The room I’m most excited about in the mountain project is the master bedroom. We vaulted the ceilings, brought in a fireplace, and installed new huge beautiful windows. We have a space for a big closet and while it’s not a top priority, I handed Velinda some art direction and said Design your/our dream closet. I wanted something super functional and modern, but with a mountain vibe which really just meant “add wood somewhere.” She took it and ran, and did a genius job with some VERY unexpected elements (glass ceiling?).
So I’ll hand this post over to her and she can walk you through her process designing my dream master closet. The only caveat is that we will likely do the interior build-out of the closet in phase 2 because, well, phase one is costing a ton and taking so long. So we plan on pushing some of these more custom “luxury” builds until next year in order to temporarily save some money and actually start enjoying this house sooner. I don’t need a luxury master closet and the kids don’t NEED custom bunk beds this year (a decision that was just made yesterday). But that doesn’t mean that we can’t blog about it and show you what we WOULD (and hopefully will still) do and for those of you currently designing your closet or bedroom, stick around because what she did was kinda genius.
Hi, guys! Velinda here. I joined the EHD team in March, exactly a day after finishing a final school project as a design student. This was my second solo design (first being the bunk room reading nook). So, beyond school projects, what experience have I had with closets? (Insert obvious gay joke here).
Well, my own closet in my 1926 East LA bungalow is a 15-square-foot “step-in” closet that I share with my wife. Guys…two girls sharing one, tiny space (sort of cheating by wearing all the same clothes….we actually do that) is a FEAT! But needless to say, I’ve had to practice utilizing every corner and inch. On my budget, that has meant removing an existing single-rod hanging rack (space-waster) and creating multiple layers using IKEA shelves and other such “luxuries.” So, no pressure when my second, real-world closet design comes from Emily. “Design the perfect closet for my dream house. Pretend it’s yours and do whatever you want,” she said to me.
“Yep…you got it, Emily!” (nervous emoji).
Look, if it were mine, there’d be a secret door and hidden whiskey display (which I’m sure Emily and Brian would actually appreciate). But like my own closet, Emily’s had some serious space issues, so unfortunately the whiskey room had to go (though I’ll point out to you later where I dreamed of putting it).
Here’s what this space looked like originally (prior to me joining the team…I actually had trouble finding this “before” shot while prepping the design because the space is SO unrecognizable!):
And here is how the floor plan has changed (so grateful to the MVP reader who suggested closing up those stairs!).
When Emily sent me on this mission, the closet space looked like this:
The box had been framed out and electrical was in for a few can lights. The bed was (and is) set to go on the other side of the closet wall, so in order to not crowd the room, the closet was built a bit (a lot) on the narrow side. There had been a debate as to whether or not the walls of the closet should go all the way to the ceiling, but ultimately, it was decided that would drastically shrink the room and hide too much of the gorgeous ceiling. So, we ended up with this floating square in the room that looked somewhat temporary and definitely unintentional. Like a PODS storage box crammed into a corner that we hoped, somehow, no one would notice.
The goal was to visually hide it/make it feel intentional. On a quest to do that, and to make the space minimalistically beautiful, I was inspired by the following:
These spaces, in particular, got the engines rolling with their use of gorgeous, wood-clad walls:
Could we extend wood beyond our use of it on the ceiling in a way that either helped hide the box or make it feel incorporated through more intentional lines? Here’s what came from some early playing-around, (note that the ceiling of the closet is extended to the wall in an attempt to streamline the space):
Ok, perhaps these could have worked. But walking through a dark, pseudo-hallway without seeing mountain sunlight bounce off that warm wood made me sad. What a dud first-impression.
*Note, secret whiskey room would have gone somewhere up here…it might have involved dodging some low-set beams and likely the occasional concussion, but…worth it?!
So instead of streamlining/visually hiding the floating box, I started seeking a way to make the square seem “cool” (and intentional?). I aimed to amp up that first impression too by showing off more natural light (thanks, Velux skylights!).
Enter the idea to add some glass…
A mix of the wood and glass inspirations, ultimately, the shell of the space became this:
It’s simple, open and a WAAAAAYYYYY better first impression:
I figured Emily probably didn’t mean I hope you make us redo all the electrical we just did and tear out some of the new construction, too when she said “do whatever you want,” so I wasn’t sure this design would pass, but it was the version we (the rest of the design team) were most excited about.
