Walk-in closet.... Oh, every woman's dream.

For the longest time, I had crammed all of my clothes into a 3 ft x 3 ft x 8 ft-sized closet.... A closet which was really more appropriate for storing broom, mop and other household cleaning items. My closet space was SMALL. Even Harry Potter's room under the staircase is bigger than my closet. Ah, I wish I have a picture of it to show you. There was no way I was able to stuff all of my clothes into it and from very early on I pretty much maximized every inch of it. In addition to purging out unused old outfits regularly to make room for new additions, I also had to do the seasonal rotation thing; during winter time I'd put away all my tanktops, shorts, sheer short-sleeved items to make room for the heavy bulky winter coats. And come warmer weather, I'd vacuum-pack all the wool sweaters, down jackets, corduroy pants and hide these all the way under my bed.

Now I don't know about your personal experience, but when I watched Sex and The City movie I heard a collective gasp inside the theater when Big revealed his surprise custom-built walk-in closet to Carrie. It was definitely a moment.


Carrie's walk-in closet after she moved in with Big.


THE dream closet that Big custom-built for Carrie in their new penthouse apartment.


Carrie's closet in her own apartment.

It got me then thinking, after perusing loads of walk-in closet images online, how to go about putting a walk-in closet together. I'm thinking aloud here with my observations and considerations, I welcome your input/thoughts.

The basic components of a walk-in closet space are:

1. Hanging rods - single for longer dresses/coats, double for blouses/tops and pants/bottoms.

2. Some sort of shelving - for folded t-shirts and bags.

3. Standard drawers - for smaller items like belts, socks and lingerie.

4. Shoe rack system - don't forget to have taller compartments for boots.

5. Mirror (D'uh!!!) - read this, it's entertaining.

6. Lighting - there was a whole commentary before about the kind of lighting that's flattering inside public dressing rooms, so I'd think it's even more important in your personal dressing room, isn't it?

Fancier set-ups may include:

1. An island/countertop (if space allows) - the flat top of the island is useful for folding clothes.

"Today's luxurious closets feature custom cabinets and spacious islands similar to the quality and size found in many new kitchens. Whether you choose custom-built beauties like these, or more budget-conscious factory-built units, aim for a mixture of shelves and drawers so you can easily store different types of items. Also think about including an island or other flat surface where you can fold and stack clothes." (Remodeling Center)

2. Laundry basket - get an attractive one that can be displayed openly, else hide one behind a designated shelf with doors.

3. Shallow drawers - for jewelry and accessories.

4. Vanity - for displaying perfumes, body lotions, etc.

"Dressing areas in walk-in closets allow you to get ready in comfort without disturbing a partner snoozing in the master bedroom." (Remodeling Center)

5. Ottoman or Lounge Chair. Or any form of seating - ideally with a small footprint.

Have I missed anything out?

Now, my question is:

If you have a walk-in closet, will you choose to store your stuff behind individual wardrobe doors or leave everything proudly exposed/displayed?

DOORS
Pros: Neat, no one can see the mismatched hangers, or the about-to-explode shelves stacked with too many t-shirts. Coz you know you will maximize the space and keep adding clothes; showroom images are nice because there's breathing space between every hanger and other items have been organized according to color and size.
Cons: Feel kinda claustro, space may look dark, stuffy and confined.

WITHOUT DOORS
Pros: Feel like stepping into your own private boutique, glam-factor, damn luxe.
Cons: Commitment to consistently organize clothes according to color what-nots. Shelves get dusty.

On with some eye-candy while we ponder that question together.



















Doors or no doors, a walk-in closet is every woman's dream, right? I mean, if you can have one, will you say no? It is a worthy investment too, guaranteed to increase the value of your real estate property when it's time to sell! :)



I suppose the appeal of a walk-in closet is SPACE and ORGANIZATION so maybe it need not be too big (well, anything bigger than a broom closet is BIG for me). Last but not least, just for laughs I leave you with this kickass Heineken commercial - if you haven't seen it already. ;p



Peace out! *xoxo*
-MB.