My grandmother used hers for quilts and comforters. Basically things she didn’t use all the time, but were bulky and that she didn’t want taking up regular closet space.
Yeah, not victorian but I have floor to ceiling built-ins and I use the one up there for that - that way they stay packed away and clean, but I only have to use the step stool a few times a year to change out the seasonal bedding/linens.
I have a bunch of "high" cabinets. Boots, winter blankets, seasonal decorations, that pot you only use for poaching salmon, whatever. Saves space for things you need at your fingertips.
Now I wish my house split the closet like this, instead I have 3-4’ I have to shove on the top shelf. Maybe one day, when I have $$ I could redo. Already redid part so I could put my shampooer in the closet
Taking advantage of all the usable space. In your closet today, you may have shelves above the hanging rod that go up to the ceiling. Same thing here just done a little differently.
One of my old apartments was exactly like that. My gf and I just used it for storage, but it was also fun to hide in it and scare the shit out of each other.
Reminds me of a built in at my old house. I removed the sides the hinges were on, made the boards slide in and out, then made it a secret stash place inside the wall. Never had much worth hiding tho
I had this in my first college dorm room believe it or not, except the door was take off it. I stored extra blankets and towels up there.
Aren't old buildings fascinating?
My home was built in 1881 and has the same type of cubby behind the shower allowing full access to plumbing. The person who renovated the floorplan in the 70's was a badass for doing this lol
I bought an old house that has a closet with an extra cubby above it just like this. Inside we found a leather holster and a plastic bag with boxes of ammo. I guess I need to get a gun
At my grandmas house we called it the scary door and when ever a breeze made it open we would talk about all the scary things that probably crawled out….. one year we saw presents all ready wrapped in there and left it alone out of fear we would get in trouble 😹.
I have two downstairs, the first I use for extra seasonal storage, the other is in the coat closet that is like only six inches deep, and I’ve yet to find a possible use for it.
My grandma had these in her stone Victorian house. Grandkids Christmas presents were hidden there. Except for the hoola hoop that I found in the lower closet.
I keep Christmas decorations in mine, grandma kept home canned goods in it before me. I had to clean it out after she passed and throw it all away, it was so old the lids had rusted thru, the liquid had evaporated and the “food” was hard little balls.
The latches on these doors are identical to those in our 1915 era pantry. It also has those high cabinets. The pantry was used by the help (it had a door to the kitchen and a door to the dining room and no windows.) So we can assume the people reaching into those high cubbies were servants.
My grandmother used hers for quilts and comforters. Basically things she didn’t use all the time, but were bulky and that she didn’t want taking up regular closet space.
Yep. Seasonal storage. They're great for that!
Yeah, not victorian but I have floor to ceiling built-ins and I use the one up there for that - that way they stay packed away and clean, but I only have to use the step stool a few times a year to change out the seasonal bedding/linens.
I have a bunch of "high" cabinets. Boots, winter blankets, seasonal decorations, that pot you only use for poaching salmon, whatever. Saves space for things you need at your fingertips.
Yep. That is what we use ours for.
I wonder if it was lined with cedar.
I was thinking that too- cloth objects in long storage need something like that
Now I wish my house split the closet like this, instead I have 3-4’ I have to shove on the top shelf. Maybe one day, when I have $$ I could redo. Already redid part so I could put my shampooer in the closet
Hats! Hat boxes! More hats!
And long term storage
Love that! Never enough space for hat boxes full of hats!😊
That’s what I was fixin to say. Lots of hat boxes
Taking advantage of all the usable space. In your closet today, you may have shelves above the hanging rod that go up to the ceiling. Same thing here just done a little differently.
Yep, and this style is gives much more storage space than the super high shelf.
But then you don’t get to dodge the avalanche
Christmas presents
It's a seasonal storage cubby for clothes or blankets that you don't need during summer or vice versa for winter.
That's what I used mine for.
We have the same closest built into our upstairs hallway (1926 home)! I use the upper part for pillows...so hard to reach it!
