A Master Closet Customized With Adjustable Shelving
Sometimes, master closets have built-in shelving and cubbies like the ones shown below. They seem like a good idea, but often they are not configured as well as they could be. If the shelves and cubbies are not adjustable, that gives you no flexibility to customize it for your needs. You have to dig through piles and stacks of clothes when you are trying to get dressed in the morning, and you end up not wearing all of your clothes, simply because you cannot easily See What You Have.
Does your closet have built-ins like this? Do you wish that you could set it up differently, based on the kind of clothing storage that you need? Contact me to see if I can improve your closet!
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Tall Built-in Cubbies
See how tall these cubbies are? These cubbies were simply not practical for my client. If she tried to store folded sweaters or pants in them, the stacks would get too tall, and she couldn’t easily see or access the items on the bottom of the stack. If she kept the stacks of clothes shorter, then she had too much unused, wasted space. Does this sound familiar to you?
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Why Is That Clothing Rod There?
Not to mention the silliness of having a clothing rod running across the cubbies, in this particular closet. How was she supposed to hang clothes there? Why put a clothing rod there at all? Only the original builder knows, and I’ll wager that the builder was not thinking about how the closet would actually need to be used.
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Clothing Rod for a Gajillion Dresses
On the other side of this long walk-in closet, there was a single fixed clothing rod that ran across the whole wall. The rod was up high, which would work well for long-hanging clothes, like dresses.
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The problem was that this client did not wear dresses very often, and owned only a few. She did not need this much long-hanging space, and when she hung clothes on this high rod, there was too much wasted space below.
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It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
I knew that the closet space could be optimized to be much more efficient. It was a large walk-in closet, after all, and there was no reason to have so much wasted space. It wasn’t the client’s fault that she couldn’t manage her clothes well in there. She had to struggle with the generic, unusable closet configuration that had been built into it. But, those generic closet configurations can always be changed.
Elfa
For big problems like this, I turn to a dependable, quality product called Elfa, which is the shelving and drawer system from The Container Store. I love using Elfa, because it is easy to install and easy to change as your needs change. Elfa is a component system that lets you customize every aspect of the closet, from how much hanging space you need, to shelves and drawers for your clothing and accessory storage preferences.
It is not a pre-fabricated kit. Closet kits can cause you some trouble if the kit doesn’t quite fit the measurements of your closet, or if you happen to have more shoes or other items than the kit gives you space for. Elfa lets you have your customized Dream Closet, where every detail is set up just the way you want it.
Demolition!
First, I tore out all of the cubbies and built-in shelves. I needed a sledgehammer for some of it, because these built-ins often tend to be over-engineered and fastened down with enough nails and screws to build an entire house.
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Installation!
Then, I installed the Elfa shelving along the long sides of the closet, and Elfa drawers on the back wall, where the fixed cubbies had been. Elfa shelving comes in white or platinum (it’s the same price for either color), so my client chose platinum. The wood decor pieces shown below come in birch or walnut, and my client chose walnut for these.
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Details – Pull-out Pants Racks
Now, let’s look at the details. Everyone has different preferences about how to store their slacks. Some people like to fold them on shelves or in drawers, and some people like to hang them up. My client likes to hang her slacks, and she loved these Elfa pull-out pants racks.
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These pant racks pull out very smoothly, and they hold up to ten pairs of slacks each. Here, I installed two of them side by side. You can also install them vertically, one on top of the other, if that works better in your particular closet.
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Details – Pull-out Jewelry Trays
Above the pants racks, I put in walnut Elfa decor jewelry trays. My client likes to be able to see all of her jewelry at once, and these trays with the larger dividers worked great for her bracelets. The tray stays out of the way until you need it, and then pulls out smoothly.
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The jewelry trays also come with smaller dividers, which worked well for her earrings.
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Details – Drawers
Remember the wasted space underneath the short hanging clothes on the other wall? This was a perfect spot for Elfa drawer units. These drawer units come in different widths and heights, and the medium height shown here is perfect for using the space under short hang clothes like blouses and shirts.
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I like using these Elfa mesh drawers for my clients, because the mesh is smooth so that not even lingerie or stockings will snag on the material, and the mesh keeps small things from falling out. Plus, it just looks sophisticated and cool.
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I planned for enough space for the client’s laundry hamper at the end of the row of drawers, near the closet door.
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It was hard to get a good picture in the tight space, but see the black dress hanging near the back? Those are the client’s dresses. She only had a few and had no plans to buy any more, so I designed that wall for just enough space for them. Elfa shelving can be cut to fit, so I cut that shelf and rod to a mere 12” long.
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You can see the space I left for the dresses a little better in this photo. I love how customizable Elfa can be. This client wanted more drawers than long-hanging clothes space, but everyone’s clothing needs are different, and Elfa lets me make anyone’s Dream Closet come true.
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Details – Clear Drawers For Shoes
On top of the drawers, I put clear drawers for the client’s shoes. These are actually sold as shirt drawers, but I use them to store two pairs of shoes in each one. The plastic stays clear over time and doesn’t get cloudy, they pull out smoothly, and you can see your shoes easily.
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Your master closet may not need such an extensive remodel as this one did, but I’d love to see it and find out if I can make it resemble your Dream Closet!
