closet door- limited space?

[Jim Elbrecht]

I have a tiny bedroom with a small closet attached to it.

The bedroom is 8x11. Along one 11foot wall is the 30" entrance and a

30" closet door. The closet door is centered on a closet that is about 7 ft wide and 3ft deep.

I've just got a rough [32x80] hole there now and some jamb material out by the table saw.

I like pocket doors but don't want to steal the room from either the closet or bedroom. My wife is thinking that 2 louvered 15" doors will work for her.

My first thought was saloon type double acting spring hinges - but now I'm wondering if a pivot hinge mounted on the bedroom side might give more room to move boxes in and out of the closet.

The planned 'primary' use for this little room will be as an office & storage space.

Any thoughts on handy, sturdy, space saving doors? [I'm a child of the 60's so I've even considered strings of beads- but SWMBO is a little more conventional.]

Thanks, Jim

[SteveBell]

Widen the rough opening to six or seven feet and use double sliding doors.

[Don Phillipson]

If you have enough overhead space (not specified) you could instal a vertical sliding door (adapted from a roll-top desk) i.e. make it an ornamental feature of the room.

[HerHusband]

How about a curtain? You could make it match the window curtains if you wanted to.

Or, how about making a face frame and a couple of cabinet doors and disguising the opening as a cabinet? I built a couple of armoires for my daughters bedroom with cabinet doors. They don't take a lot of space to open, give full access to the opening, and look great.

Anthony

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

So far I like this best.

When I mentioned it to my wife she remembered that her father had made their attic access the same way 50 yrs ago.

Thanks- Jim

[Phisherman]

After using them for many years I hate louvered doors. I like the clean look of pocket doors, plus the space-saving advantage.

[DerbyDad03]

Look here:

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

There's some great ideas there. I haven't done anything cool like that in decades--- I think I've found something better than digging in the basement to take up most of my winter.

Thanks Jim

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

I wasn't crazy about the louvered doors- but it looks like I'll make a bookcase door anyway.

I like pocket doors, too. But in this room & closet the 4 inches it would take from either would really make a difference.

Jim

[Jim Elbrecht]

Cool idea- I wish I had the ceiling height. The ceilings are 82". The guy who built this in 1896 must've been a short guy. [and the guy who built the addition in the 30's either measured wrong or was even shorter. Those ceilings upstairs were 75". I raised them years ago- but there is a large usable attic over this end of the house.]

Thanks, Jim

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

Normally that would make the best access for a 24" closet. But since this space is 3' deep- I'm going to go with 2 3ft rods- and use 1/2 the center space for shelving.

I think I'd lose usable space your way. Both in the room and closet.

Thanks, Jim

[cshenk]

"Jim Elbrecht" wrote

Huge closet by my standards!

Saw a really unique treatment once that I liked the looks of. It was a small windowless room so they created the impression of a window by using curtins for a closet door. They even had a subtle back lighting so it looked a bit like sunshine was behind them. Effect was like having a patio door there when in the room.

[SteveBell]

It's a suggestion. I make a lot of them, but few are taken. :-)

Here's another: Widen the opening, and make the entire closet into a recessed shelf and desk. You've probably seen wet bars done this way. A cabinet at the bottom would give you hidden storage and a desktop, and you can put movable shelves at the top.

[itsjoannotjoann]

You've already decided how you are going to use your space but let me tell you what I had done last year. I had an addition put on my house with two projects for the original part of the house. One was to make a 5 ft. wide have easier access. It had a 24" wide door and I had that taken down and the wall removed to give full access to the space. After some new drywall and finishing I had a ClosetMaid closet system installed which just means I now have a full length shelf and closet hanging bar. Oh dear, I am soooooo pleased with this renovation!! I did not want sliding doors as the center of the closet cannot be accessed and I didn't want to do the 'door shuffle' every time I was in that closet. Also, I didn't want any bi-fold so I opted for a heavy canvas grommet curtain that matches my new bedroom paint.

For me this arrangement is absolutely perfect!! Full access to the 'new' closet!! But I love those door from that site that was posted of the doors that have shelves on them.

[Mark]

[Harry K]

I may have missed it but....I had minimum space in remodeling the bath. Put a narrow closed in next to the commode with 2x4 framing 'on the flat' and used bifold doors. True that they do take just a little room to open/close inside the closet but they are not intrusive outside when open.

Harry K

[Harry K]

Bifold doors should work well. I vote with a couple others. Widen that door opening.

Harry K

[Jim Elbrecht]

The closet is 3x7 with the door centered on the 7'side. That leaves me 24" [room to hang a row of clothes] on either side of the door.

First I'd have to move the 30 inch door to one side so I'd lose 'clothes hanging' space-- and make a 'deep side' in the closet where things would get lost. [I know because I just moved the door from way over on one side to the center]

I've only done one other pocket door- and I did it by leaving the existing studs and adding a false wall for the door to slide into. It has been trouble free for 20 yrs- so I would feel compelled to do the same in this case. So I would need to take the 4" for the pocket out of the closet- and lose almost another foot of floor space- and end up with a 2'8" wide closet on that side.

I know you can't see it from where you are, but if I put the door on the outside of the closet I would need to crowd a window too tightly to be able to use the space for a bookshelf.

The bookshelf was already a passing thought- but looking at those hidden doors just makes it perfect.

8 feet of bookshelves, 30" of which are also a door will work fine in this room.

Thanks for your thoughts- Jim

[LouB]

Maybe a link to a picture when the project is done?

Good luck.

Lou