Walk-In wardrobe or build ins and larger ensuite?

[Eleoura]

We are at planning stage of adding an extension which will allow space for a WI wardrobe and smallish en-suite, or, large ensuite and built ins instead. I'd worry that the WI wardrobe would become a junk room, and I'd use the larger bathroom much more. The small ensuite would have a shower, whereas the larger option could fit a bath also. I mostly shower and we already have a bath in the main bathroom I could use

Any thoughts or ideas I haven't considered?

How big is the space?

I’d have built ins and smaller ensuite

I have had walk in wardrobes in two houses, 1 was designed as an extension, one we inherited. I think they are great - as long as you have a door that you can shut them away (We had a pocket door in one). In both we have had lots of fitted rails including double height & shelves so easy to tidy the clutter away and find what you want. In one house we had a small ensuite but it was cleverly designed so that we had a generous sized shower but also some fitted cupboards. We now have a large ensuite with a bath and lots of wasted space. I much preferred the smaller ensuite.
My priority would be a walk in wardobe as long as there was space for a large shower and some ensuite storage.

Thanks for the comments and thoughts.

The extension is 3m x 2.7m. The existing bedroom is 3.6m x 3.6m.

Personally, I'd go for a spacious ensuite, no bath, and built in wardrobes. I dont have enough clothes to fill a walk in wardrobe, so have never got the appeal, but accept most people have more clothes than me!

I would go for a larger en suite (without bath but with lovely walk in shower) and skip the walk in wardrobe. Would the walk in be with open rails /shelves - if so I really wouldn’t recommend it as your clothes get surprisingly dusty!

Large en suite and built ins - as long as you will have enough storage space.

This was what we chose, we were going to have a WI wardrobe but I realised I don’t want to get dressed in a small dark space!! Much nicer getting dressed in our large bedroom.

However I wouldn’t bother putting a bath in your en suite if you mostly shower. Have a lovely large shower and double vanity instead and spaaace.

Why dont you put up a floor plan, there are some v creative people on here and they have some interesting suggestions.

Here is a rough floor plan. The bathroom/walk in are the extension. The existing bedroom is 3.6 (12ft) x 3.6m (12ft). If we had a larger en-suite, I think we could fit built ins, within the current bedroom. The bed location, bathroom layout are all just suggested on the plan and far from fixed. Any suggestions would be great.

That’s a lot of space. You could have his and her bathrooms and a dressing area in front of it!

@GrumpyHoonMain- Yes it large, with high ceilings, but also old (1930's) and currently derelict! We are living in a static caravan in the garden, which is probably about the same size as the room will be!

That's about right, you wouldn't have that much room for wardrobes in there. I'd go with the design. If you want a larger ensuite then you could always nick a bit of the wardrobe and the shower and create a step in the wardrobe.

Hate built in, look tacky IMO so go for dressing room

Don't get the dressing room thing, particularly when right next to a bathroom.

I get that it says 'luxury', but I don't see where the actual luxury is - I'm assuming you ain't got a maid waiting to brush your hair, and it's not like we live in rooms that we need to vacate while someone empties the chamber pot, sweeps the grate and beats the (slightly damp and whiffy because washed every couple of months) sheets. So what is the benefit?

Big bathroom on the other hand - benefit of not bashing yourself to bits while slathering on moisturiser.

Having said go for larger en suite and built ins - having seen your floorplan I’m not sure how that would work, especially with that diagonal chimneybreast. The current plan fits the space very well (though I’d put the bed facing the window).

Can you draw out roughly what you have in mind?

@BustPipes- hehehe. At no point did I mention dressing room or it meaning luxury, simply a walk in wardrobe to store clothes!

The house does indeed still have servant call bells, so maybe we have will someone to sweep the grate!

Can the ensuite be on the other side? I see you've got the two bathrooms back to back, which makes sense for drainage, but is it essential? Alternatively, does the window have to be on that wall? Can it be moved to the end wall so that the en suite can have natural light?