Speaking of electrical, track lighting is utilized in this design so that the fixtures won’t be visible through the glass from anywhere else in the room. A pendant hanging from a beam would have been messy. Sconces along the wall inside the closet wouldn’t have created a flexible/functional use of light. So, when Emily asked, “Can track lighting be cool?” our new answer is…well, let’s hope so, folks!
I was thrilled when Emily approved the design wholeheartedly! And we were very lucky that the beam placement we had (somewhat) arbitrarily decided on positioned a beam almost exactly above our closet wall, giving us a clean line for ending the glass…or so it appeared in the Sketchup model I’d done. One night, after Emily had already gotten excited, I woke up in a sweat, “WHAT IF I’M WRONG ABOUT THAT BEAM PLACEMENT?” Design nightmares… Surely no profession in the world comes with such important things to worry about. 😉 But after an on-site visit and a chat with our contractor, it looks like this works (but, friends, please keep your fingers crossed along with me).
Here’s what the space looked like when we visited the house earlier this week, now open to that natural light.
Even though this space APPEARS larger than the floating box it used to be, it isn’t. Which brings us to our space challenges. The width of the space (when you walk through the door) is only 52 inches. The length isn’t bad at 150 inches, but the wardrobe can’t go all the way to the wall because it would either butt right up against the glass—ugly and view-blocking—or mean just going back to drywall. Plus, the light switch and outlet are on the inside of that low wall. And due to the swing of the door, keeping the switch here is optimal. So, that means limited wardrobe space.
To still utilize this space but allow for the switch to be accessed, I created lower storage with a space for Emily/Brian to sit and put on snow boots, plus a mirror to make sure they look snazzy in their matching fisherman vests/hats on their way to the boat (at least that’s what I imagine they wear on their boat…wait, I’m not even sure there’s a boat, but let’s pretend, at least. Emily, don’t disappoint!).
So, not only is our wardrobe now reduced in length by 24 inches but for extra fun, iIt can’t be deep enough to allow for hanging clothes (hung the traditional way) because it would shrink our walkable space to under 30 inches (far less than ideal). Pull-out poles with clothing hung flat could be a solution for the shallow wardrobe, but Emily said she and Brian use shelves and drawers more than hangers, so I wanted to keep this larger section dedicated to those things. It became important to use every bit of the deeper wardrobe, the small section along the perpendicular wall (which is a standard 24-inches deep), for hanging clothes. Check out the use of the corner for longer hanging items and the shallow storage around it to keep from blocking visibility:
Here’s what I did with the rest of the space with all the measurements in case you’re at that level of design nerd (or it’s helpful for any of your own projects):
For anyone curious what our GC quoted us for this project, he said it would be about $3,500 for the glass (including the drawer fronts and mirror), and an additional $4,500 for the closet build out, prefinished plywood and all the accessories.
As far as materials, the idea is to keep it super clean, blending with the same wood as the rest of the room. So, material = wood, with integrated hardware for a minimalist feel (and space-saving need). BUT, I haven’t finished the detail of that integrated handle just yet. Any ideas? It needs to work with a three-part sliding door (doors had to slide due to the narrow walkway and desire not to shatter the light fixtures). The smaller section opens like your typical cabinet, but I want the line of that “hardware” to match the rest. So, can one of you please come up with something for me? (Don’t tell Emily). And while you’re at it, please let me know what might make this initial design better…but be nice, friends. It’s my first time on the blog (insert another nervous emoji)! Thanks, folks!
I love your flawless style (since brass petal!). I’m so thrilled for your great sucess-it is well deserved! Alas, your blog has become aspirational instead of inspirational as a result and I sure do miss that part. I don’t mean this as a snark. I do feel glad for you, but I also want to be honest about the change.
We hope that its still both. We do a ton of budget stories still, but I always appreciate the feedback. Thanks for reading for so long. xx
I had no idea what the expect when I began reading this. By the time I got to the end, my jaw was on the ground. Damn, honey….that’s a closet.
Ditto. Awesome and unexpected.
Very lovely. The glass makes such a difference… I’d recommend losing the deep hanging space double cabinet door, or having one large door that opens against the wall. That way the pegboard and other storage aren’t blocked when opening the hanging storage area.
I agree with this comment. If it’s possible to do one large door that opens against the wall. Also I love the glass above the wall. Fantastic job! Definitely a closet I would love to use.
