custom closet design: the smarter storage solution · 2017. 8. 16. · custom closet design: the...

Custom Closet Design: The Smarter Storage SolutionEverything you need to know before starting your project

Contents Get Help: Four Types of People Who Can Make Your Closet Dreams Come True Get it Right: Avoid the Seven Deadly Sins of Walk-In Closet Design Get the Scoop: Seven Secrets No One Shares About Custom Closet Systems Get Inspired : Easy-to-Miss Design Details in Custom Closets

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Four Types of People Who Can Make Your Closet Dreams Come TrueSo you’re sick and tired of the mess that is your walk in closet. Whether you’re looking for clothes for work – or worse yet – that formal event where you’re trying valiantly to find those seldom used jewelry and accessories, getting ready to go in a disorganized closet can be a pain.

The challenge is who do you call to rid yourself of this closet disaster. Who will not only “feel your pain” but is qualified to evaluate your storage needs and make recommendations to make your space work (and not make any “deadly” design mistakes you can’t fix later)? Since you can’t call “Ghost Busters” here’s 4 types of people who might be able to help:

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The local “handyman”You could stop at your neighbor’s house who is using a local handyman (who hopefully hasn’t turned into “Eldon the Painter” from Murphy Brown fame). Maybe he can do the job….. but what does he really know about closets?

Put the project on your spouses “honey do list”OK – the list is a mile long already…but maybe they’ll get to this one pretty soon….but what kind of product will they buy? Will the local home center have options which work effectively and efficiently in your space? Will there be a human being at the store that has any concept about closets to help pick out the right things?

A finish carpenterThere are finish carpenters who do beautiful woodwork. The challenge might be can you afford them? Are they really experts on how to design and plan a closet? Would a wood closet system be the best way to go?

A closet designer They have the specific expertise in closet design – but will they have a system(s) to fit your budget?


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4While you can call any of the 4 types above will they know how to design the space to not make mistakes (or deadly sins) which you can’t work around (or if you have to they will cost you money you shouldn’t have to spend if the design was correct in the first place)? The most likely type to get it right would be the closet designer since they focus on this product specifically.

Knowing the 7 deadly sins can help you save money, improve functionality and increase enjoyment of using your closet. Let’s take a look at these 7 deadly sins.

Get it Right

How to Avoid the 7 Deadly Sins of Walk-In Closet Design

So you’re sick and tired of the mess that is your walk in closet. Whether you’re looking for clothes for work – or worse yet – that formal event where you’re trying valiantly to find those seldom used jewelry and accessories, getting ready to go in a disorganized closet can be a pain.

The challenge is who do you call to rid yourself of this closet disaster. Who will not only “feel your pain” but is qualified to evaluate your storage needs and make recommendations to make your space work (and not make any “deadly” design mistakes you can’t fix later)? Since you can’t call “Ghost Busters” here’s 4 types of people who might be able to help:


I can’t open these closet drawers fullyAdding pull out drawers and baskets to a custom closet design will dress up the space (and provide cool ways to compartmentalize your jewelry, socks, watches and clothing). Custom closets are the luxury features owners in Dublin, Worthington, Upper Arlington or any nice neighborhood in Columbus would love to have. With that being said if you put drawers in the wrong place it can be disastrous. According to custom closet designer Denise Butchko (a design expert with Butchko and Company in Chicago IL) it’s best to place your drawer’s front and center in the design. Center them on the door opening and design other hanging spaces or shelves around them. Whatever you do, don’t put them behind the closet door so the drawers and door bang into one another.

Not “accounting” for shoe locationIn many existing closets there is a rod along the top with a shelf above and shoes laying on the floor in a disorganized mess. Why do your shoes need to be buried on the “down low” – other than you don’t have a good system today to get them off the ground? Moving shoes up is ergonomically better and then you can visually see them. So don’t commit the deadly sins of burying your shoes. Consider using closet accessories like a shoe shelf or shoe cubby to keep everything available and visible.

Here’s a bonus design tip accounting people might like. In accounting you talk about FIFO (first goods in, first good out). With shoe location use the same “accounting principle.” Place the shoe storage as the first area inside your closet – since you put on and take off your shoes as you enter your walk in closet (first shoes in, first shoes off).

Failure to “space out” your dimensions You’re not designing a hotel closet which is there for the use of many random people and is seldom used. Your closet is all about you (and your significant other) and the multitude of stuff you have. Think through how many shirts and blouses you want to hang. How many sweaters do you need to fit on these shelves? Allow about 1” for the shirts/blouses and 10 – 14” wide for the folded sweaters (depending on size). Taking the time to inventory what you need to store can guide the decision making process of how wide dimensionally you need to space apart the vertical sections of your closet to effectively utilize space.

The “standard” closet system is in the middle of the air vent or access panelSo your husband went out and bought one of those low-priced standardized closets from your local big box store (so far, so good). He started installing and figured out the supports go right through the middle of your access panel for your plumbing in the adjoining room. What do you do now? Effective closet design starts with a thoughtful game plan (and possibly different sized sections between shelves and the vertical panel supports). Don’t commit this closet design sin. Know where the obstructions are before you buy a system, or get a closet designer who will design around these hidden landmines.


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Cutting corners in closet structure and designIn design and in structure cutting corners (while cheaper for the contractor or homeowner in the short run) can cost you the ability to have useable space or result in a system which wants to pull away from the wall. From a structure standpoint make sure if you use a wall hung system it is properly tied into the studs with the right anchors. For floor mounted cabinetry use cleats to tie in the vertical shelf support to the walls. From a design perspective if you have a “U shaped” design with shelving around the corners make sure they are 24” to 30” deep – otherwise it will be difficult to use this space for hanging or folded clothes in the corner.

Don’t plan as if you’re Gumby and can reach anywhereIf you’re old enough do you remember the green rubbery toy (which had its own show in the late 1950’s and 1960’s) which could stretch and reach anywhere? Well – while I wish I had the flexibility of Gumby (maybe I could get closer to this if I just attended those Yoga classes my wife has been trying to get me to go to), I don’t have a stretchable arm that can reach anywhere (and my guess you don’t either). Given this fact we need to design closets to be thoughtful about reaching the top shelf or top rod and storing the right items up there. For the top shelf it’s usually best to keep lighter things you don’t need to access often. If you’re vertically challenged (or need the assistance of a wheelchair) consider adding a pull down rod to bring clothes on upper rods down to meet you.

Trying to fit 5 lbs. of S*** into a 10 lb. bag. The overdone closet designWhen I was growing up my Dad used to say don’t try to fit 10 lbs. of S*** (fill in the expletive here) into a 5 lb. bag. Basically it’s possible to become so enamored with all the fun “bells and whistles” of a new closet design (adding doors, drawers, valet rods, jewelry boxes…the list can go on and on) you overdesign the space. A clean, organized and effective life is often simplicity in design (think about the IPhone and how easy it is to learn this unit “on the fly” is an example of design simplicity).

To ensure a cleaner, minimalist design first take an inventory of all the items you have in your closet and determine what you’re not really using and can give away. If you’re in Columbus Dress for Success is a great organization that helps women who need clothing for work you could donate your seldom used things to. Pare down first, then think what storage components you need to keep things nice and tidy for your new custom closet design (note a Professional Organizer can also help you with this). After you’ve streamlined the closet (and thought of items you might like to add to the closet like jewelry or home office storage that’s in other rooms) then you’re ready to do your design (and not overdesign) your space.

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While these 7 deadly sins of closet design might be scary, it’s nice knowing you haven’t started your project yet.


Get the Scoop

7 Secrets No One Shares About Custom Closet Design

All closet systems are basically the same,” the confident woman said to me. “They are just a bunch of white shelves stacked on top of one another.”

As a designer and owner of a custom closet business in Columbus and Cleveland Ohio hearing this was like nails on a chalkboard for me. When I stopped to think about it – I can see how at first glance, closets can look pretty generic. Many are white, have a bunch of shelves, some closet rods and a maybe a few drawers and drawer fronts thrown in. But are all custom closet systems really the same? Do closet designers, organizers and contractors offer generic products and services?

Let’s take a peak at 7 little known secrets about premium closet systems and perform a “political fact checker” (since we’re in election season) to get to the bottom of this “seemingly” generic product.

You get more room with a laminate closet than a wood closetWhen you look closely at the ¾” thick supports between closet sections in a laminate closet you’ll only see one support board. If you look at a wood closet you’ll see 2 boards are needed between sections. With each section you’re gaining ¾” of space with a laminate system (and you don’t have to worry about warping or bugs which can be a problem with wood).

Interactive 3D design programs helps you see the spaceDo two dimensional floor plans confuse you? Is it hard to visualize how much space you’ll really have? When someone does a two dimensional penciled sketch of a closet it’s hard for to know what your closet will really look like. This fact doesn’t change whether you live in Upper Arlington, Westerville, Powell Ohio or Phoenix Arizona!

If you’re like me you don’t “see” in 2D – you see in 3D. What’s cool is there are now 3D modeling and closet design tools. You can add or subtract shelving, drawers or rods together with the closet designer right in your home. In addition, you can actually add “clothes” to the sections to see how far a double hanging section will overlap the drawers below. Being able to do “real-time” modeling is not only cool, it’s practical to ensure you get the custom design which fits your needs.

Check out the “inside” of the drawers to see what they’re really made ofDrawers are an excellent compliment for a premium closet design. Did you know you can actually store 3x more clothing in a drawer than hanging them up? This is a key stat if your closet – like most people’s – is too tight already. But just like people, drawers can look good on the outside – but once you open and close them a few times their “façade” may not live up their performance (do you have any particle board “furniture” gathering dust in your basement for this reason?).

Since you’re opening and closing drawers CONSTANTLY you’ll want to make sure they are equipped to stand up to the rigors of your husband and kids (and if your kids are like mine – TLC and furniture don’t go hand in hand!).

How can you make your drawers stand up to the abuse? One sound way is to use dovetail style drawer boxes. A dovetail drawer uses a locking joint designed with a wedge shaped channel cut into the wood which interlocks one piece of the drawer to another. This shape is more resistant to force vs. a lesser cost drawer which is screwed, stapled or mitered together.

How deep is your love ... er, I mean your shelvesOne way some cheaper closets system companies cut corners is by giving you less product (but not in an obvious way). Insist on 14” deep shelving for your closet (vs. the shallower 12” which some companies use). 14” shelving provides more depth for your sweaters, pants or larger men’s shoes so they won’t hang over the edge.


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Not all closet systems are white ... and it’s easy to price colors and wood grain textureImagine your excited to buy a new car and you drive into the dealership and every car on the lot is white. The cheesy salesperson tells you that’s why their cars are so cheap is because they only make them in white! You buy the car (because it’s cheaper) and then park in the airport parking lot where every other car is white (wow – you might be there forever finding your car!).

Just like not all cars are white, not all closet systems are white either – and not just in the super-fancy closets owned by “stars” like Khloe Kardashian either. You can choose to match your closet to the color of your custom woodwork or to the furniture in an adjacent bedroom or bathroom. This will create not only a functional closet – but one which shows off your clothes, suits and shoes. Adding color and wood grain textures generally only adds 5 to 10% to the cost of the project.

What’s nice is the 3D design software can price the closet in white and then instantly re-price this same closet with any of a multitude of colors or wood-grain textured finishes! Don’t settle for white – unless you really want to keep costs as low as possible.

Your “vertical challenge” does not have to be a disadvantageDo you ever wish you were taller and didn’t have to get your husband or your grown son to reach things off the top shelf (I’m sure my wife Rose can relate to this – although she is determined enough to get most anything without assistance!). With a custom closet there are fun and functional ways to “expand your reach” (as they might say in marketing) and enjoy the full use of your closet (even the areas at the top). Here’s 3 ideas to make this happen:

IDEA 1 In a shallow 24” deep reach in closet one trick is to put a narrower shelf on the top (12” deep vs. the 14” for the rest of the shelving) for storage of lighter items like pillows, blankets and sleeping bags. This shallower top shelf makes it simple to hoist these items above your head and get them to the top shelf.

IDEA 2 Add a pull down rod to bring clothes on the top shelf to you in a double-hung design.

IDEA 3 This one is way cool. If you have a taller ceiling and a larger budget. Put in a rolling or hook style ladder. Ladders can help you add shelving at the top of a custom design to use the volume at the top. This can be an effective (and cool idea) for vaulted ceilings in suburban luxury homes in Powell or Westerville Ohio or loft style industrial apartments like those in Victorian Village, German Village or Italian Village in Columbus.

You don’t want to “cut corners” you want to “use corners”Whether it’s a kitchen or a closet design corners can be a pain. How do you get the most out of these spaces? One fun and functional idea is to use angled corner shelves. These shelves will provide you with a lot of depth for your favorite sweaters, bulky pillows or blankets and they provide a stylish

Just like with people you’ve got to look past a closets “façade” and dig deeper to educate yourself to get the best custom closet value for your money!


Get Inspired

Easy-to-Miss Design Details in Custom Closet Systems

The most amazing thing about well-designed custom closet systems is many features are not obvious at all. Just like in any effective design the system just works. It’s simple for you to enjoy with minimal effort. Many of the celebrity and uber-wealthy custom closet systems you see on Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful to look at – but what really matters on a day to day basis is, Does your closet work for you? Is it a pain to find your shoes in the morning? Are your clothes jammed together on a closet rod and are practically begging you (if they could talk) for more space? Is your closet system as inflexible as your husband asking for directions when your lost and the GPS doesn’t recognize the street address?

Simplicity makes design beautiful. I definitely related to this statement a couple of years ago. I needed to create a conference call on my IPhone (and had never done it before). I was able to figure out how to do it “on the fly!” This “UX” (user experience) made me realize how slick Apple’s IPhone design is. To this day, I still have no idea



It’s designed specifically for you!There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all perfectly designed closet. All that matters is a closet design which works for you and your husband, significant other etc. How can you get this perfectly designed closet to fit your needs? In short, this path—like all paths of personal discovery—begins with questions. A closet design professional can lead you through the process about your space and ask questions you may not have considered? Some of these questions can include:

What items are you not storing in your closet today you’d like to include? What’s frustrating you about your closet? How might your storage needs change in the next few years? Would you like your closets to match your trim or furniture style in an adjoining room?

It offers hidden ergonomic benefitsIs the top shelf of your reach in closet impossible to use because it’s too deep to stick anything up there? Do you struggle bending down to find your shoes off the bottom of the closet floor because they’re buried under layers of clothing?

The reality is original closets in your home are not “designed” in the first place. This important space you use every day isn’t thought of as a room at all by home builders. It’s basically the “Rodney Dangerfield” space of your home—it gets no respect (thought) and they put as little money into it as possible. What most builders do is put the cheapest wire closets or fiberboard shelf and pole system they can get away with. The problem is these cheap systems not only don’t fit all your clothes – but they aren’t designed around you, your height or mobility.

Custom closet designs have changed all this. You no longer need your shoes buried on the floor. Better design elevates your shoes where you can see them and pair them with your work or casual outfit without having to invest time finding (and bending over) to get them.

Another ergonomic problem (especially to those who are “vertically challenged”) is reaching the top shelf of your closet (whether it’s a reach in or walk in closet). Since most reach in closets don’t have a lot of depth (24” is standard) using the top shelf can be tough. To make this simpler you can now use a product called a “reach vertical” where the top shelf isn’t as deep as the lower shelves. This way you can use every inch of your space.

Another idea is to have your clothes “come to you.” This can be accomplished with either a manual pull down closet rod or even a motorized assembly (I saw this cool feature at this year’s Kitchen and Bath Industry Show).

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on how to do a conference call from my office phone (which of course I barely use because almost all my calls happen through my IPhone anyway). It’s kind of starting to feel like Apple has made me dependent on them (bummer – ha! ha!). Getting back to custom closet design. While having a design, which looks fantastic is nice – it’s useless if the custom closet doesn’t work well for your ability to store (and find) dresses, shoes, blouses, handbags, jewelry and even underwear quickly so you can get to work (or a special Columbus Opera event) on time. If you want to get your design right the first time pay attention to these 5 non-obvious custom closet design facts.


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It’s more than “incrementally” better than what you haveClosets should be able to change with you or your family’s needs. If you have a young daughter (newborn to 6 years old), you can get more effective use of space by using a triple hanging sections (because her clothes are shorter). When she gets older this triple hang strategy doesn’t work because now her clothes will be too long. With pre-manufactured custom closets, you’ll have increment holes on the side so you can adjust your shelves and rods and go from 3 sections of hanging space to 2 sections of hanging space by simply moving the adjustable shelving and rods down.

What’s cool is you don’t need a service call from a custom closet company to do this either. Does your current closet have any ability for you to adjust it to your needs?

Most aren’t made of real wood – and that’s a good thing!Real wood is appealing. The graining, texture and ability to repaint can be draws. The challenge with real wood is there are few custom closet systems which are cost effectively designed for this purpose. If you want a real wood closet, you’ll either hire a carpenter (who is not knowledgeable about closet design) or you’ll have to buy a more expensive system with wood veneer and/or wood door and drawer fronts.

What’s nice today is you can create this real wood look without the concern over high costs. Laminate closet designs give you the look of real wood at a fraction of the price. They provide more strength, can hold more clothes and are adjustable (see fact #3 above). Laminate systems today are widely used and better on your pocketbook.

Custom closets can be designed for the “minimalist” or the “maximalist” (not sure that’s a word!)Design styles are as varied as our personalities. Some people are looking for clean, minimalist and lower cost. Others want fancy trim, expressive design features and creating a wow experience by entering their closet. With custom closet design systems, you can have your cake – and eat it too – no matter what type of “cake” you like.

For the minimalist, you’ll want to look into contemporary wall hung closets with clean lines. You can keep it functional – but also craft your own sense of design style.

For the “maximalist” you can build out your closet with decorative fluting, base and crown molding which can make even the most experience of trim carpenters envious. Add in features like fancy jewelry trays or pull out mirrors for the ultimate luxe space.

While excellent design (whether it’s a closet or an IPhone) is something we all know when we experience it, it may not be obvious with a casual glance. What you will love is how an effective custom closet design will make your life easier and less stressful (you’ll be able to find your clothes and shoes). If your Columbus or Cleveland closet is a struggle today give us a call or request a Free 3D closet design to take the hassle out of your space.

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Innovate Home Org 614 545 6888 or 216 658 1290

custom closet design: the smarter storage solution · 2017. 8. 16. · custom closet design: the...

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