I've seen it done a million times on house flipping shows, and they spray it with something, maybe even just water, and then scrape it with this tool. And it's done. It looks simple enough I would do it.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Homax-Steel-Paint-Scraper-Common-12-in-Actual-12-in/50183393

Popcorn ceilings can have asbestos fibers in the material. Not necessarily a task done properly with simply a scraper.

I had never heard of that, but here you go.

Here's some information that might be helpful Amy: https://jselabs.com/blog/popcorn-ceiling-asbestos/

While that's true Elmer and was a concern of mine, my BIL assures me that the age of my house pretty much guarantees that there is no asbestos in it.

Do as you wish. The only guarantee is a test of a sample.

Elmer is correct; personally, I wouldn’t want to take the chance.

We tested for asbestos (none found) and removed our own decades ago. It's not difficult. Used a new clean sprayer to wet the ceiling down with water and then a long handled trowel to knock it off. Then ceiling needs to be re textured and painted. For a closet you can use knock down in a can. It's a bit messy but not difficult. Anyone with basic handyman skills can do it. Just seal off the area with plastic including the floor and it goes pretty fast. If your home was built beyond the later 70s it is most likely asbestos free depending on where you live. Your BIL is correct.

Haven't removed one but have painted plenty of them.

Another option might be to cover the popcorn ceiling instead of removing it. Perhaps you could cover it with 3d tiles made from PVC or tin tiles or wood. I am a sucker for dark spaces and a black closet sounds awesome!

Squirt bottle, a 6" putty knife, a paint tray and a dropcloth. If you have any upper body strength, you'll be done in an hour. Squirt a 3'x 3' section. Let it soak in for 5 minutes, then gently scrape it into the paint tray. You may get some crumbs on the floor, but it really isn't that messy. I have done probably 10,000 square feet over the years, our entire house, a friend's entire house, and several rentals.

Just be prepared for your ceiling to show seams and joints. Texture is used to hide a lot of imperfections. You will want to re-mud it most likely.

I've never had to live with popcorn ceilings, but my BIL in Austin used to buy rental houses in somewhat sketchy neighborhoods for cheap in the 1980s, and he would put popcorn on all the ceilings. I tried to stop him, but he would not listen to me. He had two of his sons (from a previous marriage) help him with renovations and sometimes live in the houses - at least one of them did. Another one lived in a small complex that BIL bought and manages the apartments for him.

My BIL was very cheap, and his style was almost opposite of mine. I'm glad I've never had to deal with popcorn ceilings myself, and so I sympathize with you but have no advice.

I like wallpaper in closets, and this includes water closets. I want walk-in closets to have plenty of light so that I can find things, however.

I would definitely spend a few bucks to do a test before touching this, regardless ld when the house was built.

Satisfying video, using a Festool Planex:

I meant to tell you, the link I sent over says this about it. Has me convinced it's pretty easy these days.

• Removes popcorn acoustic ceiling texture
• Includes attachment for plastic bag to catch falling texture (bag not included)
• Complete a 10-ft x 10-ft ceiling in 30 minutes or less

Yeah, I do my own. No asbestos after the 80's. I wear a good mask and clear plastic glasses. Put tarps on the floor for easy clean up, it makes a huge mess doing it THIS way. I just get up on a ladder, so I'm about a foot from the ceiling, use a putty scrapper and long strokes. It leaves a little...so it looks like a tiny bit of texture....no seams show this way and you avoid having to "float in mud" as a step...and spray texture. Lift the tarps when done to discard your mess....and paint the ceiing. I LOVE decorating with black....good call! It is a work out tho....but a walk in closet...easy peasy.

I used a garden sprayer filled with hot water with a bit of dish soap added. Spray sections of ceiling (about 4 x4), wait a few minutes and then scrape. Scraped with a wide drywall knife, caught the scrapings onto a drywall hawk & from the hawk into a large garbage can. Yes, it was easy and it does go quickly. Really not all that messy using that method. My ceilings were unpainted so I spread the scrapings on the lawn ahead of a toad strangler to dispose of them.

If the ceiling has been painted--It is a good idea to lightly dry scrape, knocking the highs off so the water spray can penetrate better and faster.

Do you plan to paint the bathroom black, too? I assume after you fumble around in the dark fetching clothes that the next stop is going to be the bathroom for a shower.