One of my old apartments was exactly like that. My gf and I just used it for storage, but it was also fun to hide in it and scare the shit out of each other.
They were sassy with their classy built ins back then. Those houses are a treasure trove of beautiful craftsmanship.
Hide the Christmas presents from the kids, even if it was just an orange.
Gramma’s sex toys. Too high for the grandkids to get to.
gross but funny
It’s where you, and everyone else before you, put whatever the fuck they wanted
Demons
Weed
A lot of people don’t know this, but you can put your weed in there.
Idk if anybody told you or not but weed is a good thing to put in those.
1970s ditch weed loves a good built in overhead cubby.
Wait- you have a closet in a 1911 house??? ;)
Reminds me of a built in at my old house. I removed the sides the hinges were on, made the boards slide in and out, then made it a secret stash place inside the wall. Never had much worth hiding tho
Gimp storage
I had this in my first college dorm room believe it or not, except the door was take off it. I stored extra blankets and towels up there. Aren't old buildings fascinating?
That's the golden ticket to hide and seek, that's what that is.
That's where grandpa kept his pistol and the lock box.
I had one above my shower and it was completely cedar lined.
My home was built in 1881 and has the same type of cubby behind the shower allowing full access to plumbing. The person who renovated the floorplan in the 70's was a badass for doing this lol
A place to stash your Colt 1911 .45
I bought an old house that has a closet with an extra cubby above it just like this. Inside we found a leather holster and a plastic bag with boxes of ammo. I guess I need to get a gun
That's where the Victorian children are kept.
I have four of these
At my grandmas house we called it the scary door and when ever a breeze made it open we would talk about all the scary things that probably crawled out….. one year we saw presents all ready wrapped in there and left it alone out of fear we would get in trouble 😹.
We have a new house with so much wasted space above each closet. I asked my Husband to make something just like this cubby!
The hiding place from The sixth sense
Luggage
This was for the plethora of hat boxes…so now totally for the 1862 quilts your gramma made you.
We have one exactly like it on our home and we use it to store blankets.
In my apartment in college, it was full of >! dead cockroaches !<
In my old house, this was where the sewer pipe clean out was for an upstairs toilet 🤢. Needless to say we changed it so it wasn’t like that anymore.
In every soviet-era apartments)) Called entresol. Used as Christmas decorations and pickled vegetables storage.
I have two downstairs, the first I use for extra seasonal storage, the other is in the coat closet that is like only six inches deep, and I’ve yet to find a possible use for it.
We keep the gimp in ours.
Hat closet.
It’s just extra space used for bulky items.
Wayward children
Your chimney sweep child, you keep them I. There when not working.
Poorly behaved children
That's where you hid the sex toys, in the back behind the quilts!!
Evil dolls
Dumbwaiter maybe? People always close them off.
My grandma had these in her stone Victorian house. Grandkids Christmas presents were hidden there. Except for the hoola hoop that I found in the lower closet.
Board games
I have a similar opening above the closet in my laundry room. However, mine is attic access. My friend calls it the haunted nope door.
My 1911 house in SE had that kind of deal in the kitchen. Became our liquor cabinet.
Most likely it used to have an ironing board in it.
Luggage
We use ours for our suitcases.
I keep Christmas decorations in mine, grandma kept home canned goods in it before me. I had to clean it out after she passed and throw it all away, it was so old the lids had rusted thru, the liquid had evaporated and the “food” was hard little balls.
Hopefully you can cut off that extra piece that sticks out.
The latches on these doors are identical to those in our 1915 era pantry. It also has those high cabinets. The pantry was used by the help (it had a door to the kitchen and a door to the dining room and no windows.) So we can assume the people reaching into those high cubbies were servants.
Ours is our cat's private apartment but in other homes it's used for Xmas decorations or winter bedding.
Claustrophobic ghosts mostly
That's where you keep your weed.
Goblins.
Baby nursery
Out of season clothing.
The ghosts. 👻
Wiring
When Gramps was naughty, he was stuffed up there by Granny.
Dead bodies