Dec. 18 2017

updated May 01 2019

How to Plan a Closet: Closet Remodeling Ideas

So, you've decided that your closet needs a complete refresh! Well, where do you start? The perfect closet is different for everyone. No two people are identical, therefore, no two closets should be exactly the same. And it's not all about measuring, although getting your dimensions right is important. Form follows function and your closet design should center first and foremost around what it needs to hold. If your clothes won't fit into the closet, you won't be happy — no matter how elegant the design. Plan your perfect closet around your individual needs by considering the following wardrobe questions, and then carefully measuring your available space to determine how best to incorporate your personal storage requirements into your closet remodel.

Every successful closet remodeling project gathers details on what needs to be stored and how much space each item will require BEFORE putting any design ideas down on paper.

START YOUR CLOSET REMODELING PROJECT BY ANSWERING THESE WARDROBE QUESTIONS:

1 Shirts, Slacks and Scarves:

Are your shirts hung on a hanger or folded in the closet? This is an important consideration when determining how much hanging versus shelving space you need.
Do you hang your slacks the long way or do you fold them on a hanger? Pants that are folded require less vertical space and are therefore a good candidate for a double hang closet section. Additionally, there are special pull-out racks available to efficiently store pants in this manner. However, they require more horizontal space on the rod than trousers that are hung the long way from the cuff or waist on pant hangers. Some people do not like to fold their pants on a hanger because they believe that method leaves a crease or mark where the pants touched the bar of the hanger. Hanging pants the long way requires an adequately sized medium hang clothing rod section.

Double hang is the most efficient storage solution for pants folded on a hanger See Project >

Medium hang for pants hung by the cuff See Project >

Medium hang for pants hung by the waist See Project >
Do you fold or hang your ties and scarves, or both? This is important to decide on in advance, because it will determine whether you need drawers or some type of hanging system for tie and scarf storage.

2 Shoes:

Do you want to have a place to sit to put on shoes in the closet? There are numerous ways to integrate seating into a closet, each with its own space requirements. You can go fancy by integrating a custom bench into the structure of the closet, or simply leave room for a chair.
Shoe bench built into closet island See Project >
What is your shoe size? The larger your shoe size, the more shelf space you will need. On average, you need about 9-10 inches shelf space for each pair of mens' shoes and 7-8 inches shelf space for womens' shoes.
What is the height of your highest shoe? This will determine the space requirements between the shelves.

slanted shoe shelves — Shoe storage space depends on the size and style of your shoes **See Project >**

closet remodeling that will height between shoe shelves dependant on height of shoe — Shoe shelves accommodate different height shoes **See Project >**

3 Belts, Handbags and Jewelry

What is the size of your tallest and deepest handbag? This measurement will determine the size and spacing of your purse storage solution.
Purse storage shelf height needs to be set to accommodate the tallest handbag See Project >
Do you want closet storage for jewelry? Does it need to be safe guarded or displayed? There are many options for jewelry storage, including lighted displays built into the countertop, locking drawers with special jewelry organizer inserts, or casual countertop containers
Lighted jewelry display built into glass countertop with clear and frosted sections See Project >
Jewelry drawer storage and countertop organizers See Project >
How many belts do you have? Do you like them rolled, or do you want them to be hung in the closet? If you roll your belts, they can be stored in drawers and organized with dividers, or placed into into specially designed cubbies cubbies. If you hang your belts, hooks or a telescoping rack that pulls out is a convenient and organized way to store them.

belts stored rolled — Rolled belts in cubbies **See Project >**

closet remodeling shows belts on rack — Belts hung on telescoping rack **See Project >**

belts stored rolled in a closet drawer with custom drawer dividers — Belts stored rolled in a closet drawer with custom drawer dividers

4 Laundry

Do you need a hamper for laundry and for dry-cleaning? There are several ways of integrating a laundry solution into the closet, with built in baskets or bags being the most popular. Built in hampers can either tilt out from their hiding place, or pull out on a rack. Double basket solutions are the most popular, as they allow you do some basic sorting of your laundry as soon as you are finished wearing it.

tilt out hamper baskets — Tilt out hamper **See Project >**

pull out hamper hamper with pull out baskets — Pull out hamper **See Project >**

Do you want to be able to iron or steam your clothes in the closet? No one really likes to iron clothes, although everyone's clothes look better freshly pressed. You will probably be willing to do more touch ups on wrinkles if your ironing board is conveniently locaed and easy to set up.
Ironing board that folds out of a drawer See Project >

5 Lighting, Mirrors and Electronics

Do you need lighting design in your closet? A custom closet lighting system is one of the most economical ways to add that special "WOW" factor to your closet remodeling project, transforming the finished project into a work of art. The new LED closet lights are low voltage, easy to install and don't require the services of a professional electrician. They add practicality as well, by lighting under shelves, along the sides of the panels, above crown moulding, and inside cabinets.
Closet with lighting system See Lighting Projects >
Do you want a mirror incorporated into the closet design? Some people like to hang them on the back of the closet door, but this does not work for every closet and more options are possible with a little planning. Different types are available — from hidden full length pull-out mirrors that work well for reach in closets and require very little space, to a set of cabinet doors that can be set up to function as a three way mirror when opened.