Do you need a door covering the hanging stuff? When I’m in a rush to get ready or putting stuff away I find that the more obstacles I have to my view and access get irritating.
Also I want you to know that I flipping love this design and I love your writing style! Welcome to the team and let me know if you feel like resdisigining my whole house for $300 ?
Aaahaha! I love this. You and I are apparently on the same decor budget. And could easily be convinced to join ‘team no doors’. Thanks for the feedback
I think this is a great point! I totally agree the blockage created isn’t ideal… If it’s one large door, though, it would hit the track lighting or the three tracks would have to squeeze closer together, causing that corner to be on the darker side. Would love your thoughts b/c you’ve clearly got great instinct!
This is an epic closest! Such awesome work, Velinda!
Looks great and different, but I would honestly nix the glass transom above the closet door and the glass trapezoid transom. It seems they don’t add anything and actually compete with the beams and will detract from the ceiling. The ceiling and beams (and the light from the skylights) look gorgeous.
I agree with you. The glass above detracts from the gorgeous wood. But I think the glass door can be interesting.
agree, doesnt add anything, and I was thinking why have a ceiling at all? which you actually dont- so why closed in on the upper side? Love the slatted pant hanger. awesome job
Its one of my favorite things about the design – the glass and black framing. So we are doing it … eventually 🙂 hopefully ti adds what we think it will add.
agree, not a big fan of the glass and metal in this context; IMHO it adds little visual value, with a high expense.
the #2 rendering, with a single material throughout the space [wood cladding] makes the closet visually recede.
the glass+metal accentuates the angles because you are introducing two more, contrasting materials. the space is tricky, so when you add more, it gets even more complicated. if the glass & metal idea were repeated in the space, [say, the bathroom] then it would make more sense. sometimes a single gesture comes off as random vs intentional.
is the money shot when you face the bed/closet? trick out the inside but keep the architecture simple.
Kudos on the approach to the design challenge! The wardrobes look so nice, however, that I would just remove the one wall blocking them from the rest of the bedroom and leave the rest. In other words, without the 4th wall, you get rid of the walking space challenges and people see the pretty wardrobes (and still have the glass and seating area to the right for the electrical/coolness factor. (You also avoid the wardrobe in a cloche factor that way).
I think they want the wall, door, and transom so the space can be locked up when the home is rented. But that would require a additional storage space (maybe an armoire) for renters. But I’m just guessing.
I think get rid of the wall too. With doors on the closet you could lock them if necessary for renters. You could have a low wall/bed head to seperate the space if necessary and bed is positioned best from there.
I love the addition of the glass at the top! If you’re using wardrobes anyway, why does the closet even need a door? Along the same lines, can you eliminate the short wall completely? It just seems to close in the space, and breaks it up a bit clunkily. I know you mentioned it houses the light switch. Can that be moved to the long wall you have the bulk of the cupboards in? It seems like the wires probably come out from there, anyway, and eliminating the short wall would free up space there, too. It might be an added expense, but perhaps that would be offset by not having to build the glass/drywall short wall.
Finally, have you considered using the wardrobes to “build” the wall behind the bed instead? Basically, you would flip the closet design and, if necessary, clad the back of the wardrobes with an appropriately pretty wood or other material. Maybe a terrible idea, but I threw it out there, as it would add a few inches to the narrowness of the room.
Great job, overall! You’ve got a great voice in your writing. 🙂
I agree with flipping the design to the opposite wall, also agree with removing the doors and keeping everything open.
INTERESTING> So it would just be a floating closet wall? I’m not totally opposed and that might save a ton of money … but i love this design so much.
You could still keep the glass transom above the now “floating” wardrobes! Just avoids a seemingly unnecessary single wall (and you’ll pick up 4”!)
This is definitely worth playing around with, especially as a more affordable option. Thanks for the ideas!
Velinda!!!! This is good! So good! The glass just takes something ordinary to the next level!
Velinda-You worked magic!!! But… This seems overly complicated? (Especially for a “retreat”.) I long for something simpler.
GORGEOUS! What a fantastic design. I love introducing track lighting as a way for every day joes who live with it, to envision the cooler cousin design. One question, why bother with the expense of sliding doors? the closet is hidden enough from view that it doesn’t seem necessary, but it is lovely! 🙂 I get the doors for the south end unit, though. I can’t way to see progress shots. congrats!
