I wouldn't put anything on them. Take the doors off and leave it like that. Kids never close sliding closet doors anyway, and they're not going to close a curtain.

I hadn't even thought of just having it be open to the room! You're right, they rarely shut the doors.

I'm still curious about what people will say, but I think that I'm going to just take the doors off and leave it open. That is so practical and simple, it's probably the right answer.

Yeppers! and it'll make putting their laundry away so easy for them! (or you).

When they're older, if doors are wanted, you can put bi-fold doors on.

I made curtains for my son's closet doors when he was young. It was only after I finished them and hung them that I realized it would have been much easier for him to slide them if I'd made them w/ rings at the top instead of tab tops. Consequently, it didn't get closed very much :-)

One more vote here for removing the doors!

It made things so much simpler in accessing my kids' closets that I eventually removed them from my own.

Shower curtain rings with ball bearings seem to work the best for easy maneuverability. The curtains are rarely closed day-to-day, but it's nice to be able to cover up the closet when desired. :)

My room has plan white IKEA cotton panels and the kids have colorful patterns of their own choosing.

Have fun! and WOW, your closet is really organized!

jbrig -- love the pocket curtains, that's a good idea! You're right about tab tops, the curtains they currently have on their window are tab tops and they are a pain to deal with. I'm making new curtains for that window and I want to use rings.

kdw72697 -- thank you! We got it organized like that because, with two twin beds in the room, there is not any space for a dresser! Our house is relatively small, I think their room is less than 10 x 10. They have their captain's beds drawers (4 drawers and one cabinet each) and the closet.

I'll be back, sometime in the future, to ask about what to do above their headboard areas (the bed don't have headboards really). I would like to put in some shelving but my DH is wary of shelves above beds.

Great advise to just leave the door off. When they are older change to bifold doors. They look nicer than what is currently there and you get better access to the closet.

You can get special hardware for bifold doors that make them open much wider and provide full access to the contents. The doors sort of swivel out. The hardware isn't expensive and it's an easy DIY project.

Here is a link that might be useful: Johnson Hardware full access hinges for bifold closet doors

kswl, great info., re: swing-out bi-fold doors. Could use that for mine!

We have a pocket door in the master bath, it was awful before DH replaced it and used Johnson hardware -- nicest operating pocket door ever! I didn't know they made anything for bifolds. If we're still living here when they are older, I'll look into bifolds w/Johnson hardware; otherwise the old doors will go back on, with new wheels and hardware.

ETA -- They put most of their laundry away themselves, and my littlest was ecstatic to have the doors gone! Yes, that's right, DH took the doors off for me this afternoon and we threw away the bent track and cruddy hardware.

This post was edited by melle_sacto on Sat, May 17, 14 at 23:13

Just wanted to update that an unexpected BONUS of taking off the doors is that the room gained about an extra foot of space! It's more of an added feeling than something fully functional, but it allowed me to turn the bookshelf at the foot of one of the beds, add some pillows and a small lamp, and create a "reading nook"

The kids love the doors being gone!

We took the doors off my daughters closet years ago. We have shower curtains (black, don't look like shower curtains) on rings that slide easy.

Those swing-out bifolds look great! I'm thinking I might want to do that in the guest room. One of the doors has a crack and needs replacing, so I might as well do it all at once.

As for the boy's room, removing his door would mean seeing all the crap piled in there. No thanks! Those doors can stay the way they are for another couple of years until he is out and on his own. Then I will turn his room into a craft room, and remove the doors :D

Glad to hear the kids (and everyone, sounds like!) are getting a kick out of the open closet plan! Kudos, also, to your kids putting away their own laundry. Gold star on your forehead.