Bedroom without closet- options and alternatives?

[bbcrock]

I have a bedroom in my house, approx 12x12 that doesn't have a closet. It's also not large.

I found an ikea wardrobe that fit across one wall perfectly- approx 18 in deep and 6 ft wide. But the particle board shattered when I stood it up. Say what you will, but no ikea product collapsed like that for me before. the screws just popped the particle board right out like it was made of potato chips.

So Ikea is out, but I cannot find a similar retailer who has a wide wardrobe/armoire/storage type product. All the wardrobes I find are "entertainment centers."

I've got recommendations for installing kitchen cabinetry, but has anyone done something similar or have recommendations for non-permanent closets in a small space?

I am having trouble finding online resources for this problem.

thanks!

Don

[Lawrence]

You could simply hang a length of dowel rod typically used for closets. You can buy it in any length. Get a metal bracket that hangs from the wall and also gives a place for a shelf. Or, hang a dowel rod directly from the ceiling from eye screws or toggle bolts attached to a chain which is wrapped aroung the rod.

[Lawrence]

You could simply hang a length of dowel rod typically used for closets. You can buy it in any length. Get a metal bracket that hangs from the wall and also gives a place for a shelf. Or, hang a dowel rod directly from the ceiling from eye screws or toggle bolts attached to a chain which is wrapped aroung the rod.

[Lawrence]

You could simply hang a length of dowel rod typically used for closets. You can buy it in any length. Get a metal bracket that hangs from the wall and also gives a place for a shelf. Or, hang a dowel rod directly from the ceiling from eye screws or toggle bolts attached to a chain which is wrapped aroung the rod.

[Todd H.]

Ikea would probably be happy to replace that.... Perhaps they had a defective run of board.

I too have had fabulous luck with Ikea products.

-- Todd H.

[avid_hiker]

Something like the following?

?uniqueSearchFlag=true&Ntt=wardrobe+cabinet&x=23&y=8

[marks542004]

I would certainly contact Ikea about the broken unit.

I know some of the stuff is very flimsey and difficult to move without something pulling out.

You could get one of the hanging rods on wheels (Kmart , walmart, etc have them . )

Kmart used to have some cheap wardrobes in their furniture area.

[Norminn]

There are lots of antique wardrobes, made for the days without closets, but they do not hold very much.

You might be able to adapt a TV cabinet, with doors above and drawers below, but that again doesn't hold much.

Kitchen cab. mfgs. make cabinetry suitable for bedrooms, offices, dining rooms, etc. You could use them modular style, put a platform base with casters or gliders.

You could also hang a draw drapery on the ceiling and enclose a plain old coatrack. Or, use the same idea and just build a simple frame to support the closet rod, perhaps a shelf across the bottom.

[DerbyDad03]

Think about shopping antique malls and barns.

We received an armoire from my grandmother-in-law that is 3+ ft deep,

10 ft long and 7 ft tall. It consists 3 separate areas - 2 "closets" for hanging clothes on each end and a 5 shelf storage area in the middle, each with it's own door. It is a massive, solid wood knockdown unit from the early 1900's. It's a beauty!

Perhaps you could f> I have a bedroom in my house, approx 12x12 that doesn't have a closet.

[scott21230]

You should be able to find a real wood one online. You might need more than one though, they do tend to be small.

[Goedjn]

Come on... this is alt.home.repair, not alt.buy.it.in.a.can.

Build one.

Out of plywood and planks.

[Goedjn]

If it's gotta be shipped, it's gonna be small. Another argument for building one on site.

[Heathcliff]

You can get an antique wardrobe for about $500 - $1000. As others have said, they vary in size, most are about 4 ft. wide by 20 inches deep or so. If it's an old house, that's how big the closet would be if it were there! The nice thing about an antique is it's real wood and should last, and incidentally not be so dang heavy as a particle board one. If someday you move and don't need a portable closet any more, it could become an entertainment center, or a way to keep the dust off the winter clothes in the attic, or whatever. Or it could be sold back to the antique store.