Holy cow, CLOSET QUEEN! You done good! I did want to state I did not imagine Brian and Emily are shelves/drawers people. After discovering ADD folks (me) usually do better with seeing (rather than hiding) everything they need, I went for hangers and have never looked back! I have assumed ever since all people do this. Those pull out racks for pants do something for me in a way I never thought possible, looking at a closet. Kuddos to your first blog post, Velinda!
ha. closet queen!!!
I thought she was out of the closet..
Love love love! I don’t think I would change a thing.
This is amazing. So clever and beautiful! You’ve given me so many ideas for my closet makeover…
This is the first space in the mountain house that fits the style perfectly, in my opinion. It is both unique and inspiring. I absolutely love it!
Wow! That closet is outstanding! Such a creative way to make the space intentional and useful. Great job
Beautiful! A dream for sure. One recommendation for the the hardware, I would look to marine recessed or push button pulls. There are such beautiful brass, flush mount pulls made for boats that could work for both the sliding doors and the cabinet. This company makes amazingly beautiful products in Maine and can also do custom machining: https://www.lowe-hardware.com/
Yes to this!
Thank you so much for the new resource! Such great stuff.
Can you share whether this is custom, Elfa, IKEA, etc.? Would be great to have resources for the closet systems!
Ditto! Would love to know who offers these gorgeous details. Love the design and love your voice!
You are a design genius! And thank you for basically helping me organize my own closet, which has the identical narrow layout to this one and is a hott mess. I won’t be able to put in a cool glass wall, but I sure as heck and going to jump all over how you laid out those storage units. If I could buy you a shot of whiskey, I would 😉
I love the teal counter in the middle!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Why have doors at all? It seems like most of your inspiration pics don’t have doors, and the renderings look better with the doors way open/nonexistent. Plus, sliding doors mean there’s always something you can’t get to… opening a door, then sliding a door… all just to get to the laundry hamper? You’d be over that by day 2.
Plus, the rendering with all the doors closed feels claustrophobic. I think keeping everything open gives you an opportunity to do something cool with the backs of the shelves and hanging area (shou shugi ban?), and, more importantly, makes the closet easier to use.
I thought the same thing about doors. The beauty and functionality of an organized closet is that you can see what you’re looking for. And the closet space is already closed off by a wall so you don’t have to see it when you don’t want to. Also, I happen to have sliding doors on a tricked out closet and I’m always swinging the doors from one side to the other to get what I need. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Also, I agree with other posters – you write with a compelling voice and brava on your first blog post.
Agreed!
terrific design, but I agree about the sliding doors – not neccessary for this space and annoying to use (I speak from experience!)
Congratulations, Velinda!
Agree with no doors on the casework. The whole room is the closet. LOVE the glass.
Another vote for nixing the doors inside the closet. I absolutely loved the walk-in closet I had in my last place with all open shelves and hanging space – I could see EVERYTHING at once!
OOH interesting. At first I was like ‘ugh, it will be so messy when you walk in’ but we have that wall blocking it and then you can see the gorgeous glass drawers and I can showcase how organized and type A I am about my clothes (opposite). AND that would save money. I’m team #nixthedoors (as of this moment).
I agree with no doors. Think about how often you’d have to open or slide doors every time you wanted to find something. And just have a beautiful door on the closet itself. Ours is behind the bed. The wall is big enough to accommodate a king and two side tables. Then on each side of those tables is a doorway flanked by beautiful ceiling to floor curtains, hiding what’s behind. And, with a closet as functional as that one, it will not be messy too often;)
My husband and I had the master closet in our house gutted and customized to suit us. I let us be talked out of doors for the same reasons listed in the comments: “pain to slide back and forth / open and close”, “obstacle between you and your clothes / accessories”, “not necessary”, etc. I have regretted it from the first week because his side perpetually looks like a three year old had a party in it. I’ve organized it numerous times and within 24 hours it’s chaos again. He is going to be gently rehomed without harm into a new closet that we’re building and will have SOLID DOORS so I can close them and practice “out of sight, out of mind”. So that requires Emily and Brian to honestly answer the age-old design question: “How will you REALLY use this space?” Then she can decide whether to keep the doors or not.
I strongly vote to nix the doors!
We have sliding doors and it is such a pain to always have this obstacle.
If it does end up looking messy, it won’t matter because of the wall behind the bed.
Great use of closet space and the corner, Velinda!
