# How would you deal with a closet-less room? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 3, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347 "2004-05-03T21:20:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/1 "2004-05-03T21:20:29Z")
So in about a month I’m moving. My bedroom-to-be has no closet. Now, I’m cool with putting t-shirts and jeans in a drawer, but slacks, dress shirts, jackets, etc, have to be hung up somewhere. Any of you Dopers have suggestions for dealing with this? I’m more than willing to do a little bit of work, but nothing too terribly involved as I have little experience with any kind of building-type-stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/2 "2004-05-03T21:37:51Z")
First off, in real estate parlance, you’re not getting a bedroom. By definition, a bedroom has a closet. You’re getting a den. Anyway, you can always get a wardrobe or an armoire. Something that acts as a free-standing closet. Don’t know how big this room is, but if you have the space, that may be the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/3 "2004-05-03T21:49:01Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > First off, in real estate parlance, you’re not getting a bedroom. By definition, a bedroom has a closet. You’re getting a den. > > Anyway, you can always get a wardrobe or an armoire. Something that acts as a free-standing closet. Don’t know how big this room is, but if you have the space, that may be the way to go. Hm, then I dont have a 2 bedroom house, i have a 2 den house… the asshat who modified the 20x20 cement block building from a tenant farmers 1 bedroom house into a 20x40 2 den house didnt put in closets=) Armoire is the way to go, unless like our room there is no space for one [2 10x9 bedrooms. I can put a bed into each, but the door and chimney arrangement leaves no real place to put an armoire=\ so we have put up a bar in one corner for hanging clothes, and have mostly drawer-able clothes=) ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/4 "2004-05-03T21:51:53Z")
Can’t you go to a shop and buy a wardrobe, like I had to? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/5 "2004-05-03T22:04:26Z")
Buying a piece of furniture is certainly an option. I’m just fishing for other ideas, really. ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/6 "2004-05-03T22:04:59Z")
Never understood this whole American thing with having a built in wardrobe, although it seems to be spreading to the UK (you can’t move the damn thing around, so you just have another door in the room), anyway, as others have said, get a wardrobe. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/7 "2004-05-03T22:24:48Z")
Buy a wardrobe. That’s sort of like a free-standing closet. I understand that, due to the tax laws in certain countries, that houses are taxed (in part) by the number of rooms they possess. A Closet counts as a room. so they don’t put them in. Wardrobes have been the answer there. Now whether you can actually _find_ a wardrobe, that’s another question. What country are you moving to? If it’s in Europe, I don’t think you’ll have a problem. If it’s anywhere in the U.S., well, I dunno. Maybe you could build one? –SSgtBaloo ---
**Author:** ![VampyChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@VampyChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VampyChick)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/8 "2004-05-03T22:26:18Z")
If you can’t get a proper wardrobe (furniture can be pricey, after all) you can get a rack with a hanging bar (they sell these at Wal-Mart) and a screen to hide it from view. Presto, instant hanging space! ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/9 "2004-05-03T22:31:08Z")
> [@Johnny Bravo](#): > > Buying a piece of furniture is certainly an option. I’m just fishing for other ideas, really. You could build a really tall headboard, place the bed in the middle of the room, place a rod on the back of the headboard and make the area behind the bed a closet/dressing room of sorts, I guess. That actually might be kindof cool – depending on how big the room is. It’s a little hard to tell, but that’s sortof what they did with [this room](http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/tradingspaces/episode/season2/interactive_02_23.html) on Trading Spaces (click where it says “switch” to see the “after” results). Otherwise, a wardrobe really is your best option. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/10 "2004-05-03T22:33:33Z")
Houses back in the 1800’s did not have closets because taxes were figured by counting the rooms and closets were counted as rooms. That tax system probably came from Europe, which has an abundance of older residences. Today, there are plenty of homes being built with closets that are like small rooms. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/11 "2004-05-03T22:34:41Z")
> [@VampyChick](#): > > If you can’t get a proper wardrobe (furniture can be pricey, after all) you can get a rack with a hanging bar (they sell these at Wal-Mart) and a screen to hide it from view. Presto, instant hanging space! When I lived in a closetless apt (very old converted house), I was a broke student. I just bought a [garmet rack](http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/ref=br_1_4/601-2466104-9220930?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B00006GNPG) and put it in a corner. I don’t think it looked too bad, just kinda minimalist. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/12 "2004-05-03T22:35:32Z")
Is it possible to build a closet? some 2x4’s, drywall,baseboard, and some conduit and you’re set. All the way to the ceiling or if you have really tall ceilings, make the closet a little shorter, finish the top and use that for display space. You dont even really need a door, but its really really easy to install a prehung, the lumber yard can tell you how large to make the openning and then you just slide it in ---
**Author:** ![Kakofonous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9a140/32.png) [@Kakofonous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakofonous)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/13 "2004-05-03T22:55:13Z")
I’ve used cement blocks, squares of plywood and a chopped off piece of pipe as a closet. I stacked the cement blocks the ‘wrong’ way with the pieces of plywood between them to make it more stable. Put the pipe through the top hole. A bit of paint / fabric and it doesn’t look too bad … plus is MUCH easier to move than a big wardrobe. As someone that’s stuck in the ‘moving every f\*#$@ year’ trend, ‘modular’ / easy to move furniture counts for something. Plus it’s easily convertible to bookshelves / raise bed for more storage / tie to ankles to sink the body / etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/14 "2004-05-03T23:34:53Z")
> [@Johnny Bravo](#): > > So in about a month I’m moving. My bedroom-to-be has no closet. Now, I’m cool with putting t-shirts and jeans in a drawer, but slacks, dress shirts, jackets, etc, have to be hung up somewhere. I don’t see what the problem is. Sure, you lose some clothes space, but hey - less room for monsters. Now if you could do without a bed, you’d be completely secure. There’s only one good kind of monster, and that’s of the Cookie persuasion. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/15 "2004-05-04T01:18:34Z")
if you don’t want to go for the wardrobe or diy, is there another closet you can use in the house? my house is over 100 years old, so there is only one closet in the hall. yep, the only closet original to the house. barely wide enough for a hanger, that is what i use. and yes, it is down the hall from the bathroom and bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/16 "2004-05-04T01:25:22Z")
How about a chifferobe? There, ya gotcher dresser, some shelves, AND a hanging rod behind a door, ALL IN ONE. Who could ask for anything more? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/17 "2004-05-04T02:43:33Z")
Don’t they have anything like [this](http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=1751&productId=85604&Trail=C%24cip=12217%3EC%24cip=12218%3EC%24cip=12224&categoryId=12224) wherre you come from? ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/18 "2004-05-04T05:39:38Z")
Personally, I would just put a closet shelf free mounted on the wall, and either milk crates or cubes on the wall on either side to store things in. The armoire/wardrobe thing has been done to death. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/19 "2004-05-04T06:29:42Z")
Pretend you live in the closet and have no bedroom. Where in your closet to put the bed is much easier design problem. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2004, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347/20 "2004-05-04T12:29:34Z")
I live in a house built about 1920’s, with large rooms, tall ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. On the back of the house is a room which has a door to a back balcony–but no closet. This is the room I use for my bedroom. There is, however, a smaller room next door (maybe an oversized linen closet?) which I’ve moved my dresser into and it now holds all my hanging clothing, shoes, jewelry, etc. as well. I use that as a “dressing closet” since it’s of larger size. Even with this room, I still cart my clothes to the bathroom to get dressed in the morning (after a shower). I actually dislike having a dresser in my bedroom. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-deal-with-a-closet-less-room/243347.md?page=2)