[Kyle]

Wuss. I would build it out of cinder block and use rebar for the hanger bar.

[jd]

You don't say where you are... A decent furniture maker can put exactly what you want together for a reasonable cost (and he can use real wood...). If you are anywhere near New Hampshire, I would be glad to offfer my services (see

for my website

--JD

[Kyle]

Be careful: from a real estate and assessment standpoint, if it doesn't have a closet, it's not a bedroom.

As to your question about solutions, it would help to know how you plan to use the room. Is it going to be your bedroom? A child's bedroom? A guest room? Do you want to store clothes? Hanging? Flat in drawers or shelves? All are important considerations.

If you don't mind the look, a simple and low-cost way to go is a closet organizer kit installed on one wall. Alternatively, if you want something freestanding you could buy those metal shelving units at a place like Lowe's and install hanger bars using 1x3s and plumbing caps to hold the bars in addition to using the shelves (something I did at seminary as my particular dorm room didn't have a closet).

The problem I foresee with kitchen cabinetry is you can really only use the full-length pantry-style cabinets for any hanging. Though, I will say, the idea of refitting an Ikea 18" wide pull-out pantry cabinet to have a hanger bar instead of shelves is REALLY intriguing.

Do you have enough space to build a permanent closet with a door? If so, that might be the best way to go, especially if this is going to be a more-often used bedroom.

[bbcrock]

Thanks for all the responses. I know I tread on thin ice by posting about furniture here, but over all this is the most active and intelligent of the home message boards. I got 12 responses quickly. So I appreciate that.

Ikea refunded my money, by the way. I had two of the units shatter so either I'm not competent to put it together or there was an issue with their materials. The doors and other hardware were great, but the particle board couldn't handle the weight.

This is a child's bedroom.

Because the room is small, around 12x12, I was hesitant to convert something that would remove 18" + from one wall. Even without a closet, these rooms are considered bedrooms in our city. A friend has an older house down the block and every upstairs room is called a bedroom- 7 of them!

I had seen a room 30 years ago that had cabinets ringing the ceiling. It affected the feel of being in the room, but otherwise could work.

I am hesitant to install metal racks or closet organizers and cover with a curtain. I think that's a recipe for an unattractive room particularly when I imagine a 9 yr old refusing to pick things up.

I'm not seeing the wide wardrobes at antique stores, so I'm still looking.

I paid a woodworker a bargain amount to build bookcases a few years ago and would do it again. I'm around Washington, DC and could work with someone in NoCarolina who had an online site and delivered.

thanks,

Don

[Lawrence]

Yea this board I follow and have learned a fair bit. You are not really on thin ice cause folk around here are fine with ingoring posts they don't like.

A nice chest of drawers is an alternative to hanging things and far more space efficent. Most things that can be hanged can also be folded esp childrens clothing. I am looking a a nice chest myself as an alternative to hanging.

If you own the property then I would suggest you consider building a closet in the room. It is a very practical upgrade to any bedroom which is almost certainly worth the trouble.

[nospambob]

[Kyle]

On Jan 26, 4:15 pm, [e-mail] wrote: [snip]

I understand completely, having just spent half this weekend looking at teeny-tiny rental houses in Hagerstown, Maryland, where my wife and I are moving for my new position. A room 10.5x12 is just too small for anyone over age 3.

A thought I had since you mention you're in the Dee-Cee area: a few years ago my wife and I bought some very nice upright chests from SCAN Furniture (three stores in D.C. area and one in Columbia) with drawers on the right and a door on the left. I took out the shelves and used some maple 1x3 to craft braces to rest on the shelving pins which would hold a hanger bar. The whole chest is fairly compact - 4' high by 3' wide - but holds a great deal and the top is treated with polyurethane to resist (for a while at least) that wet drinking glass. Might be a possibility?

Even by the real estate and tax assessment laws of your county/ township? Wow, I'd hate to try selling your friend's seven bedroom house when only a couple rooms have closets! Yikers...