Walk-in closets
Walk-in closet design, planned to the inch
A walk-in closet works when three numbers are right: 24 inches for hanging, at least 36 inches to walk, and enough rail and drawer space for what you own. We plan every walk-in closet in 3D, so you see the room before anything is ordered.
Illustrative interior
01Starting point
What makes a walk-in closet work
Most disappointing walk-in closets fail on width, not on finishes. Storage on one wall needs 24 in of depth, the aisle needs 36 in, and a second wall needs another 24 in — so a room narrower than about 7 ft (2.1 m) will only take storage on one side. Squeeze a second run in anyway and the doors and drawers stop opening comfortably.
Corners are the second trap. Where two runs meet, about 24 in of rail is lost in the corner square. We usually fill corners with shelving, a corner rail or a short drawer stack rather than hanging, so nothing disappears into a dark pocket.
If the room cannot give you those dimensions, a wall of built-in wardrobes in the bedroom may store more. Either way, the planning principles are the same ones we use across our closet systems: inventory first, then layout, then finishes and closet lighting. Book a design consultation and bring your measurements; if a kitchen is part of the project, you can sketch it first in our kitchen configurator.
02Layouts
Four walk-in closet layouts and the space they need
Approximate clear room widths, measured wall to wall, before door swing and windows.
Single wall
One run of storage plus an aisle: from about 5 ft (1.5 m) wide. Ideal for a converted alcove or a long, narrow room.
Galley
Storage on two facing walls: from about 7 ft (2.1 m). Often his-and-hers, one side each.
U-shaped
Three walls of storage: from about 7 ft wide and 7 ft deep. The back wall is the place for display shelving or a dresser.
Dressing room with island
Two runs, two 36–42 in aisles and a 24 in island: from about 12 ft (3.7 m) wide. A spare bedroom is often the right size.
03Planning dimensions
Walk-in closet design dimensions
- Hanging depth
- 24 in (610 mm) clear; 22 in is the absolute minimum for slim hangers
- Aisle
- 36 in minimum, 42–48 in for two people or opposite drawers
- Island
- About 36–40 in tall and 20–24 in deep, with 36 in or more all around
- Upper reach
- Rails above about 80 in need a pull-down lift; above that, seasonal shelves
- Rail per person
- Typically 8–14 linear ft, worked out from your own inventory
- Doors and windows
- Kept clear of storage, or used for low drawers and a bench under the sill
04The center of the room
Islands, benches and a place to sit
An island turns a walk-in closet into a dressing room. Shallow top drawers with velvet inserts hold watches and jewelry, deeper drawers below take knitwear, and a stone or glass top gives you somewhere to lay out tomorrow’s clothes.
Where the room is too narrow for an island, a 16–18 in deep bench under a window or at the end of the aisle does a similar job. Add a full-length mirror opposite the light source, not beside it, so you see yourself lit from the front.
05Process
Designing your walk-in closet with us
- 01
Inventory
We count what each person hangs, folds and displays, and note what is likely to grow.
- 02
Measure the room
Wall lengths, ceiling height, window sills, attic hatches, HVAC registers and the outlet positions.
- 03
Layout in 3D
We test single wall, galley, U-shape or island in the model and show you the trade-offs.
- 04
Finishes and light
Fronts, interiors, handles, stone or glass tops and lighting, compared from samples of current collections.
- 05
Order and coordinate
The design is ordered to the approved drawings, and we can coordinate delivery and installation.
How big does a walk-in closet need to be?
Can a spare bedroom become a walk-in closet?
Open shelving or doors in a walk-in closet?
How long does a walk-in closet take?
Keep exploring
Related
Built-in wardrobesA built-in wardrobe runs wall to wall and floor to ceiling, so it stores more per square foot than almost any other…
3D kitchen configuratorPlan a Nolte kitchen online — layout, fronts, worktop, lighting and gadgets — with a ballpark budget.
Book a consultationTell us about your project and plan a visit to the Glendale showroom.
Consultation
Plan your project with a NOVAHAUS designer
Bring a floor plan, a photo or simply an idea. We will walk the showroom with you, talk through layout, materials and budget, and map out the next steps.