Closet Design and Organization

Tips on Designing a Closet

Given that we are working with so many customers to design new closets, I want to share a few things to consider:

• • Upper shelves should be less deep than lower shelves so you can access items above the doorway
  • Ventilated upper shelves are a great way to still have light and keep the closet from feeling so closed in
  • Consider liners if using ventilated shelving so your sweaters don’t have wrinkles
  • Drawers below are better than fixed shelves for easy visual access to items (of course, fixed shelves or gliding shoe racks are best for shoe storage)
  • Gliding shoe racks are a space saver if your door opening allows
  • Consider jewelry trays at mid-level
  • Tie racks and belt racks are a must have for most
  • Consider a valet rod if you like to pull some items out and consider what you are wearing ahead of time. They are also a great spot to hang your dry cleaning while you put items away in the correct spot
  • Full extension drawers allow you to see those items that may be tucked away in the back
  • Be sure to have your deeper drawers on the bottom and shallow underwear drawers above
  • Consider the height of the user and what will be accessible
  • While pull-out pant racks are an organizers dream, they also may not be as efficient as hangers if space is an issue
  • An ideal short hang space is about 40” – 42”

• Measure your long sweaters or men’s dress jackets to be sure items won’t be hanging on the floor
• Utilize the space under the long hang
• Consider either fixed drawer dividers or we like the adjustable drawer dividers which allow for more flexibility
• Be sure your closet is well lit and bright
• Consider bracket hooks or behind the door hooks for hanging bathrobes
• Add shelf dividers for storing sweaters and bulky items so they don’t topple
• To maximize every inch, consider allowing enough space on the upper shelves for seasonal storage (possibly in bins)
• Count.  Yes, count your shoes and pocketbooks and measure your short hang and long hang so you truly have an organized closet.  While clothing items will come and go over the years, if you have 50 pairs of shoes, you probably agree that you’ll always have close to that many!
• Do you want a hamper in your closet or bathroom?
• Radiators: if you have baseboard heat, consider that when designing as you don’t want your clothes touching the radiator