and watch as adding your perfect closet to a room is manufactured and installed for you, with no muss and no fuss.

Contact us—or feel to schedule a free design consultation today—to get started on maximizing your closet space and creating the walk-in custom closet experience you’ve been waiting for.