Who doesn’t look at a sumptuous closet and sigh with envy?
Well, sigh no more. It’s time to think outside the closet and create a welcoming, organized space for your wardrobe. Repurpose an overlooked space, or design a room in your new-build home. Reflect your esthetic and lifestyle with personal touches and pops of décor. Three dream closets show the way to creating one in your home, while their creators offer ideas on the splurge that transforms a closet from utilitarian to swoon-worthy.
Crisp & Clean
This contemporary closet from Excel Interior Concepts & Construction is a no-clutter zone (excelremodeling.com). As the owners remodeled their master suite, they found the spot for this crisp closet in the connecting bonus room over the garage.
“We fit a lot in that space,” says president Jim Mirando, Jr. “The homeowners didn’t want anything to be exposed.”
The white storage unit constitutes the focal point, a sort of built-in armoire keeping items out of sight and dust-free. There is a lot behind those doors, says Mirando, including double- and single-hanging bars, jewelry storage, drawers, and mirrors. Good closet design starts with an assessment of the wardrobe and accessories destined to occupy the space, says Mirando. Do they hang or lie flat? If they hang, are they tall like dresses, or can they hang on double rods? If they lie flat, should they go on shelves or in drawers? How much space will accessories occupy?
“Some people have a lot of shoes, and some have a lot of purses,” Mirando says. “You really want to make sure there’s a good place for everything.”
A convenient washer-dryer combo and shelving simplify laundry day. The design maximizes space by lining a steeply sloping wall with drawers and a countertop because, as Mirando notes, “sometimes it’s nice to have some horizontal space to put things down.”
Good lighting is also crucial. Here, the roof rafters precluded any recessed lighting, so low-profile, surface-mount LED lights provide ample illumination.
The dreamy splurge: an island with drawers, outlets, and a countertop that could be in quartz or exotic granite, all lit by a decorative chandelier. Try installing a coffee/wine bar, plus a television and good speakers. “Don’t forget to add smart technology,” Mirando says. “’Alexa, start the coffee and play morning wake-up music…’”
Adapt with the Times
Raise your hand if you’re still wearing stirrup pants. Anyone?
Wardrobes change. Lives change. This dream closet changes with you. The Victory Closets system, available from Kitchens by Eileen, hangs modular pieces from a single rail (kitchensbyeileen.com).
“Once that rail goes up, the homeowner doesn’t need any tools or fasteners to modify anything,” says president Aaron Riddle. “Everything is clipped into place with grooves.”
Most pieces are made in two-inch increments, and initial closet design strives to accommodate future movement of the interchangeable units. After all, “until you actually put your clothes in, you don’t know it’s going to work perfectly.”
“If the homeowners want to add drawers later or add hampers at a later time, it’s very easy to do that,” says Riddle. “They love that idea.”
The pullout hamper is a popular option, corralling laundry in one self-contained spot. Some homeowners put two hampers in one closet – a his and hers.
The modular system offers customization at affordable prices, says Riddle. Shelving comes in the gray-taupe driftwood color seen here, off-white, or a darker espresso. Because the system floats off the floor, it’s easy to make future changes below, such as installing new carpet or painting baseboards.
This closet was installed in a spare room –a viable choice for space-constrained homeowners. “We have converted rooms in old houses into closets,” Riddle assures the folks living in homes seemingly built before closets were invented.
The Victory Closets system can also bring sorely needed organization to pantries, laundry rooms, and even standard reach-in closets. “You can get a center space that has drawers and a hamper and double racks on the sides.”
The dreamy splurge: drawers, says Riddle. Plus, a hamper and “probably a chandelier.”
Beautifully Lit
Wide-plank, reclaimed flooring. Crown molding and custom cabinets finished in a meticulous process of distressing, crackling, and glazing. Faux-finish ceiling. Mother-of-pearl hardware glistening under glowing lights.
Welcome to the closet that’s a room – a dressing room, actually, designed to harmonize with the décor throughout this classic farmhouse. With design by Steiner-Houck & Associates, “everything flows and relates,” says president Sandra Steiner-Houck (steinerhouck.com). “We wouldn’t want any space to feel like an afterthought or disconnected from the rest of the house. We always feel strongly that it’s classic, sophisticated, timeless.”
While the custom cabinetry reflects the home’s farmhouse esthetic, the technology is anything but old-school. Closet rods are lighted. So are the shoe-cabinet shelves. Those lighted shelves, patented by cabinet builder Premier Custom Built, provide “a perfectly even glow” to the shoes displayed inside, says Steiner-Houck (premiercb.com).
Today’s homeowners want “beautiful dressing rooms where all your things are visible and accessible,” Steiner-Houck adds. “You can still have beautifully lit, nice cabinets and well-organized spaces that are pretty dressing rooms –at all price points.”
In this closet, the homeowner can turn 360 degrees to choose her ensemble, assessing clothes, shoes, jewelry, and purses. The island adds another custom-crafted furniture element with a practical purpose – landing space to organize the day’s outfit or pack for travels.
That leather-topped island exemplifies the finishes that distinguish the space and “bring character and warmth to this room,” says Steiner-Houck & Associates interior designer Candis Warren-Ashurst. Steiner-Houck & Associates starts the design process by quizzing homeowners about the amount of space needed for clothes and accessories.
“It all starts with planning,” says Warren-Ashurst. “Everything has its place.”
The dreamy splurge: lighted closet rods “definitely make a difference,” says Steiner-Houck. Warren-Ashurst agrees that lighting matters, including an elegant chandelier that creates balance between high shelving and lower elements.
DREAM CLOSET TIPS
- If converting an unused space, remember to budget for heating and cooling. No need for anything special. “If it’s conditioned like the rest of the house, that’s perfectly fine,” says Mirando.
- Free up space in other rooms by moving elements such as a hamper or vanity into the closet.
- Find items more quickly by installing lighting over shelves and rods. And don’t pass up on those lighted closet rods!
- Choose pullout racks, such as Victory Closets’ valet bar, to hang freshly ironed items separately from the crush of the rest of the closet. Accessory racks for ties and belts can also pull out.
- Vary the spacing of shelving to accommodate shoes and tall boots.
Who needs a closet with four walls? Design a bedroom wall with closet elements, and dispense with the usual array of dressers, vanities, and hampers.
Even a smaller budget allows for simple laminate shelving along a wall or in a room, designed to be “super functional,” as Mirando puts it.
Today’s dream closets can actually promote harmony between couples. As Riddle notes, efficient layout creates space that minimizes conflicts over who gets the most space. And Steiner-Houck notes that recent trends are dispensing with shared closets in favor of separate dressing rooms. “Not too many people are sharing anymore,” she says.
