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Enter master closet from master bath? Yes or No?

User
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

This is a debate I hear very often. I would like to add some unscientific data to the dialog when it is encountered. The question is a global one, not just limited to the simple example I have included to help clarify the question. What is your preference?

Yes, I prefer entering from the bath
No, I prefer entering from the bedroom

Comments (39)

  • miss lindsey (She/Her)
    7 years ago

    I voted to enter through bedroom. I don't want my clothes potentially exposed to all the steam and damp (I know I will close the door and use the fan, but cannot vouche for others' ability to do so) and I want access to my clothes while someone else is using the washroom. Plus I sometimes like to just stand and gaze at my clothes (true story) and it would be so awkward to pop out of my closet to find someone else in the bathroom, even if it is Husband.

    User thanked miss lindsey (She/Her)
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  • PRO
    Ellsworth Design Build
    7 years ago
    Of the two posted choices the closet is optimized by entering through the bath. My master closet is off the bath- no issues. I designed my home this way as it freed up a wall in the bedroom for a long dresser.
    User thanked Ellsworth Design Build
  • Bev
    7 years ago

    It's a really smart idea to have your clothes so close to the bathroom! You are not having to go through your room just to get dressed. My daughter purchased a town home last year and she thought it was weird that her walk in closet is off the bathroom. I told her that it makes perfect sense!

    User thanked Bev
  • Wendy
    7 years ago
    I deliberately designed mine attached to he bath. My husband and I wake at different times depending on the day. This way we can each get completely ready without having to pass back and forth through the bedroom and waking each other up. We both love it.
    User thanked Wendy
  • januarisun
    7 years ago

    Before we moved in, we separated our closets from the bathroom(s). They felt too intertwined, and a poor use of space. We opted for larger closet, smaller vanity, and separate entrances.


    User thanked januarisun
  • D. L.
    7 years ago

    It depends upon you and your spouse and which way it functions best and how much privacy you prefer getting ready and whether you tend to take long steamy showers or baths, because that really can cause your clothing to feel damp.

    I don't dress right away after a bath or shower ever, because my hair is dripping wet, so I prefer them separated.

    I generally wait 30 minutes to 45 minutes after washing up to get dressed, and I would rather hang out in the bedroom than walk through the still steamy damp room for the putting clothing on part.

    User thanked D. L.
  • Nikki Lee
    7 years ago
    in your drawings i prefer thr door in the bathroom. I am debating the same thing for my new house. I like the door being in the bathroom only to have a dresser on the outside. However I am wondering if my spouse will want to use the bathroom while I need in the closet. Since our walk in closet is not wide enough for hangers on both sides, I am wondering if a regular closet would be a better use of space. The space is 12 x 15 but we also need an exterior door.
    User thanked Nikki Lee
  • Amanda
    7 years ago

    Our new home enters the closet from the bathroom, and I think it's great! My husband wakes up over an hour before I need to, and at our old home, with closet off bedroom, he used to use a flashlight to find his clothes and ninja walk around getting ready without waking me (such a nice guy!) Now everything can be done in the bathroom area with lights on!

    User thanked Amanda
  • Nodak
    7 years ago

    Amanda I hope that is how our new house works out. My hubby does the same thing now with trying to be quiet and having a ikea light in the closet but I always wake up. I wasn't sure about the closet door in the bathroom but now I am kinda looking forward to it, thanks!

    User thanked Nodak
  • D. L.
    7 years ago

    Still depends on the privacy level and schedule of the couple. If they get up at the same time and don't find it romantic watching each other go to the bathroom and shower, then that makes the second person have to wait for the first person to go all the way through the morning process to get ready.

    Twenty and thirty year olds often like that hyper-intimacy, even being in the room together while one is on the toilet, but oldy-weds, middle aged and elderly people don't tend to want it, from my experience.

    User thanked D. L.
  • PRO
    Gerety Building and Restoration
    7 years ago

    I prefer having them separated, but looking at the poll results it looks like it's pretty even.

    User thanked Gerety Building and Restoration
  • graycern
    7 years ago

    My sister has her closet entrance from the bathroom. Her closet gets damp from the steam of the bathroom.

    User thanked graycern
  • PRO
    Cameron's Design
    7 years ago

    An easy entry from the master closet to the bath facilitates easy and private dressing.

    User thanked Cameron's Design
  • templeofm
    7 years ago

    My vote is to have a closet in between the bedroom and master bath. That way, the closet is accessible to all, and it cushions the sound of the bathroom. If your partner gets up a lot earlier than you, they can make all the noise they want in the bathroom without waking you up.

