Help with closet design- garage space floor plan

6 years ago

I posted on the remodeling thread but no responses. I am hoping any of you who like looking at floor plans and thinking about living flow can comment. I want help designing a new closet as part of a garage conversion/addition.

Here is my existing floorplan.

We want to turn the "rec room" into a side entry garage, entry from the left side. The current "rec room" is unusable due to not being heated and cooled.

The existing rec room has a double door to the current master, a single door to the hall by the laundry room, and a current door to the "hobby room" which is a storage room with counters and shelved between the current garage and house. We enter the home through the garage then this "hobby room" that goes into the home via a butlers' pantry off the kitchen (labeled kitchen 2 on the plan)

If we make access from the new garage through the hobby room, it makes the same entry to the home from either garage. There is also a possibility of removing wall between the 2 garages making one big open space.

I am sure I want to make some type of new master closet using the double doors from the existing master. What I am not sure about is whether to make a long closet with two doors, the second opening to the hall by the laundry room.

Or whether to make a new master closet, and then make a closet or walk way with from the garage to the laundry room hall. Or I could also do a master plus second closet only accessible from the laundry room.

Comments on traffic flow etc with these options?

Thanks for some fresh eyes and perspectives.

Possible remodel floor plans:

All work will be to code and we are aware of firewall requirements between home and garage.

Thanks for any comments.

lafdr

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Comments (4)

AnnKH
6 years ago
So in either case, you will have garage storage, connected to the hobby room?

Do you use the current rec room for storage? If so, will that stuff be stored in the upper (on the drawing) part of the new garage? Will that space be adequate?

Where is the master closet now? Do you hang clothes on the right side of the bathroom?

I am always excited about adding storage space, but I think you need to figure out what your storage needs are. Do you want the new space to be your only clothes closet? If so, connecting it to the laundry room hall would be pretty sweet. If it is for things not used every day (out of season clothes, holiday decorations, etc) the second door might be less important.

If you separated the space into two storage areas, what would you put in each?

The answer to these kinds of questions almost always comes down to "How will you use it?"
PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
6 years ago
Seek the advice of a good local architect. There is a lot involved in remodeling existing spaces and there may be alternatives to meet your needs that you have not thought of.
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Here is my existing floorplan. Master is at the left end of the house, then a hall to secondary bedroom and kitchen and the rest of the home is to the right of all of this with an open kitchen/DR/LR then two bedrooms and bath for our kids at the far right. What this house is missing is more garage space. There is only a 2 car garage and we want more garage and have a space we can turn into more garage labeled rec room here. This master and master bath were an addition by the prior owner. The second bedroom on this view is the old master. We want to turn the rec room into a side entry garage, entry from the left side. Above is the current floor plan. The current "rec room" is unusable due to not being heated and cooled. It is more of an enclosed patio than interior space. We have yard access to turn it to a garage. The existing rec room has a double door to the current master, a single door to the hall by the laundry room, and a current door to the "hobby room" which is a storage room with counters and shelved between the current garage and house. We enter the home through the garage then this "hobby room" that goes into the home via a butlers' pantry off the kitchen (labeled kitchen 2 on the plan) I did not design this home. If we make access from the new garage through the hobby room, it makes the same entry to the home from either garage. I am sure I want to make some type of new master closet using the double doors from the existing master. What I am not sure about is whether to make a long closet with two doors, the second opening to the hall by the laundry room. Or whether to make a new master closet, and then make a closet or walk way with from the garage to the laundry room hall. Or I could also do a closet only accessible from the laundry room. Comments on traffic flow etc with these options? Thanks for some fresh eyes and perspectives. Possible remodel floor plans: All work will be to code and we are aware of firewall requirements between home and garage. Thanks for any comments. lafdr
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Virgil Carter Fine Art
6 years ago
What Mark said. Keep in mind the building code requires fire-rated construction and openings between a garage and any habitable area of the house. Carbon monoxide and fire are not really good companions in a master bedroom or other part of the house...
lafdr
Original Author
6 years ago
Thank you all for the comments.

The entire right wall of the master bath is an open closet with a built in dresser, hanging rods and a bench.

I think a deluxe walk in closet would be useful to store extra clothes and whatever else to help keep the open closet neat and tidy. I think it would add to resale value more than just extra garage space. A second master closet with a wow factor would be a nice bonus and hopefully seal the deal for new buyers as they went through the house and discovered it.

Good guess that the rec room is used for storage now. When we bought the house we thought it would get more use, but we were not aware how hot it is in summer, and how cold in winter, or of the roof leaks. Our stored items are out of the way of the leaks we know of :) I am trying to get rid of things we truly do not need. Replacing the roof would be part of the job. A complete roof rebuild, not just the roofing material, since it is not built to be indoor space. It is built with plexiglass sections which magnify the heat..........and have deteriorated. We are aware we may need new walls and trusses to support the load of a real roof vs the plexiglass sections.

I have had an architect look at the space :) But they are not signed on to do the drawings. I wanted to get other ideas first.

I would like space to hold our safes and file cabinets not in the garage so they are more hidden. We were robbed once so I keep checkbooks and any personal financial documents in locked file cabinets and a freezer sized safe. I store old papers such as tax returns in a locked metal cabinet that I would want with the other papers. I know it would burn in a fire, I am more concerned about it being stolen and compromised. Do I need a file and safe room as one of the spaces? Perhaps. Or just in the big closet.

I have also considered making it all or some of it a hidden room with a secret book case entry. It could be hidden from the garage, and by the time you walk around to the bedroom, you would loose track of where the walls are and it would be hidden :)

The current double doors and single door at the top of the rec room are frosted glass French Doors. I like the light through them and would like to keep them.

I like the idea of a new master closet more than I need it. Due to the firewall issues. I need to decide where the interior/living space ends vs garage. That is one reason I wanted to create this closet space on the interior side of the fire wall. Even if it ends up being just an unfinished not leaking storage space.

lafdr

Help with closet design- garage space floor plan

Comments (4)

AnnKH

Mark Bischak, Architect

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Help with closet design- garage space floor plan

Comments (4)

AnnKH

Mark Bischak, Architect

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Virgil Carter Fine Art

lafdrOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

lafdr
Original Author