pull-out-mirror — Pull-out mirror **See Project >**

closet remodeling with three way mirror — Three way mirror **See Project >**

Do you want an electronics charging station in the closet? With so many closets becoming the new hub of the home, more and more homeownersare looking for the convenience of being able to charge personal cell phones and other electronics on the countertop of a closet hutch or other closet organization piece. USB and regular outlets can be built into the countertops as pop-ups to provide this convenience as long as you plan in advance of building the final closet. The advantage is that you don't need a long cord going to a wall outlet near the baseboard.
Pop-up electronics charging station See Project >

6 General Closet Organization Considerations

Do you need drawer dividers in the closet ? Should they be removable? The answer to these questions will depend on whether you require drawers and what you intend to store in them.
How many ties, shoes, bags, shirts, dresses and jackets do you have? Which is the longest tallest and widest?
Do you have any unusual closet storage needs such as specialty clothing for sports?

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TIPS ON MEASURING AND DESIGNING YOUR CLOSET

Steps to measure your closet space for a closet system

Measure the width of the wall in three height locations (Figure 1. marked A, B, and C) where the closet system will be installed and record the smallest measurement. When taking the measurement closest to the floor, make sure your measurement is above any baseboard.
Measure from floor to ceiling. Standard closet systems are 84" high, but a custom closet can be built to any height if you have a nonstandard space.
Confirm the depth of left and right walls and the type and location of the closet doors. This is to confirm that the closet design will allow for drawers and baskets to be fully opened unobstructed by doors, walls, or other obstacles.
Confirm that you have enough clearance/depth. Hanging sections need at least 25" of clearance in a corner or adjacent system.

Hanging sections and what to expect

Long Hanging: lower shelf at 66" and rod at 64.5", great for overcoats, dresses, formal, coats, and other garments needing long hanging space.
Medium Hanging: lower shelf at 55" and rod at 52.5", great for blouses, long skirts, coats, and other garments needing medium hanging space.
Double Hang: lower shelf at 42" and rod at 40.5", great for maximizing your hanging space for shirts, blouses, folded pants, and other garments where stacking the hanging space makes most sense.

How much hanging space do you need?

1 inch of rod per item for hanging blouses and shirts.
1.25 inches of rod per item for slacks, skirts, or folded pants.
2 inches of rod per item for dresses and over coats.
2.5 inches of rod per item for suits, sport coats, and blazers.

Closet Shelving Sections

18 inches shelves typically hold two pairs of men's shoes or two women's folded shirts.
24 inches shelves typically hold three pairs of women's shoes or two stacks of folded items.
30 inches shelves typically hold four pairs of women's shoes or three pairs of men's shoes or three folded women's shirts or two folded sweaters.

Closet Drawers

Standard drawers come in 18, 24 and 30 inch widths. Custom widths are also possible. Standard heights (bottom of drawer to opening) are 5", 7.5", 10" and 12". Most drawers will be 14" depth, as this is the standard depth of most closet shelves, however, 16" and 20" depths are also possible.
The 5 inch high drawers are typically used for storing jewelry. Velvet lines and drawer locks are common on this size drawer.
Drawer dividers and organizing inserts in different configurations are available for the standard size drawers.
Closet drawers add expense to the closet system, but this cost is usually more than made up for by eliminating the need to purchase other furniture for the bedroom.
Closet drawers should be the LAST component installed in the closet system, after all the structural panels and shelves are in place.

Pull-Out Baskets

Closet Baskets add a convenient way to store and access clothing and can be a great addition to your closet as a portable laundry basket.
Baskets liners can be added to any basket and can be easily removed and the contents carried directly to the laundry in our easy to use canvas liners. Canvas liners have Velcro attachments and are laundry safe.
Fully opened baskets extend 26 inches from the back wall. Look for quality wire baskets constructed of heavy gauge triple coated chrome, 2.8mm and 5.8mm steel wire.

Related Materials:

Designer Tip:
Thoughtfully planned out designs will be more effective in the long run. Planning out the design will help make the best use of space and resources.

Closet Works is Chicagolands' largest and most experienced provider of custom storage solutions. Since 1987, we have been helping homeowners by creating custom craft rooms, art studios, closets, pantries, office/guest rooms, wall units and more that help create a better, less stressful lifestyle. All of our organization systems are made locally at our factory in Elmhurst IL. USA. Great ideas to "Organize Your Life" and examples of our organized bedrooms, closets and other custom organization systems can be found throughout our website. For more information on Closet Works call toll-free at 800-4-CLOSET (800-425-6738).

Made in the USA

There are thousands of ways to organize a closet — your closet should be as unique as you. The above list of considerations is just the first step in designing your perfect closet. After you know what you want to store and how much space it will all take, it is time to sit down and draw up a plan for your new closet system. Refer to our "Tips on Measuring and Designing Your Closet" when developing your plan. Be sure to measure everything accurately and check your measurements in more than one place along the wall in case your walls are a bit crooked (most homes have walls that are crooked to some degree). If the designing and construction seems a bit overwhelming, the talented designers at Closet Works are always ready to help you achieve that perfect closet design. For those who are dedicated to DIY, our e-commerce affiliate, closets.com, is ready 24/7 to provide you with all the closet components you need to build your dream remodel.

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