How To Design A Dream Closet

From choosing the right lighting to deciding on the perfect mix of storage components, designing a closet is no easy feat. Custom storage solutions, convenient dressing areas, glamorous design details – you deserve a closet with everything you could want in a custom closet and then some.

Make it an Extension of Your Bedroom

"Your personal closet is a space that should not be overlooked and designed only for function, but rather made into an extension of your bedroom. For this closet, I wanted to create a jewel box atmosphere and to design not only a wardrobe, but a dressing room. I designed the layout of the closet, keeping the function of utmost importance. We also added beautiful wallpaper and plush carpet, and used lucite rods, mirrors and crystal lighting to add a bit of glamour. I wanted to my client to feel like she was shopping in her own closet!" — Kathryn Ivey

Vary Storage Types & Incorporate Contrasting Colors

Today In: Lifestyle “Planning a master closet is nearly as important as planning your kitchen. No matter what the size or configuration, include a variety of storage components and heights for hanging. Use light-colored interiors for visibility and add contrast with darker wood faces and doors. LED closet rails are also a great addition to ensure you will be able to distinguish between those ebony, coal and jet black pants.” — Anita Dawson, Dawson Design Group

Create Custom Built-In Storage

"One way to elevate the shelving in your closet is to create custom built-in storage for your jewelry, which can also include a built-in safe for your valuable items. Think about wrapping the shelves and cabinetry in something unexpected like luxurious leather or parchment." — Kara Smith, SFA Design

Lighting design makes this closet shine.

Good closet lighting is too useful to be ignored. A lot of closets either don't have a light or are illuminated by an exposed incandescent bulb screwed into a surface-mounted fixture and operated with a pull-chain. The first situation is inconvenient, but the second is dangerous. Closets tend to be filled with clothing and other flammable materials, and incandescent bulbs—including halogen lights—get very hot. Energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights can get closer to stored items without creating a fire hazard, and they use considerably less energy than standard incandescent and halogen bulbs.

A wardrobe with a view.

The other option is to work with the window and turn it into an asset for the closet. There are health benefits when we are exposed to natural light that are not present with artificial light, including improved productivity, feelings of comfort, lower stress levels and an overall happier mood. The human body even receives certain essential vitamins, like vitamin D, from sunlight exposure. Additionally, natural light is free.

A sleek closet design with fabulous hardware.

When you are buying a custom organization system, or any type of custom cabinet, there are a lot of decisions to be made. Material, color, style of doors and drawer fronts, and hardware. By hardware, we mean the drawer handles and cabinet knobs or pulls that are a prominent feature of your closet cabinet doors and drawers. Although technically considered an accessory, which might make them superfluous in some people's eyes, handles and knobs add essential functionality to any storage system. They are also one of the most prominent visual features, setting the style and tone of the piece.

There are many options available when choosing handles, knobs and pulls for your doors and drawers. Closet hardware comes in a multitude of styles from contemporary, to transitional, to traditional looks. Each of these can be further divided into formal and casual looks. There are both simple and ornate choices within each style category. Furthermore, each piece of hardware is generally available in in several finishes. The most popular choices include polished chrome, brushed chrome, oil rubbed bronze and matte gold. (The current gold is not the same as the polished or antique brass so popular in the late 80s and 90s. The new gold tone is a warmer, richer tone with a more subdued and sophisticated edge).

A glam closet with luxurious details from glass panels to a delicate chandelier.

If you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in closet — an admitted luxury — why not make it a beautiful one? The first step is creating the proper storage, but beyond that it’s all about styling your space so that it feels inviting.

Placing a chandelier in a closet ups the glamour factor. Here, the blue-painted ceiling adds emphasis to the light fixture. Also notice the beautiful boxes on the upper shelves — a great way to hide clutter.