    User thanked templeofm
  • lwfromny
    7 years ago
    LOVE the closet off the bath. I really appreciated that it isolated closet/dressing activity separate from the sleeping area. Never had any issue with steam or dampness, but the bathroom was HUGE (the size of a decent size bedroom), so maybe it was because the shower was pretty far from the entrance to the closet (about 8 feet away). Closet backed up to a long vanity, and there was a tv cabinet in the closet and the tv showed through one way glass on an angled section of vanity so we could watch the news while getting ready in the morning. No longer in that home and I miss that bath and closet every day!
    User thanked lwfromny
  • User
    7 years ago

    Never enter from bathroom as a choice design!

  • lwfromny
    7 years ago
    @Daniel Heller, why? "Never" is a strong word. Shouldn't design follow the functional needs and preferences of the homeowner?
    User thanked lwfromny
  • User
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Yes, never is a strong word. If the homeowner considered everything, and is happy and WANTS it that way for a reason, by all means go for it. If I was the architect of record, I would never recommend to use a room as "circulation" to get into another room. Do you want to have to walk into the closet through the bathroom while another person is sitting on the toilet? Let's assume for a moment that you are in a rush, you can't wait, and want to get right into the closet! It is pretty clear that the option of entering either into bathroom or into the closet directly from the bedroom is preferable.

    Daniel @ artgreeT.com

    User thanked User
  • lwfromny
    7 years ago
    Ah I see your thinking :). My response presumes a dedicated water closet, so it's a non-issue if that's the case. Personally I'd have a closet off the bathroom again in a heartbeat. Thanks for the clarification.
  • User
    7 years ago

    And if the house has to be sold later on and the buyer needs a non dedicated water closet ?

  • lwfromny
    7 years ago
    Honestly that seems like a reach to me. There will always be buyers who aren't going to find your house workable. The number who for some reason (maybe a disability?) are not able to live in a house with the toilet in its own room will not be great. Houses are built with dedicated water closets all the time, whether or not the (clothing) closet is off the bathroom. While I concur that it may be risky to put in some crazy architectural feature that would turn off most buyers when building a home, I hardly think a dedicated water closet qualifies as a crazy design.

    At any rate, we can agree to disagree.
  • User
    7 years ago

    It isn't a disagreement at all, I am just providing my thinking for the benefit of the OP.

  • PRO
    User
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Greetings. I would like to thank the people who took time to vote and comment on the poll. In my area, access to the master closet from the master bath is very common. I was surprised by the votes so far. I hope the voting continues because the bigger the voting numbers the more reliable a trend definition can be. Thanks again.

  • PRO
    Mark Bischak, Architect
    7 years ago

    I avoid moisture entering places where mould has opportunity to grow. It may not be a problem now, but sooner or later . . .

  • gigi1993
    7 years ago

    Our closet is off the bathroom and I love it. We always use the fan during showers and have never had steam to be an issue.

    User thanked gigi1993
  • CLC
    7 years ago

    We have never had an issue with moisture/humidity in the closet here, either. Perhaps it would be a concern in a very humid climate.

    Our last home had the bathroom off the bedroom, and I always woke up when my husband got ready in the morning. Sometimes steam from the hot shower got into the bedroom, too, but I never worried about our mattress or bedding getting moldy or anything (and the life of our mattress is longer than the life of our clothes). Any added moisture dissipates and dries out relatively quickly with adequate ventilation, as with any room of our home. Run the bathroom fan as usual, and leave the closet door open (or take the door off if you never use it). You need pretty consistently humid or wet conditions to encourage mold/mildew growth.

    A good friend of mine has her washing machine in their master closet, and they line dry everything on hangers in the closet out of the washing machine. And the closet is carpeted! Now that would make me nervous (line drying soaking wet clothing releases a lot of water vapor as it dries, and it obviously stays wet/damp for a while before dry), even though their closet never smells musty. Either way, that setup concerns me way more than having a decent sized walk in closet off a bathroom.

    I find the closet off the bathroom very convenient and wonderful for our marriage and sleep schedules. My husband can get completely ready for work without waking me up. I also like to leave my towel at the shower, and it is nice to be able to walk right into the closet and get dressed. Overall, I think it is a great layout/design.

    User thanked CLC
  • Steve Allen
    7 years ago

    I'm just starting a new home build. Having the master closet off the bathroom is one of the features I look forward to the most. As many others have mentioned, my wife and I also have opposite schedules. Currently, I tip toe around in the dark in the morning between the closet and the bathroom.

    Anyone I've every talked to that has actually has the closet off the bathroom prefers it that way and says that moisture issue in the closet is a non-issue. (CLC makes a good points about moisture venturing out into the bedroom. And, mold needing consistent moisture, not just 30 minutes a day). We typically leave the windows shut and go straight from AC to heat as the seasons change. Our home is always a little too dry most of the time. I can't help but think the moisture issue is just an assumed issue for people that live in homes with the closet off the bedroom and are trying to justify why it's better that way.

    I also like the bonus of not using up wall space in the bedroom with another door.

