You open the door, put something down, and quickly pull it shut again.
There. Tidied up.
Almost every house has a spot like that. The guest room that mainly receives suitcases. The home office where you can no longer reach the desk. Or that extra bedroom for which you had such nice plans when you moved in.
Only now, that plan is lying somewhere under a duvet and three bags of clothes.
Perhaps that room doesn’t have to remain a junk room. Perhaps it could become the very place you love to walk into every morning.
First the items, then the closet
A walk-in closet doesn't start by putting as many cabinets against the wall as possible.
It starts by sorting out what is actually in that room.
Clothes you wear? They deserve a nice spot. Clothes that have been waiting for “someday” for two years? You might want to take a critical look at those.
The same goes for empty boxes, broken items, and that bag for the charity shop. A new closet is not a reason to store everything all over again.
You don’t have to design a beautiful space for items you don't really want anymore.
Can the room do one thing well?
A guest bed, a desk, a drying rack, an ironing board, and a full wardrobe. On paper, it sounds like efficient use of space. In practice, you might have to keep moving things around before you can reach anything.
Therefore, think about what the room is primarily supposed to be.
Does someone need to be able to stay over regularly? If so, take that into account from the start. Do you use the desk every week? Then it deserves a proper workspace, not the last available corner.
But is that bed there for one guest visit a year? Then it is worth considering a more flexible solution.
Not every function needs to have the most space permanently.
Map out the space in front of the closet, too
With a walk-in closet, we quickly look at the walls. How many cabinets fit on the left? Can we add a section on the right?
But you also need to be able to stand there. Open a drawer. Bend down to grab your shoes.
Before choosing, lay out where the cabinets would go on the floor using masking tape. Walk through the room and imagine you are holding a laundry basket.
That suddenly makes a layout a lot more concrete.
And that beautiful island in the middle? Only do it if you can comfortably move around it. A clear walking path is also a luxury.
Don't forget the less attractive items
In inspirational images, you see beautiful bags and neatly hung shirts.
Rarely a vacuum cleaner.
Yet, that might also need a place somewhere. Just like the ironing board, the stash of bed linen, and the suitcase that didn't fit on the top shelf.
Include those items in the design. Sometimes one higher, closed compartment is exactly what prevents the new walk-in closet from slowly becoming the old junk room again.
Not the most exciting part to choose. But one you will be happy with later.
Not perfect in one go
You don't have to dress up the room immediately with new mirrors, ottomans, and storage boxes.
Start with the layout. Give your clothes and other items a place. Use the space for a while and see what you actually miss.
Maybe a mirror. Maybe a seat to put on your shoes.
Or maybe nothing at all.
Because the best thing about that new room is not that it's fuller with beautiful things.
It's that you can finally leave the door open.
Sophie from Matteo Studio