Nicely done, Velinda! I think the glass is unique & interesting, and there’s a good opportunity to tie it in with the lighting/sconces next to the bed.
One thought…the closet storage is meticulously designed, and since this is a 2nd home (with ostensibly less items to store), why not show it off and nix the closet doors? You could use solid, flat panel drawers instead of the frosted/clear ones to hide unsightly fishing vests, and it will probably feel more functional. Plus, who doesn’t want the opportunity to style out their closet, amirite? 🙂
This is really great and inspiring me to fix up my own closet.
Love it! The glass and wood beams really marry the modern and cabin vibes well. I wouldn’t be too worried about having a small closet, it’s a seasonal home so it won’t house all the “maybe I’ll wear it someday clothes”.
Velinda, it’s gorgeous! And you have that ehd charm down too. 🙂 I’m wondering what it would look like if the drywall line on the adjacent wall was raised so that it’s flush. And all glass instead of that little bit of drywall on the closet door side?
Daaaaaang Velinda! Welcome to the team, you are worth every penny. How is it even possible that you come up with the things you do?! You make everything look SO custom and so amazing. Like blowing up my brain of what a closet can be.
I agree with others. The wall should just come down (without that wall you could just do a floating bed).
Wait, but then where is the closet?
This is REALLY nice design. Seriously. Super beautiful, professional, and functional. Way to solve some serious layout issues in a way that feels so architectural and purposeful.
For some reason I still feel like the half wall should be wood paneled to flow better and look less like a box hanging out. I also think the wood would look good as a backdrop to the bed headboard.
I really liked how those first photos looked when you were trying to make it look more intentional.
great work.
we MIGHT do this … we’ve been thinking about that, too.
Good job, Velinda! I really like what you’ve done, especially with the glass panels. What a great way to integrate the big rectangular drywall box! The only thing I might suggest is revisiting the idea of having doors within the closet at all. The interior of the closet is only visible for a brief moment when entering or leaving the room, and having doors in there just adds to the tightness and cramped feeling, IMHO. If it’s substantially irritating to glimpse stacks of sweaters or hanging shirts as you walk by, maybe reeded glass or glass with some kind of subtle etching would help. Snowflakes? Leaves? Just throwing stuff out there.
I’m totally stealing your glass idea for our master bath/closet remodel! Great work!
Hi Velinda, I am impressed!
Looking great and you really resolved that tight space very well!
Very clever resolving that awkward modern height wall in the room by completing with glass and steel, plus the peg board to get around to the corner hanging, plus getting that sconce in above the mirror without visually seeing it from elsewhere.
A few tiny measurement tweaks I would consider from a maximizing manhattan closet reader:) and because you mentioned asking for any of our thoughts to make better/maximize.
1. Most people (5ft 4 and over) can reach to 90 inch with double hanging. Hence you have yours at 81 inch, I would take the extra/bonus 9 inch to get a drawer btw the 2 hanging clothes rod height. – I love that look, or otherwise lift top bar to 90 inch and add another drawer at floor level. I see the angle so make sure the end of the hanger fits in there. that space from 81 inch to 90 inch is less assessable.
2. Re; shoe shelf depth, 10 inch is unusual height choice. I suspect most shoes up there are flats or runners, which do great in 6 inch depth, so you would get an extra shelf, which is important as not sure if those shoe shelfs are 21 inch deep (finished) that you can have 2 rows of shoes.
3. The long hanging space in the corner, I would drop to the longest long hanging item they have (which will be shorter than 81 inch where it presently is) , then add a shelf above that rod for less used items like the weekend bag
4. I know you might want to keep the opposite wall to the functioning closet clean, which is great – however even in this tight space, you could put a brass rod a few inches out to hang Emily’s fav mountain scarf to create an art installation:)
5. I noticed you have the seat at 17 inch which is good, if you are adding a 2 inch cushion there, I am seeing leather to warm it up, then move the mirror up a few inches. Or if not adding cushion, perhaps raise drawers/seat to 19in to horizontally line up with pants rack and give a few more inches to storage.
Realizing after reading this, how manhattan makes you really evaluate.
Thank you for also reminding me of pant pull out racks again.
Sensational job!!! thanks for sharing.
Gabrielle
Just wanted to say to you Gabrielle, it’s so nice to read such thoughtful and functional comments! I would never have the eye to make such good use of the space!
