will absolutely need gown hanging space, lots of shoes, room for tall boots (ideas?), purse storage, etc. Do you mean you have a lot of evening gowns that must be stored, or do you mean a hook to hang a night gown you're going to wear again? If you mean wear-again items, do you also need a place to hang worn-once workout clothes or jeans you're going to wear again before they're washed? Regardless, I say start by cleaning out what you haven't worn in a while, then inventory just how many "long items" and just how many "short items" you have ... then you can make an intelligent decision (rather than a guess) about how much space you need for hanging items. Shoes are space hogs in the closet, and 8x10 may not stretch as far as you need with "lots" of shoes. Things to consider: - You can get a shoe ottoman, which opens up and gives you a place to sit down and a place to store shoes inside. - You might take some of the shoes out of the closet and put them into a shoe storage item at the foot of your bed. - In so many online pictures, the homeowners use the back wall for shoes ... seems like a good idea. - As for tall boots, I'd plan to keep them under dresses ... and buy a couple dollar-store pool noodles to make them "stand up" and keep their shape. Why the double doors for a closet? Depending upon how your room is laid out, you might want your doors to open "out" into your bedroom so nothing's covering up your clothes in the room. Personally, I'm going with NO doors on my closet. Use height as much as you can. Yes. If you have high ceilings, you might look into handicapped pull-down bars. If you have the height, they'll allow you to have a third row of clothes ... way up top: For last minute touch ups my fold away ironing board could not live without it! See, this is why you have to consider your personal needs. I gave my ironing board to the Salvation Army a decade ago and haven't been sorry yet! We love having pullout valet bars in the closet especially when packing for a trip. Oh, I want valet bars! I almost always lay out my clothes the night before, and I know I'd use them. A pretty hook would do. I have an over-the-door hanger for this purpose right now, and it's okay, but it isn't pretty. Things I think you should consider: Do you intend to include drawers or shelves for your folded items ... or will you have a dresser outside the closet? Do you intend to keep a hamper in the closet? Do you need to set aside space in the closet for linens? Do you want a mirror in the room? This could go on the doors. The ceiling is a great place to bring in something decorative without wasting space. Don't forget good lighting. You might consider an automatic light, which would come on automatically when you enter the closet. On that subject, consider lighted hanging rods: What would you like to store in baskets? They're prefect for things that look messy even when they're folded neatly (like shorts, swim suits, or pajamas) ... whereas, things like jeans look neat when they're folded. Do consider picking up a bunch of matching hangers, and -- once your closet is perfect -- make a "one in, one out" rule. What accessories do you need to store? Do you wear lots of scarves, or do you want to store jewelry in the closet? Do you need to allot space for coats, or do you have a coat closet elsewhere in the house? If you're short, you might want to include a spot for a small stool. Finally, here's a website with lots of closets I find attractive: https://thehappyhousie.porch.com/20-incredible-small-walk-in-closet-ideas-makeovers/

Thank you artistsharonva and scottie mom!! Scottie mom- love your drawing of your bathroom! Looks fantastic. I was thinking that tone is probably as dark as I want to go. Thank you so much for posting all that! I’ve had issues with photos too. Argh. All, question re: bedroom furniture... I need all new furniture. I have my grandmothers set from the 1960s! So there’s an awesome furniture store in my town that carries a brand made locally (well, LA is 1.5hrs..). They will customize pieces and they have a bunch of stain and paint options. So, I don’t think I want all matching but I’m thinking about 2 different colors... maybe 2 dressers in same, then nightstands in another? Headboard will be fabric (different). Thoughts? Good or bad idea? Other suggestions? Thank you!

Lots and lots of MBs don't have toilet rooms. I prefer them, but we didn't have one in our last house and it was fine bc we had a lock on the door, and an agreement regarding privacy and the other person using a different bathroom. In our current bathroom there's no lock on the main door; just a lock on the toilet room door. A lot of people hate toilet rooms anyway; you do have to put a separate exhaust fan in there, so that's extra cost as well. So if you don't have the space for one, it's no biggie. You can still accomplish your above stated goals of a 6' double vanity, good sized shower, closet space and clearance for walking. One note about the "space for drying off." We dry off inside the shower. If you think you're going to be dripping all over your new floors, ask your contractor to waterproof the floor outside the shower to about 3 or 4 feet. We did this in all our bathrooms when we remodeled them bc they are used by kids. It costs almost nothing in terms of the amount you are spending to remodel.

I like the second option too - 3x4.5 shower should feel plenty big (I have 3.5x5 with a freestanding teak bench and it feels huge). And a 4.5' tub is tiny- smaller than the normal shower/tub combo. Of course, baths are controversial on this site. Some people think they should be nixed altogether, others might suggest bigger shower over tub placement. But I think in any case (except nixing the tub), option 2 is better. If you happen to be like us and enjoy using your tub, then you'll want the 5.5' size. We have a soaking tub that's 5.5' long and it's a great size for one person (still a little tight for dual soaking). Your second bath placement looks like a good size, and also a pleasant place to soak, with view lines and light from the window. To the extent your bath would just be for show, it shows better in a niche with a window visible from the door than it would tucked behind the vanity. Also, who wants to feel on display in the shower? I think the more tucked away private location would be nice for everyday showering.