    User thanked Steve Allen
  • PRO
    Creative Home Engineering
    6 years ago

    Just saw this related discussion. Might be of interest to see this other Before & After page of how we made an entrance to the master closet in the bathroom without taking up ANY wall space!

    https://www.houzz.com/discussions/secret-master-closet-entrance-see-how-it-unlocks-dsvw-vd~3809056?n=19

  • Laurie Schrader
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I have a hallway, between master bath and bedroom. In between, the closet. Accessible to both the bedroom and the bathroom, but not invasive in either space. Best of all worlds, as the hallway also has walls that are sound-buffered with insulation- no noise into the 2nd living area and office on the other side.

    A compact, city-center house but it really works. And my closet has a window (can open) and a fan, to get rid of any humidity that might creep in.

    Love it.

    User thanked Laurie Schrader
  • Nikki Lee
    6 years ago
    We took our master in two feet and just have a regular closet. I believe it will be deeper than regular. Walk in closets seem to have wasted space. My husband plans to keep the majority of his work clothes in the main bathroom closet and his fancy clothes in the master closet.
    The only downside is that whole wall will be sliding doors for the closet and we won't be able to put a dresser there.
    We could have a WIC but the room dimensions would change to be around 13x14 depending how wide to make the closet. It is currently 12'10"x16'. I think the closet is 2'10"x8' approximently.
  • Carol Lundquist
    6 years ago

    In my previous house the entry to the master closet was off the master bath and I loved it. The commode had it's own room with a door within the bath and the closet had a door. I liked that the closet was out of the way and the nice large master bath was the first thing you'd see when entering from the master bedroom. It just seems like a more harmonious flow of the floor plan to have two rooms connect and not be interrupted by a closet. I was in that house 14 years and never had an issue with damp clothing. The closet was 9x14, so very ample, and had a window which I rarely opened. The home in which I'm now living is just the opposite; you pass by two small master closets one on each side of a narrow hallway before coming to the master bath. I much preferred my previous house bath/closet setup.

  • summerdazzze
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I am currently looking for a new house, new construction., I have been in the same house for twenty years so this new trend shocked me! I would say about 90% of the houses we have looked at had master closets in master bath! Ewww!!! I had to google it and find out WHY?? Why would anyone want a closet in a bathroom, (other then a linen closet)? I've been reading the comments here and can't believe some people think this is a good idea. That's a deal breaker. Definitely not for me and would NOT buy the house unless it had the capabilities of moving the closet door to where it is accessible from bedroom.

    What's next toilets in the bedroom, hmmmm?? Oh wait that is becoming a thing!...... https://laurelberninteriors.com/2016/06/25/bathroom-renovation-trend-avoid/

  • Cheryl Smith
    4 years ago

    The thing I hate the most about our forever home is that you need to walk completely through the master bath to the closet. It has a pocket door to the closet. I hate the layout. We had a wall of closets before and no master bath. I almost prefer that over what we have now. The toilet is right next to the closet. Ick! I'm always thinking of Smells and humidity from the shower.

  • K R
    4 years ago

    On paper it doesn’t seem like a big deal but I actually just toured an expensive home where the closet was in the very back of the master bath and it was AWFUL. I hadn’t seen one before like that, typically they’re in the “hall” between the master bedroom/bathroom and that doesn’t bother me a bit. Cannot imagine putting on my shoes and then walking through my bathroom and fuzzy white rugs. Nope.

  • Carol Yonov
    3 years ago

    My ideal is to have a dressing area with sink. Closet with a door is on one side, bathroom is to other side (pocket door). Current house as well as previous house had this arrangement. I can shower first then move into dressing area to do makeup, dry hair, and dress while hubby shaves and showers. If I were to try to do makeup and hair while he is showering there is just too much humidity. Will NOT buy house without this arrangement.

  • Wanda Fields-Piepho
    3 years ago

    I don't want my clothes to take on the odors in the bathroom and the humidity. Also how sanitary is that? I don't get out of the shower and go to the master closet. I have to go into the bathroom anyway, my dresser is in there with my undergarments.

  • Wendy
    last year

    Love having my closet off the master bath. So much better then having to go back out to the bedroom to get dressed. No moisture issues for us.

  • Martin Flores
    3 months ago

    I have always had my walk in closet accessible from my bedroom. Granted having a closet door, a bathroom door in a bedroom on top of the door required to get into the bedroom does take up a lot of space and tends to look chaotic/messy if doors are left ajar (my opinion)…but it makes more sense to me. At my present home I’ve lived 10 years with a closet accessible through a walk through bathroom. I feel sort of limited as to what I can do with my master bath as I have to be mindful that the double vanity, tub, shower alcove and throne room (toilet room),oh and the linen closet all have to be configured in such a way that allows a passage way from the bedroom to the closet. I’m trying to upgrade remodel my master bathroom but I’m at a loss for ideas because I’m not sure how to make my bathroom feel less catwalk/ runway-esque