Closet Design, Inside Out

An efficient and practical closet design can save you lots of time and energy. It involves first determining your closet needs, and then creating the structure you need to get organized.

The big question is... Professional Design vs Do-It-Yourself (DIY)

Consider your abilities, what your time is worth, and your budget.

Here are some of the pros and cons:

Professional Closet Designer

• Pro: can provide new ideas and options you may not have thought about
• Pro: have their own tools, no need for you to buy something you may only use one time
• Pro: have experience making cuts and measurements
• Pro: may be able to identify possible challenges ahead of time
• Pro: saves installation time
• Con: increased costs for labor and supplies

DIY Closet Design

• Pro: saves money (no labor costs, cheaper supplies)
• Con: may need additional tools
• Con: generally takes more installation time
• Con: more likely to run into installation problems

In summary, if you have no closet designing ability and/or limited time, hiring a professional is a better option if it fits into your budget. If you have the free time and designing ability, this is a better option as it will save more money. If you go for the DIY option, remember the old carpenter's saying: Measure twice, cut once!

Determine Your Closet Needs

Whether you hire a professional or DIY, you can start determining your closet needs right away.

What type of closet is it?

Depending on the type of closet (adult bedroom, kid's bedroom, entry/foyer, mudroom, laundry room, pantry, etc.), your needs will be different.

Make a list of things you want to keep in the closet

Here's an example for an adult bedroom closet:

• Men's long-sleeve shirts
• Men's short-sleeve shirts
• Men's pants and jeans
• Suits
• Jackets and coats
• Shorts
• Underwear
• socks
• Neckties
• Shoes
• Pajamas
• Belts
• Women's long-sleeve shirts
• Women's long-sleeve shirts
• Women's pants and jeans
• Skirts
• Suits
• Jackets and coats
• Lingerie, underwear, bras
• Nylons and socks
• Shoes and boots
• Pajamas
• Dresses and robes
• Purses and handbags
• Belts

Envision your perfectly-organized closet. Think of what you have and how it would fit. If you are having a very hard time envisioning how you can fit everything into your closet, you can either really work to declutter it, or consult a professional closet designer to give you some ideas.

Start with some rough sketches of your closet. Remember, all parts of the closet that you include should be used and have a purpose. Keep it as simple as possible. If you want your socks neatly rolled and put into a sock divider drawer and are willing to do the work to keep it organized, then go for it. If you could care less if your socks are together and prefer to throw them all in a drawer together, then just go with a drawer.

Also, consider that men's clothing may be longer in length when hanging them, such as pants, although almost all of his clothing can be hung up. Women have varying lengths of clothing, including dresses, robes, skirts, etc. She may also have tall boots to store, as well as purses and handbags.

Determine what structure would best suit your needs

As you make your sketch, consider these questions:

• What kind of storage do you already have? What is working for you and what isn't?
• Who is using the closet? If it is shared, does one person need more or less space?
• Is there a built-in closet or do you need to add one by using an armoir or other type of external closet?
• Would it be best to use a combination of the closet along with a separate dresser?
• Do you need a dresser at all, or could you purchase or have a custom closet system that includes drawers? Many people don't have space for or don't want to use dressers anymore. If you have space in your closet, you may be able to add boxes, baskets, and drawers to place underwear and socks that might normally have been kept in a dresser.
• If you need to add shelves and drawers, how many?
• What can you hang up versus folding?
• How long do you need the clothing bar in the closet to be for hanging clothes?
• Will you need special storage solutions for neckties, shoes, boots, hats, handbags, etc.?

Now that you have a rough sketch, you can move on and start planning your closet design in more detail. If you are going to do it yourself, start making measurements and shopping for closet systems and accessories. If you are consulting a professional closet designer, talk to them about your ideas, share your sketch, and then get their recommendations.

The Next Step...

Once you get your closet design ready, check out The Top 10 Closet Storage Solutions to help you get the most space for your money.