How To Turn A Spare Room Into Your Dream Closet

Having a spare room that can be converted to a closet is a happy circumstance for anyone with more clothing and accessories than places to put them. While there is some controversy about losing a bedroom while you're gaining a closet, your needs in your home should be at the forefront when you're making the decision — especially if you plan to stay in the house long term. A good plan incorporates your needs and desires for the closet, like dedicated zones for each person or customized storage for accessories, and a realistic budget goes a long way toward creating the ultimate walk-in closet. You can do it yourself, hire a professional, or buy ready-made closet systems to transform that unused spare room into your dream wardrobe storage space.

It's wise not to convert a bedroom into a closet for the purpose of increasing the value of your home. While adding a built-in closet to a room and upgrading or adding organizers to an existing closet all yield at least a 50% return on investment (ROI), converting a bedroom into a closet does not increase and may even reduce the appraised value. Homebuyers prefer the extra bedroom to the added closet space, particularly if you've reduced the number of bedrooms from three to two. If you plan to sell your home in a few years, choose a closet build that can be easily removed. 

Once you've cleared the room and measured the dimensions, answer the obvious questions. What will fit? Is the lighting good? Do I need to paint? Will the sun streaming through the windows cause fading? Begin with covering the basics by painting, hanging drapes or installing blinds, and updating the lighting. Now you can get creative by choosing the right closet system to suit your needs. You can either purchase a complete system or individually install rods for hanging, drawers for folded clothing, cubbies or adjustable shelves for shoes, and hooks or a valet rod to provide a spot to hang your robe or the dry cleaning. If you have a lot of jewelry, add compartmented drawers for storage, and if you plan to use the new closet as a dressing room, add a place to sit and a full-length mirror. A built-in ironing board for last-minute touchups and built-in hampers for different clothing types add utility to your design.

A bigger budget allows you to construct a doorway between the primary bedroom and the new closet; for complete privacy, remove the hallway door. Adding adjustable undershelf lighting that comes on when the door is opened or at the touch of an app is useful. If you have valuables, hide them in a wall safe and install climate control to ensure the humidity level remains constant. Declutter the bathroom and bedroom by including a charging station in the closet for the chargers and cables that otherwise take up counter space. For a luxuriously high-end but well-organized closet, install a touchscreen interface that controls the lighting and climate but also tells you where each item in the closet is or if it's out for cleaning. 

Turning a spare room into an organized closet isn't out of reach if you're on a budget. You may lose some of the bells and whistles, like undershelf lighting or fixtures that go all the way up to the ceiling, but you can have an attractive, functional closet without spending a fortune. The basics remain the same. Start with a clean slate, paint the walls if you want or need to, and splurge a little on good lighting. Repurpose an unused dresser or hit the thrift stores for one or two that you can use in the new closet, not just for clothes but for jewelry, belts, and ties as well. 

DIY built-in shoe storage and add a few storage shelves for a lux look. If you lack carpentry skills, buy ready-made clothing racks, keeping in mind that some low-end racks can be frustratingly unstable if they're overloaded. You can minimize this downfall by working out a system to secure them to the wall or even to the ceiling with hooks and chains. Add a chair or ottoman, and a mirror, and you have the basics at a budget-friendly price.