By Mi-Ling Stone Poole –

DEAR MI-LING: During renovation of my kitchen, I discovered a section of wall that connects to the walk-in closet in my bedroom. I want to make this a doorway so I can get from my bedroom to kitchen without having to walk all the way around the house. The other side of the wall (inside my closet) is a built-in bookcase.  Do you have any ideas to pull this off in a very stylish way?

I’ve included a floor plan so you can see what I’m facing. It’s pretty close to the actual scale of the rooms.

– Susan

DEAR SUSAN: Before you make a move you should be sure that this is what you want to do. A few things come to mind.

Once the wall and bookcases are removed, I see visions of little children running in and out of your bedroom at a moments notice. If you don’t have young children, whoever is in the kitchen has easy access to your most private belongings that are stored in the closet. I’m not sure this is such a good idea, since you would have to keep the door unlocked to be accessible from both sides.

You will also be exposed to all of the loud noises, and smells that go on in the kitchen and can filter through to your clothing.

To keep out the noise you could purchase a solid-core door.  As far as appearances go, I wouldn’t want anyone peering into my closet on most days.

I see your point of having an additional entrance to the kitchen, but what are a few extra steps, when it comes to maintaining the privacy and sanctity of your bedroom and closet?

If you still plan to continue with the project, consider running a wall of drapes to contain your clothing and other items. Use a heavy fabric and it will serve as a hallway and a barrier between your clothes and whatever you might bring into the closet and spill on your clothes.

When hung on a metal pole with large rings, the drapes should glide, to open and close. This will provide a little extra protection for your clothing from dust and the smell of cooking food.