This is incredible feedback! Thank you so much for keeping an eye on the details. I was hoping someone might have measurement suggestions. Cheers to your manhattan insight!
Velinda – this closet is like WHOA. Amazing job on this design, so beautifully done!
Emily – I’m thinking a closet a for a vacation home should have a few wood shelves and call it a day. Right??
I can’t even imagine the budget for this.
Regarding the bunk room (since you mentioned), I was pleasantly shocked to see that the custom build-out is the same price we paid for our (double over double) RH bunks. I think the bunk room will get tons of use early on, and should def be a priority from the get go 🙂
Wow. This is amazing. My jaw is on the floor!
For the doors, can you do a black rectangular finger pull to play off the long lines of the glass? Something like these. https://www.amazon.com/Probrico-Rectangular-Recessed-Handles-Stainless/dp/B074N41KHM/ref=asc_df_B074N41KHM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=216722907098&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16482672678337863695&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060273&hvtargid=pla-378058529166&psc=1
I think this is SO SO beautiful, Velinda, you’re a genius! The only thing is that side view looking into the closet from the door, it looks SO claustrophobic from that view! What if you took the wall down to a half wall (so you don’t necessarily have to move the bed below the windows,) and did something similar to the first and second inspirations? I don’t know if that’s not incredibly busy… but A) that beautiful closet deserves to be seen and B) it could definitely open up the closet while inside. But beautiful design! I really love the whole thing!
I hi k your ideas and design are brilliant! You really knocked it ou5 of the Park. The only suggestion I have, if you want to increase usable space at least up to the height of the “pony” wall where the window next to the door is, is to put the light switch and outlet directly outside the closet. Maybe the same placement, but just on the other side of the wall. This might give you enough vertical space inside the closet (where the bench and mirror currently are) for longer hanging items? You could always put a short, square mirror above it. Just a thought. I loooove what you’ve done.
So first things first I wanna hear more from Velinda!
I was so intrigued by the glass and wanted to love it, but with the wood… all I can see is a sauna ?
Great work! Love your glass solution! Have you considered not using doors inside the closet since it already separate and a little tight? Brava 🙂
Am I the only one who really wants to see Velinda’s 15 square foot closet for 2? That sounds like it would be SO useful to see!
nope. I want to see that closet too – but maybe because it sounds like my closet.
I’m loving the track lighting in this closet, the suspended look elevates it from what I expect track lighting to look like.
Very interesting. I think this closet (and the bunk room) will be epic on Pinterest when they’re done. Keep up the good work!
I am in love with this closet design and agree completely that this closet (and room) are hitting the mountain house aesthetic perfectly! I cannot wait to see the completed product. I think this might become the Pinterest heavyweight of the house, who wouldn’t be inspired by such a warm, modern space!
Beautiful design and great post.
Can you please tell me what program was used for the elevations? Thx ???
This is a random idea – but what if you made the entire wall behind the bed the iron glass “windows” like in your inspiration pictures and just made all the cabinets the same smooth front so it would be nice to look into? It would make the room feel bigger and I LOVE the interior iron windows look..
Beautifully done. I love how it’s unique, but still practical and inspiring but not trying too hard. Perfect balance.
Welcome, Velinda. 🙂
Very cool! Love the glass. I would suggest some of the shelf storage wall a hook zone instead. Vacation clothes tend to be worn more than once before wash, and hooks are better for those in-between clothes.
The closet is gorgeous, Velinda! Awesome job. I wouldn’t change a thing, the wood and glass are a perfect match. You created so much storage in a small space.
You might not be able to have a secret whiskey room, but if needed, you could probably squeeze in a tiny wine fridge 😉
I would pin that
I love it so much! One of my favorite designs and want to incorporate it into my house. Great work Velinda!
In regard to putting on snow boots, that should be done
by the front door somewhere. Very awkward to walk in them, especially from upstairs!
OK. I am obsessed with this design. It’s so cool! I read it on my phone earlier today and came back to see the bigger photos on my computer because there’s SO much there. Such a perfect example of why EHD is crushing the blog game 🙂
I am so impressed with your creativity! That glass design is beautiful.
Love love love the glass! Genius.
And my heart will always go out to black framed glass panes.
This is gorgeous. I know it’s not everyone style, but this is truly mountain modern to me. I stayed at hotel in the Dolomites last summer for my honeymoon (Hotel Lagacio in San Cassiano) with a very similar style as what this closet design has. And it’s been an inspiration for my home design since.
