Customized closets are a common sight now in many homes, instead of the usual, ready-built cabinets you can buy at any home furniture store. If you truly want to be able to maximize the space you have and do as much as you can with it, customized storage and closets are the way to go. A good builder can give you everything you’re looking for in a closet.
While you’re going to be inspired by the designs of other closets, it’s always best to consider your personal preferences. This is what it means to have custom closets. Sit down with your builder and plan the design process with much scrutiny. That way, your closet will be one that’ll work for all your needs and keep you satisfied through many years of use.
Here are a few pro tips you can apply when designing a custom closet.
- Beware Of Dead Space
Even in the fancier and bigger homes, there are still closets with a lot of dead space above them. That ‘dead space’ is a lot of wasted space. Sure, you can put your luggage and other seasonal items there, but even then, you may still not have been maximizing that space above.
To avoid having that dead space, be sure that the distance from the top-most part of your shelf to the ceiling doesn’t go beyond 12 to 18 inches. This is the optimal measurement to be sure you’re maximizing the vertical space for actual closet use.
- Consider The Specific Use Of The Custom Closet
Are you building a custom closet for your own use only? Or is this a custom closet in the master’s bedroom that you have to share with your husband? As you sit down with your builder to discuss the specifics of your design plan, consider the specific use of your custom closet. This is important so your closet design continues to be functional.
For example, if you’re sharing the closet with your husband, you have to ask for his input too as to what he wants to have in it. Does he need more hanging space? Or would he prefer to have more drawers and space for folded shirts? To make it work, you can have a ‘her’ side and a ‘his’ side.
- Use Removable Vertical Dividers
When building a custom closet, it’s not just how much you’re able to maximize vertical space that matters. If you want to have a well-organized closet, you also have to pay close attention to the spaces within each layer of your cabinet. When the horizontal spaces are quite wide, that’s when it pays to have vertical dividers to have a sense of order.
Don’t fix those vertical dividers, however. Use the removable ones, so it’s easier to adjust, depending on the space you need.
For example, tank tops demand a narrower space than your husband’s polo shirts. If the vertical spaces are affixed permanently, you may have a hard time fitting in whatever clothing items you need to have folded, or even storage containers.
- Do Not Forget About The Lights
This fourth pro tip applies if what you’re building is a walk-in closet. It can get very dark, especially when there aren’t any windows around. The remedy for this is as simple as not forgetting to install lights when building the closets.
Sure, you can’t have fully-lit closets like that from your favorite department store. But, you can still have a well-lit closet that’ll allow you to dress up happily without being in the dark.
Discuss this with your builder so the proper electrical systems can be implemented while building. Those are permanent fixes, so the electrical systems have to be in place first.
By doing so, you won’t have to rely on ceiling lights, which can be insufficient in a dark and windowless room.
- Limit The Drawers
Unless you’re the type who prefers closed closets to hide any visual clutter, limit how many drawers you have. A functional closet drawer shouldn’t be deep. Rather, it’s enough to keep it shallow. Drawers should be used only to house accessories, jewelry, socks, underwear, and other lighter and smaller items.
If you like to have an open closet, having too many drawers may not be the best design solution. It would be cumbersome to have to open one drawer after another to find the clothing item you’re looking for. Clothes are better hung on open shelves.
Conclusion
If you’re tired of looking at your closet’s current state, perhaps that could be why you’re itching to rebuild it. Every homeowner has their respective wants and needs in a closet.
So, if you’re currently using one that’s ready-made, it’s normal to feel the pain of having an inefficient closet. When a custom closet is your project of choice for this year, go through the tips above, one item at a time. Finally, you can bid that flimsy and problematic closet goodbye.
