Walk In Closets vs. Reach In Closets: The Pros and Cons of Both

A great closet is something many people vie for and will go to great lengths to get. In places like New York City, people pay mega bucks to own a closet or storage space, some of which are just tiny cages with a lock for safekeeping!

Some people go as far to turn N.Y. closets into their homes! We don’t necessarily suggest you utilize your closet space by making it your home, but we do suggest that you get started making your walk-in or reach-in closet flow cohesively with your personal style!

Luckily, most of us can enjoy a home with at least one really great closet that doesn’t cost a fortune! But if you have to choose between a walk-in closet and a reach-in closet for your new apartment or house, take these pros and cons of both into consideration before making a decision!

Are you a Stylish, Boutique Walk-In Closet Kinda Chick?

A walk-in closet may be for you if you love shoes and need a place to display your fabulous collection.

If you love to primp and take your sweet time when it comes to beautifying yourself, a walk-in closet can provide the perfect place for your own private beauty retreat.

Or a Functional, Minimalistic and Well Organized Gal?

A reach-in closet is for you if you love simplicity and functionality with a touch of style.

When it comes to your wardrobe, you want to keep classic and chic items streamlined for easy access and no-fuss dressing

There is a big world out there and you feel as if spending time tackling all the things you want to do is much easier when you have organization set in place in your home. A small closet is the perfect solution to keeping it simple at home, so you can live extravagantly out in the world!

– PRO:   A walk-in wardrobe can be used for both storing your belongings and serve as a dressing room.

– PRO:   Walk-in closets can serve as a space to fold clothes and store your ironing board.

– PRO:   We many times think of a closet as a space to hang our clothes, but with a walk-in you can utilize organization systems to store most of your belonging. Organization accessories include custom cabinets, shoe racks, jewelry trays, hooks, tie racks, storage for belts and just about every size shelf imaginable.

– PRO:   Large walk-in closets can actually accommodate more than one person, so if you have a significant other or kids, you can share the space and create a room that fits everyones belongings.

– PRO: For a more private setting, a walk-in closet can be transformed into a boutique dressing room with a sitting area, full length mirror and vanity.

– CON: A large walk-in closet may not be for you if you have a small home. The extra space a walk-in closet takes up could space used more efficiently for other household projects.

– CON: If you decide to have a walk-in closet that the whole family shares, privacy may become an issue.

– CON: Walk-ins can be over your budget to install and more difficult to clean because of the large space.

– CON: Lighting must be considered when installing a walk-in closet. You need to consider electrical outlets, overhead lighting and even natural lighting. Drapes should be installed in walk-in closets with windows to ensure that clothes are not faded out by the sun.

If you are concerned with simplicity and functionality, a reach-in closet will probably work best for your lifestyle. Small closets can be easily designed and kept neat with organization systems.

Small Closets can be entirely functional and awesome, but can also just be too tiny. Here are some pros and cons to consider when deciding if utilizing a reach in closet is right for you:

– PRO: Small reach-in closets can help you become more minimalistic. Sometimes purging all your stuff can be a revival and a purifying experience. Clutter is said to cause bad chi in the home decor world of Feng Shui. For optimal good chi and positive energy, reducing your stuff to fit in a reach in closet can be a completely positive experience.

– PRO: Reach- in closets allow you to know what you have. If you can successfully organize a small closet to be efficient and organized, you will be able to see a huge difference in space.

– PRO: Since reach in closets are just big enough, you will be forced to see your entire wardrobe. This makes it easy to see if you have doubles of certain items.

– PRO: Small closets are great because they help us clean out what we don’t need. For instance, when you have a tiny space to store your wardrobe, a great tool to use in creating room is to donate an old item for every new item you buy. So if you get a great new blouse, take a look to see if you can donate an old one that is similar or that you just don’t wear very often. This is a great way to take part in recycling and help someone that may treasure what you consider to be old.

Check out these small closet life hacks:

– PRO: A small closet can be revamped to incorporate your belongings. You can customize your reach-in to fit your lifestyle and match your need. Utilize shoe hangers, hooks, premium hanging rods, baskets, bins totes, jewelry trays and even a small table with a mirror to really take advantage of the space your small closet offers.

– PRO: Forces you to stay organized. You can even learn to color code your wardrobe for complete tidiness. Small closets can help you create a system that is unique to your own organization needs. And the creative ideas are endless!

– CON: If you have a lot of seasonal items, a small closet may not be the best solution for your storage needs. You can always tote up your jackets and scarves to store away elsewhere, but make sure they are well protected from pests and weather.

– CON: You may be a collector. If this is the case, a small closet is not the closet for you. With little space, you must not hoard collectibles. Efficiency in organization is a must and you can end up with a huge mess if you try to stash too many things in a small closet.

– CON: You may feel overwhelmed by the act of fitting all of your things into a reach in closet.

– CON: Removing the doors to your reach in closet is a great way to make it look larger and create easy access, but if you live in a home with lots of natural lighting you will have to make sure that your clothes won’t be faded by direct sunlight.

– CON: With a small closet, you must be okay with having less stuff. If you have attachment to lots of different clothing articles that you just can’t part with, a small closet is not for you.

– CON: You may just want more space and a small closet doesn’t always give you that option. A cool thing to combine with a small closet is a standing wardrobe. Check out these fabulous “outside the closet” thinking strategies from Ty Pennington

Whatever your style, there are pros and cons to both walk-in closets and reach-ins. The best advice is to make sure you choose and organization system that fits your needs. Check out these savvy organization products from All About Closets to enhance your walk-in or small closet.