Update on our addition (and second guessing the state of the master bedroom closet)

I know I haven’t really mentioned anything about our attachment, and that’s because nothing really happened. Our architect had a major surgery, so finalizing our plans was delayed. But I’ve said from the start that I don’t get worked up about timelines and get stressed when things don’t go the way I want them to. When this happens this attachment happens and I’m going to relax and enjoy the ride. My goal is to make this whole thing as stress-free as possible.

If you’re new here and haven’t heard anything about our addition we’re planning, the addition will include a master bedroom, laundry room, storage closet and family room.

But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking a bit about master bedroom closets. What I’m planning (and shown in the floor plan above) is an entire wall of IKEA Pax wardrobes on the shared wall between the master bedroom and the bathroom. I don’t like the idea and I know I can make it beautiful. Then next to the wall of wardrobes is a dedicated storage closet for things like Matt’s shower wheelchair, hoier lift and wheelchair. It seemed like a solid plan.

But these past two weeks, as my frustration with the state of the closet in the guest bedroom we currently use as our master bedroom has grown and grown, I can’t help but wonder if I should plan an actual walk-in closet instead of a wall of Pax wardrobes, no matter how confident I am that I can make them beautiful.

Last night, I looked up standard measurements for a walk-in closet, and 100 square feet seems to be the average. I don’t need one of those show closets with all the fancy stuff. I need to be able to store clothes, shoes etc. In an efficient and easily accessible way. Finding space for a 100 square foot walk-in closet is a problem. It is not an easy task when the floor plan is set beautifully.

But I realized that nothing is set in stone! This is an addition that has yet to be built. I’m very used to working within an existing footprint to make things work for us, but there was no current footprint for this addition. At this point, I can completely change it if I want.

I don’t think it’s necessary to change things completely, but I’ve been thinking about not only creating room for a walk-in closet (or two) in our bedroom, but raising the entire addition another 75 feet. But also creating a separate storage area accessible from the family room.

So it creates a small hallway between the bedroom and the bathroom and the closets are available on both sides of that hallway. That leaves me with at least one long wall in the bedroom where I can decorate and add extra storage like a beautiful dresser.

However, it adds more space to the family room which I don’t like. I feel like the room is too big, it doesn’t feel cozy and welcoming. Adding that space makes the family room larger than my studio, which is currently the largest room in our home at 20′ x 19’5′. But I think I can find a way to use that space so that the room feels planned rather than just a cave.

I’m going to think about this more. That would give our bedroom two separate closets, but the idea is growing on me. (One might be my shoe closet! :-D) I want to get it right. Once the foundation is complete, there is no turning back. So if I’m going to make big changes, it’s now or never. I don’t know if the change will be worth the price, because the extra cost isn’t that much.

what do you think Stick with a wall of IKEA Pax wardrobes? I have 15.3 feet of wardrobe storage on that wall. Or bump out the back of the addition to add room for two large bedroom closets, as well as a storage closet in the family room area?