Example of a classic closet design in Other with dark wood cabinets

LIBRE Wardrobe System without a Back
Large minimalist dressing room photo in New York with open cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Chelsea Loft, New York, NY

TOLA architecture

Photo Credit: Amy Barkow | Barkow Photo, Lighting Design: LOOP Lighting, Interior Design: Blankenship Design, General Contractor: Constructomics LLC

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz

Master Closet - Allen, TX

Closets By Design

Closet - transitional closet idea in Dallas

Home Organization Solutions

ORG Home

Closet - contemporary closet idea in Grand Rapids

BIFOLD CLOSET DOORS

APA CLOSET DOORS

Inspiration for a modern closet remodel in Miami

Custom Entertainment Units & Mantels pieces.

WL Kitchen & Home

Photo: © wlinteriors.us / Julian Buitrago
Example of a large classic gender-neutral painted wood floor and brown floor closet design in New York with raised-panel cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Closet Ideas

When it comes to renovation priorities for homeowners, closet design probably doesn’t top the list. Luckily, the mention of closet remodeling and closet storage doesn’t have to induce groans and grumbles anymore — thanks to the wide range of closet ideas on Houzz, you’ll be delighted by the huge amount of options and customizations at your disposal, and can take on your closet renovation with gusto! A long way from the overstuffed, haphazard nightmares they used to be, closets have evolved into elegant and inspirational spaces. Closet storage used to consist of unattractive poles and overflowing shelves, but today, custom built-ins and inspirational finishes are on par with many high-end kitchens or bathrooms. Upscale walk-in closet designs now boast spinning shoe racks, lighted display cases and lounge chairs, and additions such as makeup vanities or tie racks help properly store items while simultaneously personalizing the area.

How do I organize my closet?

Closet organization is crucial; with so many shoes, ties, clothes and bags to stash, closets can get hugely messy in a short amount of time. As you browse various closet pictures, consider items and closet remodeling ideas that would help you create an efficient space to both expedite your routine as well as systematically store your personal items. The first step to successfully creating a functional closet layout is to perform a closet clean out — this will help you assess your organizational needs. By ridding yourself of excess stuff, you can then take inventory of the items that you actually need and go from there. After undergoing your closet audit and identifying your trouble areas, pinpoint closet designs, organizational systems and generally effective closet ideas that would work for your area. Also, as you consider closet decorating ideas, think of how you can save space and have your decor double as both storage and ornamentation. As you peruse different closet photos and contemplate various closet remodeling ideas, you will see there is no one-size-fits-all storage solution — when it comes to closet design, it’s really about what will work best for you. Custom organizers, such as hooks and bins, are ideal supplemental accessories to help keep your closet clutter-free; baskets are also great for storing things like belts and scarves, while shelf dividers keep sweaters, jeans and shirts neat and tidy.

Should I add built-in cabinets to my closet?

When looking at closet ideas, think about your current situation — do you have consistent difficulty locating certain things? If the answer is yes, built-in cabinets might be a worthy investment. While they are more expensive, these shop-built, professionally installed components are durable, streamlined and customized to your needs, which, in terms of a closet remodel, is the best way to get what you want and need. You can have custom-sized cabinets made to fit particular items, as well as unique shoe holders, rotating tie racks, purse display cases or pull-out drawers for smaller accessories or shirts. If you can't afford built-ins or maybe need more storage than they can provide, consider supplemental baskets, dividers, hooks and racks to help ensure every item has a place.

How do I decorate my closet?

A closet remodel definitely brings more organization to your home, but it also brings the opportunity to decorate a new space! As you evaluate various closet decorating ideas, keep in mind that your closet decor should instantly brighten your mood as you dress for the day (or the night). Liven up the space with some inspirational artwork, novelty containers and a statement light fixture. If you have a walk-in closet and are looking for more luxurious closet design ideas, try including a small sitting area with either a window seat, ottoman or lounge chair; this can work as a great getaway from everyday life and can also come in handy when putting on those pesky high heels or boots. Consolidate your morning routine by adding your own makeup vanity, complete with a jewelry box and makeup drawer. If you need extra storage and have the space, you can always squeeze in another dresser or install an island with drawers. In terms of paint for your new closet design, choose a color that energizes you and is also formulated to be mold and mildew-resistant. And lastly, don't forget the mirrors! Floor-length mirrors or mirrored cabinets are crucial in closets — after all, you want to be able to evaluate your outfit!

