Custom Closets

In the past half century, the emphasis in home storage has moved from freestanding furniture to built-in closets, and closet design has evolved accordingly. Once little more than shallow cupboards, closets have grown more generous in size and sophisticated in design. Over the last quarter century, custom-built closets have become one of the most popular trends in home remodeling.

What is a "Custom Closet"?

The custom home storage industry began in the early 80's, when California Closets© began designing and installing custom closet solutions. Placing an emphasis on both organization and style, custom closets continued to grow in popularity, particularly amongst high-end homeowners. Interest in closet design grew rapidly during the real estate boom of the 90's, many homeowners eager to add value and creative detail to their homes.

Generally speaking, custom closets combine shelving, drawers, clothes hangers and storage bins. Effectively closets are arranged along clean lines of functionality. Today custom closet designers can be found across the country. Closet designers provide storage solutions for both old homes (which are often limited by oddly configured closets) and newer homes (many of which have been built with poor closet distribution).

Why Customize Your Closet?

Proponents of improved closet design feel that a custom closet can reduce clutter-induced stress and improve a homeowner's overall relationship with their home. Some of the more tangible benefits of a redesigned closet:

• Improved accessibility
• Space efficiency
• Increased storage capacity
• Improved aesthetic appeal
• Added resale value

Basic Elements and Closet Styles

The actual makeup of a given closet differs according to the layout of the closet, the taste of the designer and the needs of the client. Some of the more popular elements used by custom closet designers:

• Pullout shelving
• Shoe shelves or racks
• Storage baskets or bins
• Drawers, often with glass paneling
• Rotating carousels
• Tiered hangars
• Islands/peninsulas
• Telescoping rods and racks
• Wood veneers
• Specialty lighting
• Solid surface countertops
• Inset glass
• Stylized doors

The look and feel of a custom closet project can be adapted to virtually any style of décor. Most custom closet professionals are well versed in both contemporary and traditional styles of interior design.

Costs

The average professionally designed closet costs between $3,000 and $4,000. High-end closet work (which in many cases are for closets the size of the average American bedroom and utilize fine materials such as marble, oak and stained glass) can run from $10,000 to $30,000.

DIY Quick Tips

Accurately assess your needs - Professional organizers often suggest you make an itemized inventory of your clothing. Generally the key is to determine how much of each "type" (hanging, folded, drawer-ready) of clothing storage you will need. Don't underestimate!

Space shelves out - Leave adequate vertical space between shelves for folded clothes. The minimum height is approximately 8 inches, while the ideal height is somewhere around 12-13 inches.

Centralize drawers - Drawers generally need the additional room provided by a centralized placement, and can server as a great visual anchor anyway.

Don't get cornered - If your closet has deep corner areas, use that space for hangers or rotating carousels rather than simple corner shelves. Corner shelves are often too deep for easy access, and folded clothes or stored items are often pushed to the back and out of mind.

Hang smart - Place one closet rod above another to maximize vertical space for the hanging of coasts, shirts and blouses.

Door to door- If you are looking for ways to save on a closet project, consider a door-less design or employing the use of a curtain or lightweight door material.

Organize your threads - After your clothing is organized by "type", you should arrange clothing by use. Separate casual, work and formal attire. Some professional organizers recommend arranging clothes by color as well. Whenever possible, keep multiple articles from one outfit grouped together.

Identify your excesses - The hardest ingredient of getting organized is identifying and parting with the things you don't really need. An easy way to make sense of it all is to "tag" (with stickers or safety pins, for example) all of your clothing, removing the tag the first time you wear the garment. Any items that are still tagged after one year are articles of clothing you can probably live without