I solved that problem in the bath by having a pocket door and I really like it, takes up no wall space. The 4 ft on the left of the closet doorway would work.

I thought about that but we have an access panel to the jetted tub in the closet..

I just noticed you have plumbing in that wall, but maybe the wall could be made thicker to accomodate the pocket door.

Sorry, guess that won't work:/

Ordinarily I'd say out swing, but here the in swing works well, it won't be in the way of moving around in the bathroom. On the wall behind the open door is good storage for racks of scarves and accessories, chains and necklaces, pictures of outfits (if she does that), things that take up little space.

If you do have the door swing into the bathroom it should swing in from the other wall. Not so you walk in right along the bathtub but so you walk into an open area facing the vanities.

How big is DW's closet? If it's not that large, I agree with her.

Our plans call for an outswing door, but our builder wanted to make it an inswing as well. We decided to leave it as an outswing door because we didn't want to have to walk in, then close the door to get to what is behind the door. It looks like your wife would have to do the same for that little area behind where the door would swing in to.

Cpartist - Wife's closet is 8ft deep by 6ft wide... The only reason I think it works better as an inswing into the closet is that even if it swung out into the bathroom you would still have to refrain from using that wall to the right.. I mean as you walk in you cant have shelves or clothes hanging right to the door otherwise when you walk in you will have to squeeze through them.. I told her she could start shelves/clothes where the door opens and leave the wall open for a mirror behind the door.. I think opening into the bathroom might be awkard now that everything is installed and you get to actually do the walking.. If you look at the picture below you can get an idea of what i mean.. If she were to try and use the spaces that are blocked in black as shelves or to hang clothes and went to the edge then you would be squeezing through to get in..

Leave it alone.

Here's another reason to avoid a through-the-bathroom route to a closet: The need to *have* a door -- to protect clothes from bathroom moisture. This door is going to be a barrier multiple times every day -- unless it stands open -- inside the closet. Then it's only 'in the way' of whatever is stored behind it.

chisue, you and I are on the same page when it comes to master closets in bathrooms. :)

For couples with different schedules (which, based on the OP's user photo, might be their situation,) the closet off the master bathroom is nice to minimize disturbing whomever is sleeping. Obviously, some people don't like that --- others, myself included, love it. As for moisture issues, that has never been a problem in my homes. Perhaps it depends on the humidity in the area?

OP: First, love your user photo! Second, I would either go with what you ended up with or change it so the door swings against the tub. Which is worse -- the door blocking the pretty window / light to get ready, or the door reducing her hanging space and/or storage space? I'd probably leave it as is, but both options have +-.

Op..Closet doors inevitably do not get closed in my house so I like the idea JDS proposed. The modifications you made in your bathroom from your original plan were good (imo). Nice shower.

i have had master closet space in close proximity to the master bath since 1988 in two different houses. Humidity has never been an issue.

Chisue and cpartist ....I would say that your last comments serve no useful purpose for the op since clearly he can not un build his closets from his bathroom.

People read here to learn and possibly avoid the OP's dilemma.

I don't understand how you protect a sleeping spouse by using a bathroom next to the bedroom (flush, splash, drop something in the sink) -- then dress in a closet (noisy *clothes*?) -- and come back through the bathroom to the MBR. I guess you could have a door out the back of the closet.

I prefer to soundproof the MBA by putting closets between it and the MBR. I don't want my DH walking through the bathroom to a closet while I'm taking a bath, bringing in a nice *breeze*. I don't like trailing through a bathroom to access my clothes. If you want to order this: MBR, Closets, MBA, you can often have windows on two sides of the bathroom.

The closet plan needs to be drawn accurately to be able to see that the door should open inward.

Hanging clothes require 24" of depth instead of the approx. 18" shown in the posted diagram. Clothes rods that turn corners create dead storage. The clear space in the middle should be at least 3 ft wide.

If the hanging storage on the left side wall (as you enter) was shown as 24", then the storage on the right side would need to be no deeper than 12" to allow a 3 ft open space. But even with that configuration the storage immediately to the left as you enter would need to be removed to allow enough width for comfortable entering and to allow access to the storage in the corner.

Using an in-swing door might reduce the shelving length by a foot but IMO that is not enough storage to justify opening the door out into the bathroom where it would be in the way.

As for whether the door swings to the right or left, you should avoid putting a door knob in a corner especially when there is an obsticle on the adjacent wall. Which way did it get built?

There is really only one good way to swing this door and fortunately the contractor realized it in time to correct the designer's mistake.

What about two narrow doors? They could be set to swing in and out. I'm not sure if these would be better because each door takes up less wall space, or worse because they take up space on both sides and you have two doors instead of one. But I thought I'd throw that idea out there.

PS: clarkandaddision... go Cubs :)

I don't think all closets-in-bathrooms are bad, but this particular one is poorly arranged. You don't have a good option for the door.

I say do outswing into the bathroom but on the other side so that it opens up against the tub. I think that by doing that, it will become automatic to keep the closet door closed so that the door won't block the light coming in from the windows.

ours swing in they're off a hallway between mbr and mb closets are 7x7 we are trying not to keep so many clothes (we were guilty of that for years-keeping 15 year old favorites we never wore) so we're fine with the size and fine with the direction of the doors that swing in

Our closets are also off a short hallway between MBR and MBA. They have pocket doors, which are seldom closed. No door between MBR and hall. Door between hall and MBA -- actually a pair of 18" doors that open into the MBA and fold against the bath/closet walls.

chicagoans -- A pair of swinging doors won't close tight -- will rattle. (Are you in Wrigleyville? Can you get out your door?)

chisue - I'm a suburbanite, but spent about 10 years in Lincoln Park / Lakeview. Still a Cubs fan! It's a fun and novel experience to fly the W flag in October!

Rattling of doors or other interior elements is most likely the result of floor framing of insufficient stiffness.

Here are the door swing options drawn in scale: