How to design a functional walk-in closet

How many times have you stumbled into your closet in the morning agonizing over what to wear? With a well-planned and designed closet, your mornings will go a lot smoother.

When your closet is intuitive and easy to use, it’s less tempting to toss clothes onto a chair or leave them piled up in the laundry basket for days on end.

Think about clothing stores. New items are nicely organized and spread out under pleasing lighting. Sale items, however, are often stuffed into a small space in the corner, making it tricky to spot a nice piece of clothing or items that match. It’s the same in our home closets. When we organize with care, it’s easier to pull together a great outfit.

When you’re starting from a clean slate, follow these tips for designing a functional walk-in closet:

1. Hanging

Placing your clothes on hangers keeps them wrinkle free and makes them more visible and approachable. Consider hanging most of your clothes, except ones made from stretchy materials, which should be folded.

Make clothing rods adjustable to double the hanging space and divide hanging areas by sections that are each about three feet wide. For example, divide clothing by type (i.e. sweaters, shirts, and dresses), by how often you wear them, by color, or by any other way that makes sense to you.

Avoid wire hangers. They can damage clothes by causing irreversible stretch marks. Hangers are designed to mimic our shoulder line; wire hangers are just too thin.

Allow about 65% of your closet for high and double hanging.

TIP: Stackable hangers are great space savers!

2. Shelving

Above your hanging areas, add shelves for folded items. Fold all of your knitwear. If you have space, you can also fold casual clothes made from durable fabrics like jeans or corduroy.

Design shelving by the entrance to your closet. That gives the closet a more open and airy feeling. Shelving is great for large accessories like handbags or shoes. Slanted, open shelving makes it easier to select and put away shoes.

Make sure you have a good lighting source that lets you see inside shelves. We like to install three types of lighting in custom closets: ceiling lights for general lighting, a chandelier above an island (if a closet is large enough) for an ambient lighting, and strip LED lighting under each shelf as task lighting.

Allow about 25% of your closet for shelving.

TIP: Top shelves are great for seldom-used items like hats, luggage, or seasonal clothes.

3. Drawers

Drawers add a lot of cost to your custom closet and they take up space. If you’re on a budget or working with a small space, skip the drawers.

Otherwise, make them a focal point of your closet by placing them in the center or in a chest style in front of the entrance. Drawers are great for storing small accessories. Use dividers to keep your jewelry, scarves, or ties neatly organized.

Drawers will take up the remaining 10% of your closet space. If you decide to forgo drawers, divide that 10% between hanging and shelving space.

TIP:  Avoid drawers in closet corners; use hanging instead to eliminate dead spots.

How a Specs Document Can Transform Your Home Build or Remodeling Experience

Here’s another way to save time and money on your custom home build or renovation project—make sure you have a detailed and thorough “specs” document in place.

All construction projects, no matter how complex, should have this document. It’s also known as a project specification document, and it’s something you’ll have in addition to your architectural and engineering plans.

Specs describe in detail your preferences and everything you’ve asked your contractor and subcontractors to do as you build your custom home or renovate a smaller space. For example, a spec for bathroom plumbing fixtures could include information on the exact sink type and color and details on where the sink should be placed.

Good written specs can save you time and money. They can also help keep you calm throughout the construction process by making it less likely you’ll have to make changes to your project or quick, last-minute decisions. With everything laid out, it’s easier to understand the scope of work and make sure you get exactly what you asked for—the right paint color in the right place, the right type of trim, or crown molding exactly where you want it.

Specs also:

·      facilitate communication between everyone involved in construction. For example, between the trim carpenter and painter regarding stain or paint grade wood and finishing.

·      help you more accurately budget for your project

·      help prevent expensive change orders, or last minute project modifications

Any project, no matter its size, should have written specs. It’s a document you should thoroughly review before the work gets started.

For larger, more complex projects, you’ll need the help of an architect or designer to create a specs document—the vast amount of details demand an experienced eye. For smaller projects like a bathroom makeover, however, you can write your own specs, especially if you know the exact materials and finishes you want.

If you’re doing a bathroom makeover, to start, have a contractor look at your tile choices and ask about the installation process. What additional materials will the project need? Then, you’ll be able to research the material options and choose the best one for your project. There’s nothing more frustrating than having to make a hasty decision about materials. We often regret those quick, uninformed decisions.

Sometimes, the sheer amount of product options can make the design stage of a home build or renovation feel overwhelming. A designer can help you whittle down the options so you can make a smart decision based on your style and budget. Ask a designer for help if you’re feeling the pressure of too many choices.

At Arieli, for every project we work on, we prepare specs before we get started so we can be on budget and in line with our clients’ expectations. Our clients have found it makes for a happier home building process. Contact us to learn more.