How to Completely Remodel a Walk-In Closet Using Minimal Tools
Have you ever thought about completely remodeling your walk-in closet? Think it’s too expensive or that only a professional could do a good job? Good news — you’re wrong, and you should undertake a similar project in your own home!
When COVID hit, I decided to give home remodeling a try, and I think it was a success. I hope that this article proves that even an idiot (me!) with basically no woodworking skills and only minimal tools (a circular saw, a drill / screwdriver, and a router that I borrowed from my father-in-law) can create the closet of one’s dreams (or, in my case, my wife’s dreams).
Before I get into the details of how you, too, can create a beautiful closet on a budget (or at least WAY cheaper than hiring a professional), please see below some “before” and “after” photos of our closet so that you can get an idea of what you — yes, you — can build in your own home.
Before (immediately after opening closet door)
The photo below shows what our closet looked like when you are standing in the doorway just after opening the door. As can be seen below, we were immediately greeted by wooden dowel clothes hangers attached to melamine shelving. And, though it cannot be seen in the photo below, there was an assortment of junk, clothes, and shoes strewn across the floor at all times.
The closet itself is quite large and the ceilings quite high, but we were unable to utilize most of the vertical space effectively. (And yes, my wife is a dog lover!)
After (immediately after opening closet door)
Here is a picture of our closet as it looks now from the exact same view as the before picture above (i.e., the picture below shows what the closet now looks like immediately after you open the door).
As you can probably tell, I went a little bit crazy with the remodel… but it was a lot of fun and my wife loves it. Now, instead of almost being poked in the forehead by a wooden dowel, we are greeted by my wife’s “purse wall” (as I’ve named it). The purse wall is illuminated with LED lights (which can change colors and are easy to install) and, though it does not show in the picture above, goes from floor to ceiling.
Before (looking at back wall)
Our closet is long and skinny. The photo below shows what the back wall of the closet used to look like.
After (looking at back wall)
Here is a post-remodel picture from the exact same angle as the photo above.
I’m biased, but I think this qualifies as a pretty good change! And, believe it or not, almost anyone (with enough desire and time) can do this in their own home!
Before (shoe storage)
Here is how my wife’s shoes were stored in our closet before the remodel.
My wife has a lot of shoes, but, even though our closet is big, there was was not enough space for them. I tripped over her shoes more times than I could recall. The solution? A shoe wall!
After (shoe storage)
The photos below show how her shoes are stored now. I call the back wall the “shoe wall,” and it has been a big hit with my wife! And what good is a shoe wall without a full-length mirror to see how the shoes look?
It is difficult to capture in the photo above, but the shoe wall actually wraps around on both the right and left sides. See the photos below to understand what I mean.
As you can see, I again added LED lights so that my wife can see what color her shoes are (the closet is otherwise somewhat dark).
More Before and After Photos
Before I get into the part about how you, too, can do this, I have included a few more photos below.
Before (right side of closet after entering)
After (right side of closet after entering)
Please disregard the yellow clamps on the top shelf of the “after” picture. I forgot to take those off before taking the picture!
Before (left side of closet after entering)
After (left side of closet after entering)
Here is the “after” picture from the exact same angle.
My Clothes
I didn’t neglect myself, either. I built a little area (shown below) for my clothes and shoes. It includes a pull-out pants rack (easy to install) and a pull-out tie rack (also easy to install).
How You Can Build Your Own “Dream” Closet
Building a closet like mine is remarkably easy to do. It basically just involves building lots of large boxes with shelves in them, painting those boxes, and then adding the finishing touches (trim, lights, etc.).
Here are the only tools you will need:
- A circular saw — I used a DeWalt 7 1/4" corded saw, but I highly recommend that you buy the cordless version instead.
- A cordless drill / driver — I used a cheap corded drill / driver from Home Depot, but I again recommend that you buy a cordless version. It will save you a ton of headache.
You could also use a router, but only if you want to “round off” the edges of your trim like shown in the pictures above. If you don’t want to sprint for the router, you could always do the same thing with a chisel and sandpaper (though it will be a bit more work).
Design
The two most critical items to a successful remodel have nothing to do with woodworking skills. Rather, you need (i) a good design and (ii) enough time to carry out your plan.
Regarding the design, I recommend that you watch a lot of YouTube videos and look at as many pictures of fancy walk-in closets as you possibly can. Note every single feature that you like — regardless of how small — and save a picture of that feature in a folder on your computer. Over time, you may begin to feel like you’ve reached every corner of the internet regarding walk-in closets, which likely indicates that you’ve got a lot of great ideas for your closet. Now all you need to do is sketch something up on a piece of paper and then get started!
Having done the above process myself, I would recommend the following design features:
- Design your closet so that it goes from floor to ceiling, regardless of the ceiling height. The closet will look much better this way, and you’ll have more storage space as well.
- Add mirrors. Mirrors make the closet look bigger and nicer, and they also add a lot of light to the room.
- Add valet racks. Valet racks are these little pull-out rods that let you hang hangers parallel to the face of your cabinets (i.e., perpendicular to the way your clothes usually hang on the clothes rack). You can see two of them holding some of my wife’s dresses in the pictures above. While you won’t use them that often, you will definitely be happy you have them when you do (such as when you are picking out clothes for a trip that you’re going to take).
- Add LED lights. Lights are cheap — they can be purchased on Amazon — and they make the closet look nicer. As a nice bonus, if you have kids, you can set the lights to a party mode (where they are constantly changing color) and add a little music. Boom — now your closet will also babysit your kids while they have a dance party in your closet.
- For the men out there, consider adding some shelving for your wife’s purses and shoes. They will love it.
- Also for the men out there, consider adding a little “jewelry alcove” in the closet. It can be really small — even just adding some hooks onto the side of the wall where your wife can hang some earrings or bracelets — but will definitely be a feature that your wife will appreciate.
Good luck with your build! If you have any questions about construction, please let me know!
