This discussion has been had over at the Old House forum, so you might want to check that thread there for other ideas. I definitely agree with the armoire idea, or have some period-style built-ins constructed. Put your funeral suit and cocktail dresses in a guest closet along with other occasional items. What I do is switch out my wardrobe seasonally, which is a great option if your climate allows it. This also gives you an opportunity to really purge your clothing. (That would be another choice. Harsh reality as it is, part of the trade-off in living in our beautiful old homes is compromised storage space by modern standards. When we moved in here, I got rid of soooooo much stuff, and I cannot tell you how great it still feels. Most people really only wear a few things over and over again. You don't need 75 t-shirts if you really only wear 5 regularly. Same thing with work clothes, I found even though I kept buying them, I didn't really wear most of them - so out they went. I also religiously follow the "one-in, one-out" method for mine and DH's clothes and shoes. It's harder for him to choose than me!)

I totally agree with cpartist. You are really limiting yourself by staying in the footprint you made for yourself. Considering the investment you will make in the addition, I would want to do everything I could to make this room and possibly the laundry room/office work. I would also think about landscaping. Maybe your bedroom doesnt look to the patio because you move it to the back of the house, but you have succulents and cacti planted in front of the bedroom windows for a beautiful view. I'd start over with a fresh piece of paper and think about every option. I say this because I am doing a master suite addition to my house. I put a lot of thought into what I wanted. The people on this board also really helped me and I hired an architect. We came up with a great plan and will be starting this week on the project.

Loving the thoughts, and I’ve been battling so many different ideas here. The master at the back has been intriguing, as the ceiling would be easy to vault above that side, and could open up the space as well. To the previous comments, this house has a basement that I can easily open the basements, so plumbing on the right side would remain a straight through path if I keep it aligned. The laundry room variation is a great thought, although it would make me somewhat uncomfortable as the “kids” bathroom needs to be usable for visitors needing to go... we decided against a kids bathtub, as baths are supervised while they are young, or earlier in the evening as they get older (I really don’t see the point of a bath... but my wife insist on a freestanding one). I’ll have finalized measurements on Monday, and will take these design thoughts back into a new diagram. Your feedback has been awesome!

Basics of closet design, if you see the wall behind, there is room to store vertically. Good news: There is a lot of unused space in the closet. A lot of potential. With a closet system, there will be so much more function & storage space. I have design closets for 15+ years. I suggest getting a local closet company for an estimate. Probably can send the layout & get 2-3 estimates. I prefer the hanging systems to keep the option of touching floor or not. That way, if I do not want to touch floor, things can still be store under hang if need be. Make sure the shelving is adjustable, because life adjusts & so does stuff. Make the shelving in the corner deeper. Avoid wire. Things fall through wire & it's just not as good for so many reasons. Watch out for long planks ordered online, I tried, but often the material would come in warped, damaged, etc. I also have done wood, getting the holes to make adjustable shelving is no fun. It was more of a pain & took too long & did not turn out as nice. That's why I prefer using local closet companies who provide the material. Hanging systems need to be secured into studs & there are general rules in widths, so shelving does not warp. I love well functional, adjustable closets. Once you have one, you'll just wish you had one sooner:) slat wall example of gadgets that would be useful to your particular items. or get some white shelving with hooks