I would keep it hardwood. I think it might be weird if only the closet were carpet. Easier to keep clean with hardwood and it'll flow.

I wouldn't carpet the closet unless you carpet the bedroom too. I have hardwoods in my closets. I think the panel is the way to go, especially if it's not in a visible place.

Regarding your point about the plumbing, personally Id go for the panel you described for access and stick with the hardwood, especially with said panel being in the closet and not obvious as you said with it being mostly hidden by clothes.

We had intended to carpet our bedroom closets in our otherwise hardwood floors, thinking a good opportunity to save money but later suspecting we'd regret it, decided against it and glad we went with hardwood closets, very pleased now with the continuity of it in the bedroorms.

Personal decision, though, between savings and appearance.
Maybe youd be fine if its carpeted, maybe not but if affordable, think far less chance you'd regret it wood floor with panel.

I wouldnt do the carpet unless you find yourself feeling confident with the decision. If not, think good likelihood youll enjoy having gone with hardwood.

What about a small rug that fits the floor of the closet to hide the access panel? Something w/ finished edges...

My GC thought I was crazy for not wanting carpet in the closets! There is NO carpet in the house. Anywhere. I told him HE was crazy if he thought I was dragging a vacuum around just to do closets. I suppose he thought I would have a housekeeper.

I say go with the wood. I have no regrets.

i have never seen a home with carpet in just the closets... I would install a panel and cover it with an area rug. we have an area rug in our closet and I like it on bare feet in the morning!

Go with hardwoods in the closets. We have wood in all our closets and it's so easy to care for.

No carpets in the closet. Carpeting makes dust and hides carpet beetles which eat your clothes just like moths do. I have a washable mat in mine over the hardwood for a little softness.

Hatch door using standard door hinges and a pull handle

I agree stick with the hardwood. No carpet.

JMO. I would do a door in the floor like they used to do to access a crawl space or a cellar. That way you can access the plumbing anytime without tearing up the floor. Then I would add a nice throw rug on top. Would make a good hiding place for your secret stuff.

Cant get the pic to copy. Heres the site. You will need to scroll down.

http://diyprojectblog.com/2012/04/16/crawl-space-storage/

This is just my opinion but I think it looks like a cost-cutting move (when I have looked at houses that have done that it made me wonder what else they may have cut corners on) - plus it's so much easier to care for

I had to chuckle at this! DH is a carpet installer (36 years). He mostly does upscale (new) homes in the east Texas area. I added our location because I think some things can vary by location. Yes, yes yes, carpet is installed in master closets all the time where hardwood is in the rest of the bedroom. Now some of these "closets" are the size of med sized bedrooms! In fact when were remodeled our master suite in 07, I wanted hardwood in the closets! The bedroom is carpeted (and so are the closets btw) :o I went with my husband to a HUGE new home the other day while he tied in the carpeted stairway he did to the hardwood at the top of the stairs. The his and hers master closets were carpeted. The master bedroom was hardwood.

I think it's a regional and personal preference. Plus if you think carpet is the cheaper option you are not getting quality carpet, padding and installation. The big boxes sell cheaper carpet and offer a steal on install but you get what you pay for. I am shopping for carpet for our MBR and picked three that average $90 per yard (low end wool) that doesn't include pad or install. My DH who was a flooring installer in a younger life said lets reconsider hardwood it's cheaper!

I built this two bedroom retirement home and included two 400 sf closets, both are carpeted. We use a vacuum on all hard floors before cleaning so it's not an extra chore to vacuum the closets. The Shaw wool berber feels nice on our bare feet.

missymoo12, site finished hardwood in this area is ~$20/sq'. That carpet would have to be $180/y installed to not be less than hardwood. And no, I wouldn't go high end in a closet. We wouldn't spend much time in there and it's not high traffic.

Cleaning isn't an issue. I vacuum my hardwood anyway.

DH would have me committed if I spent the money on hardwood and then added an area rug. At the very least, it would add fodder to his belief that it's too big for a closet. So it'll be w2w carpet, or hardwood, but not hardwood with area rug.

I'm still on the fence. It would be nice to not have to worry about making the transition from the bedroom to the bathroom. And it's a lot of money to save.

I can understand why you'd want carpet due to cost, access, and it might feel nice on your feet while getting ready in your 'dressing room' :) I'm sure whatever decision you come to will be right for you.

The only wall to wall carpet on the first floor of my house is the MBR closet. I like that it makes the closet warmer in the winter and has a noise dampening effect too.

The only carpet we have on our main level is in our master closet. We didn't do it for cost cutting measures, just that we liked the idea of carpet in the closet. It doesn't look odd at all. The only suggestion I would make, should you decide to carpet your closet, is to be sure your vacuum cleaner can go under your closet system. Some of our units are a little too low and I need to put a nozzle on the vacuum hose and vacuum that way. Otherwise, I vacuum the entire house whether carpet, hardwood or tile, so not an issue to do the closet.

I'll also go with the hardwood as it can be cleaned easily. When it
comes to open living spaces then rugs are the first choice as they are
not expensive as fas as they are machine made.

Wood.

Don't skimp on this, plenty of other places to save $.

Oaktown, I think you've convinced me to do carpet. :-)

You've made a good point that there are plenty of other places to save OR spend $. The budget isn't unlimited. We have to make choices on where to save and where to splurge. This isn't important enough to me to splurge on.

I wonder if those modern carpet squares that you just lay down would be a good solution here, actually. They'd be so easy to pull up to access the panel - and they really look high end and interesting, at least to my mind. Easy to replace down the road, too. And, cozier on the feet.

That's a great idea, stef. I have visited their showroom in Toronto, I could probably get them to send me some more samples. (The ones I have were intended for the kitchen and/or entry way, so they've got really low pile, and kind of rough.)

They probably wouldn't be a money savings, though. Those things aren't cheap.

I wouldn't hesitate to do what you're thinking, but I'd probably stick with a low pile. Check out large (discount) carpet stores in your area and look for one that carries rolls of carpet they've discounted.
I've seen carpeted closets in high-end show/model homes that had hardwood and the closets felt cosy & quiet.

Here's an idea. When I see these carpeted closets they're often done in a fancy/fun/elegant print...an animal print, floral or scroll for example. A very dense low pile carpet. Something you'd often see on a carpeted staircase. I don't think you can go wrong with whatever you choose to do :) This is one of those things that is totally a personal choice