( I need to be able to see the difference between navy blue and black, etc. Which would mean turning on the light. A very bright light with lots of lumens to overcome the black.)

Maybe lay out your clothing the night before to avoid the closet altogether?

It's odd that so many of you take the "I don't know or didn't think about it beforehand so it must be okay" approach.

you could use 1/4" sheet of drywall and just drywall over it.

you would have to tape and spackle but if u are handy, that would be the quickest way.

with a closet, your joints don' t have to be perfectly spackled and u might be able to get away with one or 2 seams, depending on the size closet. if u are really lucky, one sheet fitted "perfectly" might be all u need. then just paint!!

this way, u eliminated the whole mess of the popcorn.

My daughter and her SO are about to remove their popcorn ceiling and they are renting a tool that is like a scraper and vacuum in one.

I did just the little toilet room in my bathroom, to try and see how I felt about doing it. NO! My arms killed me and had to stop every 10 minutes. Only used scraper and bottle of water spray. What a mess. That tool that is scraper and vacuum in one might help. but you still have to hold your arms up. There was some repair/ smoothing to be done around light fixture, that I still dont like the looks of . Not worth it to me.

I would cover it with sheets of plywood then paint the plywood or use ceiling tiles and call it a day. Popcorn covered and zero chance of asbestos.

Amylou - Sorry if this is beating a dead horse, but what actual year was your house built? Here’s what mesothelioma.com says about it:

Asbestos popcorn ceilings were popular between 1945 and the 1990s. Asbestos was officially banned from ceiling coverings in 1973. However, previously manufactured asbestos-containing products may have been installed in homes into the 1990s.

Individuals who own homes built before the 1990s should assume asbestos is present in all popcorn ceilings. Materials installed after 1995 likely did not contain asbestos.

A proper tesr won’t break the bank. And if it’s asbestos fhen perhaps covering it wojld be the cheapest, quickest option. Assuming that's legsl in your state; I believe it is in mine.

The house was built in 1988. The addition, which includes the current master bedroom/bathroom/closet and other spaces was added in 2000.

I am not going to paint the bathroom black as well. It is a beautiful ice blue with white trim. It does not bother me like the stark white in the closet. Maybe because the bathroom is roomier. Or maybe its because I prefer any color whatsoever besides white or off white on walls. Blech.

I may just wait for BIL to have time to do it. I want that stupid, ugly ,cheap boob light fixture in there replaced with a small, pretty chandelier anyway. Also, my spring cleaning has become a bigger project than I anticipated. I've ordered a dumpster for a proper purge. Mostly for SO and his shop and the stuff in the yard he has accumulated and wishes to dispose of. But I also plan on going through the house and getting rid of stuff. I refuse to store things in my attic. If I need attic space then I have too much stuff. We likely will not even fill the dumpster up. But, If my purge gets done in a timely matter, and I have both the time and motivation, I am going to attempt the closet makeover myself. I will save our closet for the last thing I will go through, so it will already be emptied out and clean. I have a white bookshelf in the closet that I got and put together when we first bought the house 9 years ago. We use it for storage of all those extra things. Lotion, cologne/perfume, extra toothpaste, bath towels and stuff like that. I will obviously need to change that as well. Its a cheap one from Walmart and needs to be upgraded to something better quality anyway, one of the shelves is bowing already. And I would rather do that while we have a dumpster outside to chuck the old one in. I also am getting a new kitchen door because the one we have is weirdly warping at the bottom, and is not sealing properly. Also wanting to do that while the dumpster is there to chuck the old door. Looking at new mattresses too! A whole turnover is coming! I think that is why I am focused on just that closet to change. I know I am going to be busy and do not want to be overwhelmed.

If the ceiling proves to be beyond my capabilities, then I will just paint the walls and wait for an opening in BILs schedule to deal with the ceiling, which may be a year down the road for all I know...

Meanwhile you could just put in pink light bulbs. Your walls would no longer be white.

I'd get rid of the popcorn ceilings throughout the house. Hire it done in one fell swoop while you have the dumpster. No future buyer will want popcorn ceilings, and you might as well enjoy the smoother look yourselves.

Bought a house in Florida 11 yrs ago. Every room had popcorn ceilings. We hired a painting company to remove it. They sprayed something and scraped it off. We weren't moved in yet. It was messy but they got it done.

Then the ceilings were textured and painted.

Looks good.