I know this fairly modern style isn’t for everyone, but I think this is the most inventive design on this site in a long time. I can’t wait to see the final product.
Emily, I like very much the design you provide. The glass idea is perfect. I’ d recommend though one thing, cause I feel you loose a little space. Take a big wall mirror on the empty wall (it will make the room seem bigger and add a closet department where the mirror is now. This small window right of the door -it seems to me- not necessary. I would make it all wall until the glass. It is extra storage space.
Um, this is way cool. Great way to utilize a non standard closet size. I would suggest not having any sliding doors on the closets. Having it open could make the space seem bigger and not closed in? I would also try removing the top glass transoms and just have the glass door and window on the side.
Yeah – cool design – but lose all the doors in the closet. unless dust or light bleaching is an issue – why bother? i like to SEE all my clothes when i am deciding what to wear. sliding doors are a pain. also i would put the light switch outside the door, lose the mirror and maximize the interior hanging or shelf space. put a nice mirror out in the bedroom somewhere. are you really going to stand in that narrow hallway and dress? or are you going to get dressed out in the room?
Hi! Great ideas. What I don’t get is why one would put doors on a fixture that is inside an enclosed space? I love the look from the bed through the glass – really creative.
great job Velinda! this closet looks UH-mazing and yessss, Scandi!!! and yes, beautiful. LOVE.
Great job on your first post. pssst: you write like a pro.. I didn’t realize forever while reading the post that it wasn’t Emily writing it 😉
Gah I love it!! This blends the modern & rustic so well. I love the glass to the beam, it looks so cool when you’re in the room facing the bed.
Holy hairdo Barman. This is thinking seriously outside the box on how to create an exceptional space inside the box! This would have to be one of the most inventive, clever and downright fabulous design ideas I’ve ever seen. Hats off to you this is freaking brilliant!
This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in the mountain house! Honestly, not kidding. Absolutely beautiful, luxurious, practical, unique, custom and scandinavian. It reminds me of the inside of a sauna. Way to go!
Love it but personally I think the flexible peg wall is gimmicky and not practical. Emily would need to know what she wanted to put there before doing it.
Wondering why it needs doors at all if it already has the glass door at the entrance. If you want the closet properly sealed from dust etc then a glass ceiling could be added if it not already there.
Oh my gosh closet designs are my favorite! This looks fabulous and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the glass!
Fantastic design, Velinda! It’s creative and clever. And I think part of what makes it special and mountain-y is the wood ceiling. Don’t paint it in this room/area!! IMHO, white ceilings are great in hot/beach locations. Mountain homes need warmth from natural elements. You combined varied elements in a wonderful way!
It looks beautiful. Great job!
Such a beautiful closet, perfectly designed. Light bleaching IS an issue, so please keep the doors on the wardrobe. I have five handbags that are grayed-out on the side that faced my skylight ?
I love this design and I love your writing style Velinda. I’d love to have this in my own house, I just wonder is it way more than necessary for a vacation home? I think it’s smart that Emily is holding off on this for the first phase of the home, I feel like they’re going to realize that they don’t need all of this storage for a 2nd home and would be better off with an even roomier master. That said, please come design my closet!
I’m worrying about the sunlight causing fading
Amazing! I love the use of glass, it’s stunning. I agree with other comments to nix the sliding doors, as I think the fun pops of colour from clothes & accessories will add warmth and cosiness, and it will be less fiddly to access. Beautiful design and problem solving, I’m inspired!
AMERICA! GIVE IT UP FOR VELINDA. Girl, those restraints probably would have made many experienced designers weep with frustration! The end result is STUNNING. And you’re obviously a natural-born EHD team member with that natural storytelling style. Whether or not you know it, you just either resolved numerous closet obstacles across America or inspired new spaces. Would love to see your own 15′ closet as well as your other design projects!
So flattered by your compliments! Thanks so much. It’s not much to look at, but maybe my 15’ closet will get it’s 15 minutes of fame sometime!
Love love love the steel window look. I think there is a better architectural arrangement for your closets though! I know this is late in the game, but please try to understand my very bad explanation below. You can capture some extra room in the guest bedroom to create a waaaay better master closet.
