Are you dreaming of beautiful white marble counters in your new home or remodel project? But you realize there’s no way your family will not destroy them within a week? Before you give up and ugly cry, hold on! A closet island in the master bedroom’s dressing area is the perfect place for those fancy counters you’re lusting after.
A glitzy, dressing room style master bedroom closet has the added bonus of being your private hiding place. Err, I mean retreat. No sticky fingers. No Legos. No primary colors. It’s a room just for you and you can decorate it in any grownup way you want! Anything from a serene spa-like space, to covering every surface in velvet and leopard skin prints, to a glamorous all-white and sparkly bling-y space.
What is a Closet Island?
A popular design trend over the last few years has transformed the master bedroom walk in closet. Gone is the dark and utilitarian place to simply store clothes. Modern closets have become glamorous, high-end dressing rooms with chandeliers, display shelves, desks, windows, and even furniture, like a chaise lounge. Almost all of these closets have a storage island located in the center of the room. The island can be either a piece of furniture or built-in cabinetry with a countertop.
In this post, we’ll be talking about some of the countertop options that are available for a built in island. It’s not too difficult to turn a master closet or any walk in closet into a stunning space.
Designing A Closet Island
A great closet starts with a good floor plan that provides the right amount of storage and maneuvering space around the island. Once you have established the overall size of the island, you need think about your storage requirements. What are you going to store in the island? How do you want to store those items – baskets, drawers, cubbies, or open shelving?
A 24″-36″ wide island is a good starting point. Not too wide and not too narrow. Standard base cabinets are 24″ deep, but are also available in a 30″ deep option. Placing two cabinets back-to-back for a double sided closet island is a great option. Or, to get a 36″ wide island, you can pair a standard base cabinet with 12″ deep shelves along the back.
As far as the length of the island, try to limit the length to the maximum size of one slab of the countertop material. A smaller island with one long, continuous slab looks much better than an extra long one with seams.
When figuring out the size of the countertop, don’t forget to add 1″-1.5″ for the overhang.
Choosing A Closet Island Countertop
Once the island size has been established, it’s time to choose the countertop surface. While granite and quartzite are always great choices, this post will focus on marble, quartz, and wood options. Choosing a countertop is a balancing act of style, budget, and maintenance. Try to pick a top that best meets all three of your criteria.
As a starting point, check out our Free Countertop Cost Calculator to get a ballpark idea of some of the choices that will fit your budget.
Once you have chosen a material, there are more options to customize the counter with the surface finish and edge profile. For example, in a glam style closet, a polished surface will enhance the brightness of the room and reflect all the sparkle and bling. A more traditional or masculine style closet looks great with a dark counter, like soapstone, with a polished or honed surface. Textured surfaces, such as leathered or bush hammered, can be a great choice as well.
Countertop edges should also match the closet style. An ogee edge pairs with a traditional style closet, while a waterfall edge fits perfectly with a modern style room. Transitional style closets look great with a simple eased edge.
Closet Island Countertops: Marble
A dressing room countertop is a great place to use marble. Fewer worries about etching or staining like in the kitchen or bathroom. But it’s not bulletproof. It will still need to be sealed, and care should be given to what is put on the countertop. (In other words, don’t set your glass of Chardonnay directly on the counter. Coasters are your friend.)
Because this countertop is relative small, it can be the chance to upgrade to a premium level marble. The bright white background of the Calacatta marbles are perfect for this location. Look for countertops in:
While most think of marble as a predominately white slab, it does come in other, equally beautiful colors. If you’re looking for a dark marble countertop, check out:
Closet Island Countertops: Quartz
Quartz countertops are just about perfect. They are practically indestructible, and require very little maintenance. Because quartz is a man-made material, there are several bling-y choices that are great for a closet island. Some even have flecks of mirror in them. Here are just a few options that you might like:
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- Cambria
- Silestone
- WilsonArt Quartz
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Closet Island Countertops: Wood
For those looking for a more masculine or traditional style dressing room, wood countertops may be the answer. Face grain tops are perfect for making the island look more like furniture. There are a surprising number of options available; everything from wood species, stain color, new or reclaimed wood, live edge or standard edge profiles, and even inlay patterns. Check out these manufacturers:
Budget Ideas for Closet Island Countertops
There are several ways to save a bit of money and still get a beautiful closet. When the budget is tight, try some of these walk in closet island ideas:
- Since it is so readily available, Carrara marble is typically one of the cheaper countertop materials. It is often priced well below any other stone and it looks classic and timeless.
- If your heart is set on a higher priced stone, look for a remnant slab at the local stone yard or countertop fabricator. These are simply the leftover pieces from other projects. There’s nothing physically wrong with them, they just weren’t needed for a previous job. Because you need such a relatively small size for this kind of project, you might score a beautiful stone at a great price.
- Another budget idea is to shorten the length of the island; fewer cabinets and less countertop will always be cheaper. Place a small bench or seat at the end for a closet island with seating. Or leave a larger aisle between the island and the adjacent wall/shelf/clothing.
- Check out prefabricated countertop slabs that come in a standard size (usually 25″x 98″) with a standard bullnose edge. These are perfect for the simple shape of a walk in closet island.
No matter the budget, a master bedroom closet island is a great place to add a big dose of “WOW” factor to a new home or remodel.
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