That 'dressing room' is too small to serve two people. Could you have an ensuite that went across the end of the extension furthest from the bed in that picture, accessed by a 'corridor' created by wardrobes on either side.

If having a bar isn't that important to you, I would definitely sacrifice it to get a larger shower in a smaller space. You could still have a comfortable en suite and large wardrobes.

I once lived in a flat with a walk-in wardrobe. I loved it from the point of view that I could see everything when I was choosing clothes and putting them away. The room was about 2m x 1.5m, with a hanging rail down the long wall, a long shelf above it and another low down, and baskets in a 1m wide rack on the shorter wall opposite the door. That left a space about 1.5m x 1m to get dressed in, with a chair in that space. A 2m x 1.5m dressing room sounds huge, but only 1 person can use it at a time.

Dh and I now have the equivalent amount of storage in 3m of wardrobe along one wall. We can both access our wardrobes, and get dressed in front of them, at the same time without getting in each other's way.

If that's a roof light in the en-suite then you're fine for natural light. Of the two, it's definitely more important to have a bathroom window than one in the dressing room/ WIW. But having said that, if you have a mirror in the DR you'll want to be able to try things on in natural/ daylight.

Agree you should have the bed facing the window too, have a real dislike of opening the door onto the bed.

I think it's a really good layout. Would absolutely love a dressing room!

[quote Eleoura]@BustPipes- hehehe. At no point did I mention dressing room or it meaning luxury, simply a walk in wardrobe to store clothes!

The house does indeed still have servant call bells, so maybe we have will someone to sweep the grate! [/quote]
Well in fairness the label on your drawing says very clearly ‘dressing room’, so you kind of did ‘say’ that

I don’t think en-suite need to be huge. Obviously tiny and cramp is best avoided if possible, but if there’s a decent sized shower and basin and some storage, it can feel luxurious due to fittings even if not huge. I think a bath in an en-suite does say more luxurious, but if you wouldn’t use it, or it means sacrifices elsewhere, don’t bother. Well designed built in wardrobes can be fantastic and lofts lends themselves to them I think. Personally I’m not bothered by walk in wardrobe or dressing room, but they do speak luxury.

For resale value, as long as done well, I guess a great en-suite with bath and a walk in wardrobe dressing room adds most value. Next would be the en-suite without bath but with walk in wardrobe or en-suite with bath and great fitted wardrobes = equal uplift in value. Having en-suite with shower and walk in wardrobes probably would t add quite so much value... it it would be minimal. Do what you will like and enjoy most.

At no point did I mention dressing room

Your picture literally says dressing room

Currently do the same thing in ours, but different layout, we're converting a small bedroom next to our main bedroom into a walk in wardrobe. The ensuite has to stay the same size, but I wouldn't want a bath in it anyway. If you've got the room, I'd go for a large walk in shower rather than a bath, and then masses of wardrobes/versatile storage in the 'dressing area' with a door separating it from the bedroom.

Apologies. I never realised the architect had written 'dresing room' on the pic! I've just assumed this would be a cupboard for clothes, and not a room I'd physically get dressed in, hence I've been referring to it as a WIW.

The bed location is just a suggestion by the architect, as its currently completely empty. The location of en-suite/WIW can also be swapped around, as can the windows in the extension. I too was thinking of having the entire extension as the en-suite, rather than split into 2 rooms.

Some great ideas and thoughts, thank you.

If you have the entire extension as the en suite I’m not sure you’ll have enough space for wardrobes in the bedroom will you?

Don’t underestimate how much space you need for clothes - DH and I have 2.5m of wardrobes each, they are fairly full, and we really don’t have many clothes. Remember things like shoes, boots, partywear, sportswear, holiday clothes need storing somewhere, not just everyday clothes, though you can put some of these things in another place if that suits better.

You can never have too much storage space .

I would use that extension to put in stairs to an attic with proper flooring and ceiling, for comfortable storage, and still have a lovely ensuite. I'd put wardrobes in the remaining alcove and across one wall of the bedroom.