Custom-made closets can give you the ability to have closet organization that caters to your special organization needs. A standard closet may work to some extent, but you may require additional customization. You might want to take a quick inventory of the items that need this accommodation. Personal belongings in a master or guest closet could include purses, shoes, tall boots, hanging jackets, and travel bags. If you are considering a custom-closet for your front entry, these items could include products like vacuums and brooms. The designer of your custom closet will likely ask you several questions. How many items do you need to store? How long do you need to store these items? Do you need drawers? Do you need a laundry hamper? How many shoes are going in the closet? Answers to these questions will help guide the closet design. The design should also take into account any electrical outlets, ceiling heights, light fixtures, air conditioning, heating units, and windows.
A major consideration of your closet design will be the amount and level of hanging rods. If you own longer dresses and gowns, long hang or single rods should be installed around 65-68” above finished floor (AFF). For knee length dresses, pants, jackets, and fold over items; a medium hang is 55” AFF. Other varied articles of clothing may be accommodated with double hang at 40” and 80” AFF. Even more flexibility is seen in the triple hang rod heights at 28”, 56” and 80” AFF. These can all be built at the standard width of 18”. If you would like to include a corner unit in your closet, your designer can allow 31” on either side since this allows for an 18” opening. You need at least 11” for ample space.
Many homeowners have enough shoes to merit at least one or more sections in the closet. An 84” tower with 10 shelves could hold a fair amount of shoes. This would fit about two to three pairs of shoes per shelf on a 14” deep by 18” wide cabinet. If you opt for a 14” deep by 24” wide cabinet, these would hold around three to four pairs per shelf. The size of your shoe cabinets in your closet and the spacing between shelves will be affected by the type of shoes that you own. Flat shoes require about 6”, heels and platform shoes about 7” to 8”, and boots around 15” to 20” between shelves. The standard counter height for drawers in your custom closet is 36”, but could be customized as high as 48”. The width usually doesn’t exceed 36” wide.
Accessories can take your custom closet to the next level with features that cater to your specific needs. Some of these are valet rods, belt racks, jewelry trays, and slide out pant racks. You might also want to add a hamper, wire basket, wardrobe lift, or swivel mirror. Other accessories like pull-down rods help to maximize space and customize storage.
Besides accessories, options to standard features will give you a closet design with even more customization. One option is to have full drawer extensions. Another option for kids or other individuals that would benefit from a lower rod is to use a triple hang configuration that includes a lower and middle height rod. Your designer could also remove the toekick and place a heating vent on the front of the cabinets. This method could use a suspended system over the heat and ventilation.
Still another option for your custom closet design is a lighted closet rod. This requires leaving the bottom of the rod hollow to place an LED into the rod. The installer can run the cord back of the gable into the drywall. Wires can be run up or down from electrical and hidden with crown molding. The best method for hiding the lighting elements is to add puck lights up top. Halogen lights are never recommended for this purpose. You should be aware that once you add LED tape into the shelves, the shelves are no longer easily adjustable on your own. However, it might still be possible to adjust through a professional installer using custom methods.
If you’re ready to change your existing closet or turn a former kid’s room or other space into a custom closet, you should consult with an interior designer. The overall cost of your custom closet design will be based on the type and amount of materials, including any options and additional accessories. It will also include the costs of professional design and installation. Freight might also be a significant factor depending on the shipping requirements.