Sponsored

Delaware, OH

DelCo Handyman & Remodeling LLC

Franklin County's Remodeling & Handyman Services

Timber Frame Renovation

Mottram Architecture

Timber frame homes offer unique challenges during a remodel. What often makes them beautiful and attractive to most homeowners, also makes them challenging for space requirements. Context: The lovely couple that owned this home were struggling with some interesting floor plan challenges that just didn't work for their family. The loved the beautiful timbers and woodwork of their home, but the dramatically sloping ceilings on the second floor, particularly in the bathroom, just didn't work for this 1 1/2 bath home. Needing to use the skylight to approach the toilet was a less then ideal scenario. Although the bathroom footprint was more then adequate, the sloped ceiling only made half of the space useable. Check out the Before/After post on our blog to see the photos of the house pre-renovation. As much as they loved all the wood features in their home, another challenge they had was light. The wood ceiling made everything inside the house darker, even with a fantastic array of south facing windows, there were spaces in the home that felt dark and small. When they contacted us they wanted to know how could they make their brighter and more inviting, were there solutions to the 2nd floor sloped ceiling issues, and if they were going to do all of this work, how could they make their home more comfortable and efficient. A nagging water leak in the upstairs bathroom spurred them into action and here is how we solved their dilemma. Conclusion: First, we added a little dormer to the rear of the house so we could get full headroom in nearly all of the upstairs bathroom! Then we decided to extend that dormer one more timber bay over to create a walk in closet with natural light and plenty of space. Since we were contemplating energy efficiency, we resolved a nagging issue that is present in a lot of timber frame construction, air tightness. Commonly found in timber frame construction, fiberglass insulation is installed in the rafter bays and board ceilings are installed over top. Unfortunately, board ceilings are anything but air tight, and fiberglass insulation needs to be in an airtight cavity for maximum effectiveness. So we were able to solve two issues at the same time for this homeowner. We removed the board ceiling and fiberglass insulation, we dense packed the rafter bays with cellulose insulation, and installed sheetrock in place of the boards. The boards were salvaged for re-use by the homeowner, and the space and light quality was dramatically improved. Some may think that losing the board ceiling took something away from the space, but what you'll see in the pictures is that it highly accentuates the heavy timbers and really makes them stand out in a beautiful way. Now with this added airtightness, better insulation, and brighter space, the homeowner hardly runs their wood stove, and it's so quiet in the space, an added bonus from changing the insulation. It became necessary to also add a sheetrock ceiling to the living room to hide the plumbing from the new bathroom layout above. Changing this ceiling gave the homeowner some real quality lighting that was lacking in the living room before. The brighter ceiling and new lighting layout completely transforms the living room into a space you want to hang out, even though the layout didn't change at all. When the homeowner saw the finished spaces she said "I can't believe this is my house, I want to live in this house" Energy Efficiency: I touched a little on the efficiency above, but like all projects done with Mottram Architecture, we always want to leave you with a little extra. Timber frame construction with board ceilings and fiberglass insulation are notoriously leaky! If you want to know what we think about fiberglass insulation, check our our blog post on Why Fiberglass Insulation Sucks. By installing cellulose insulation and covering it with sheetrock we were able to greatly reduce the heat flowing out of this home. It not only improves cashflow it improves the comfort level in the space. Who wants to sit in their living room and feel a draft? Let us remind you, we are not saying cellulose insulation is an air barrier, we use the sheetrock to help with that, but it does significantly reduce the air flow over fiberglass insulation. And when we reduce the airflow, we reduce the heat flow. And when we reduce the heat flow, we reduce the need to re-heat that drafty air from outside. When it comes to energy efficiency the first and best place to start is air infiltration. We greatly reduced the air infiltration with the new insulation, but we also added a hat and warm boots. What I mean by that is, we improved the insulation in the roof, and we installed insulation in the basement. Maybe it's a silly analogy, but when you think about keeping warm, we always start with the hat and boots! With sustainability in mind, the next project will be to add a deck to the front of this house with rain catchment barrels from the metal roof. They are planning to plant a garden in the spring and the rain catchment system will help to irrigate the new garden. Builder: East Shore Builders Photographer: Michael Eric Berube