Pretend north is the top of the page. The north wall of the guest bedroom moves down to make the room 13’-0” tall instead of 19’-6”. Continue that wall across the current master closet to make a 4’-6’x 5’-6” WIC for the guest bedroom. Now take the current wing wall on the west side of the guest closet and extend that up across the hall and down to the new north wall of the guest room. The door to the Master moves to that extended wing wall, essentially capturing the hallway and all the extra space from the guest room into the master. The master closet can now rotate so the long side is parallel to the hall. It should be somewhere around 6’-6” x 12’-0” and with the door on the long side, you can have storage on three sides. You could put a pair of glass pocket doors or make that whole long wall the steel window/doors. You will still have the weird box situation over the guest WIC, but if you keep the glass running across the way you do now, you won’t even be able to tell it’s there. If you could see this drawn you could understand in one second what I’m trying to explain.
Velina’s beautiful design can still be applied- just to better architecture to give you an even more beautiful result.
Great blog … much interesting it was.
Sorry. Not feeling it. Seems unnecessarily complex, fussy, and expensive.
Why do you need doors when this is in a closet already? To me it seems doors would be unnecessary and annoying. Though I hate sliding doors always, so there’s that.
Ps. I think I was the first to suggest getting rid of the stairs btw. Thanks for the shout out.
Cool concept, but looks like a big aquarium to me and very modern. IMO it’s passing on opportunity to do something more creative like possibly portion wall from top of the wall to the ceiling that still fulfills light requirement and could leave the ceiling of closet glass or open to ceiling/skylight. Maybe something like here http://midnightword.blogspot.com/2011/07/glass-house.html?m=1 Or more cabin inspired rustic patterned mirrors?
I now want a t shirt reading “Kinda Genius”.
This is my favourite design in the mountainhouse thus far, great job! ? also, LOVE the glass ceiling
Thank you so much for such a flattering comment! I appreciate the encouragement ❤️
I’m having a hard time understanding why you need that glass door at all if you’re going to have doors inside the closet? Personally, I would hate having a glass door on my closet that I have to walk by every day. Too much pressure to keep the closet neat and tidy, and I don’t want any pressure to be neat and tidy when I’m on vacation. Also, I remember how much young kids love to put their hands on glass doors so constantly having to clean the glass would irritate me, especially when I’m on vacation. Love the glass on top, but not so much for the door.
This is gorgeous, well done Velinda. And also, I love your writing style 🙂
To chime in with others, if this is a walk-in closet, why do you need doors at all on the hanging space? Isn’t open storage more usual and practical, especially in such a small space?
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your design process and beautiful renderings. What program do you use for layouts and renderings? Thank you for sharing!
Hi there!
We are using Sketchup to model with Podium to render.
very beautiful house..Thanks your ! for shared this blogs are wonderful all time preferable.
Freelancer Website Design
If Emily and Bryan aren’t planning to hold on to the house for a long time, I’d be worried about resale. It works for a short-term rental, but the closet is way too small for a couple living in the house full time. At the very least, I would get rid of the mirror and add more storage.
I love this so much! The glass will let in so much light (who likes a dark cave closet?) and will help keep things dust free! I had a skylight in my last closet and miss it so much. I vote to get rid of the doors inside the closet. It will look cleaner with them, but if you aren’t someone who loves hanging clothes up, get rid of any obstacles. I also LOVE the pegboard idea. I have a hang it all in my closet and it’s so wonderful. Having the flexible hanging for PJs, hats, things you know you are going to wear the next day… the list goes on. Velinda, I LOVE your designs and can’t wait to see more from you!
I usually skip posts that aren’t written by you, Emily (I like your writing voice), but I enjoyed this post from Velinda very much. Looking forward to hearing more from her!
It is bad feng shui to have your door to the room behind your bed… any thought around that? I have an almost identical closet — although bigger — for a third of the price with IKEA PAX custom closets.
I love what you have here, Velinda! I can’t solve the hardware problem, but I do have one comment, and that would be to switch the locations of #6 and #7. It seems counter-intuitive to put shoes physically above pants and I think there is a chance of getting dirt/muck on your pants due to plain ol’ gravity. If it were me, I would put shoe shelving on the bottom and the pant rack above. Other than that, I think it looks pretty perfect! I absolutely ADORE the peg wall, such a smart solution for a tight space!
SMART! Such an easy, worthwhile tweak to make. I appreciate you pointing that out!
all those lovely sketches!! which software is it?