What is a Designer Closet?

The term designer closet usually refers to a custom-created, storage system made to store clothing or other items. Designer closet companies serve clients' storage needs by creating systems to hold their possessions in a very neat, organized fashion. Although many designer closets are done for clothing storage, kitchen pantries, linen cupboards, garage shelves and home office systems are just some of the other custom closet possibilities.

In many cases, closet storage designers have only basic closets to work with and must figure out the best possible use of space to efficiently store the client's belongings. Depending on the preferences and budget of the client, the designer may decide on adding shelves, rods, bins, hooks or many other storage solutions to a closet. The client's possessions must not merely fit into the space, but allow him or her maximum accessibility as well.

Some homes come with walk-in closets that may have shelves or drawers, but don't usually have hooks or specific storage accessories such as shoe racks. A designer closet specialist uses the existing storage features and adjusts them by adding pieces as needed to make the space more user-friendly for the client. Many homes, especially older ones, were built with basic, narrow closets with one horizontal closet rod and a single shelf above it. These types of clothes closets usually have either sliding doors or a bifold, or hinged two-paneled, door style. Even these smaller storage areas can be transformed by a designer closet system.

There are ready-made, do it yourself (DYI) closet systems designed to transform basic single-shelf, single-bar closets into more efficient storage spaces. Typically, the most inexpensive of these systems are made of plastic-coated wire openwork shelves that can be adjusted to fit the width and height of each particular closet. Most of these DYI designer closet systems include a rod made to be hung close to the closet's middle.

Mid-level designer closet rods allow for twice as many clothing pieces to be stored since some items may be hung on the upper rod, while other hangers can be placed on the lower one. For instance, in many double bar closet systems, shirts and jackets are hung from the top rod, while pants on trouser hangers are placed on the lower one. Closet systems used for storing linens or food items don't have rods, but rather shelves, bins, drawers or a combination of these.

Custom closets are created by measuring the height and width of the client's belongings so everything will fit. The closet designer first discusses the client's needs and wishes for efficiently organized closets before creating a plan for the space. For instance, a designer closet plan for a laundry area may include a fold-out ironing board and a hamper with wheels. Designer children's closets usually have a colorful organization system that kids can access easily.