I like IKEA.

I like the versions you showed. One thing I'd do is make sure that you can change out some of the parts for when the girls get older. Maybe one will gravitate toward wearing mostly dresses, and the other is a jeans-and-sweaters girl. So you end up needing a lot more space for folded items and more space for longer hanging clothes. I think that's why I like the Elfa systems (Container Store) and similar "buy the interchangeable pieces" methods. They have pullout "drawers," too.

I have the Elfa in my hallway closet (that used to be a closet rod and a high shelf). Gave me great storage capacity.

The shoe shelves in the top photo seem to be wasted space, IMO. If you have regular closing doors, instead of bifolds, the back of the doors would be a better place for them, since most kids I know either just kick their shoes off wherever in the house and in their room and don't necessarily put them properly on the shelves. Your kids might be different, tho...

I do have a less-expensive Closet Maid one in my loft-space closet, for out-of-season clothes, extra blankets, etc., but it doesn't have the "tweakability" factor.

From what I understand, and this is only my impression since I haven't installed anything like this, Ikea is a really good solution, unless you have the money for high-end custom solutions.

We priced custom solutions and IKEA, and ended up using IKEA in the walk-in master closet. It just seemed silly to spend 4X the cost for a closet. We got 4 huge PAX boxes (93" high, 22" deep, 29" wide), 5 hanging clothes rails, ten 29" wide Komplement drawers, and ten 29" wide deep shelves for just about $1000 (maybe $1100) -- we also paid a few hundred dollars to have them delivered and put together. Our bid from California Closets was close to $12,000 (admittedly for equivalent drawers/hanging space/shelves, but with all kinds of additional shelves on the opposite wall, but still).

elfa elfa, elfa! Cannot praise it enough! We had elfa closet systems installed in both MB closets (one sliding, one walk-in) and they have more than maximized our closet storage capacity, are well-made, and look nice, too.

We got elfa for both closets during the annual elfa sale (a year apart). The sale runs from Dec 26 to mid-February every year; 30% off EVERYTHING elfa, from the smallest of nuts and bolts, up to and including installation. You can put together your design on your own, or work with someone online or in-store. Our elfa design person (in our local store) was invaluable, very patient and very helpful, as we tweaked and modified the design/layout for my walk-in closet, until coming up with the design we ended up using. Even after the installation (shortly after), I was able to return or exchange a few of the components once I started putting my clothes away.

FWIW, shortly before we did the first closet(?) we had purchased some add'l Closet Maid shelves (at HD) to add to our guest bedroom closet (which up until then had only one long CM shelf along one of the closet walls). The cost for those shelves, along with track, standards, brackets....wasn't much, if any cheaper than the elfa stuff during the elfa sale.

The Container Store also has great closet systems (Elfa).

Elfa at The Container Store. There is one in Pasadena that you can visit for ideas.

We did the espresso color Martha Stewart line ordered through HD and like it really well. You can customize it to fit your space and we did the installation ourselves. It comes in white also... maybe another finish as well, and so far it's been great. Price was much better than CA Closets that we have had previously, and I like it better, perhaps because we have so many drawers and the sloped shoe shelves. I had considered Ikea, but couldn't customize it enough to fit my spaces.

We have elfa and pax. I love both. Pax was cheaper for two of our rooms and fit with our dimensions; we used elfa in 2 others. Turning 3 closets into more of a built in cabinet look with TV and hampers hidden in the middle. The elfas are in every other room. We set up one closet in our sons room as a desk then his walk in closet has been customized to store clothes. Even the guest rooms have been given new purpose with the systems. I think the quality is pretty similar although I feel like there are more options with the elfa.

i have boys, so maybe girls are different, but they prefer shelving over drawers... looks messier, but empty drawers are pointless! lol i like and use the drawer units, but would add more shelving too! (we had a CC competitor install ours...)

Another Elfa fan

One thing that is so great about Elfa is that you can go online and design your closet OR, even more fabulously, you can go to a Container Store or call at the number shown on the link below and the Container Store employee will design a closet for you and suggest ideas based on their total knowledge of the system and based on your needs and this is at absolutely no charge.

Here is a link that might be useful: Elfa Closet System

Not too many IKEA stores in my immediate area. However, if you live near a Mills Fleet Farm (MN, ND, IA, WI), they carry Easy Track system which is very strong, relatively inexpensive, and easy to move around because it works on a hanging system. So, you could easily change things around with different components as your kids age.

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Track

We have Elfa in our MBR for DH. Even in a tiny closet, it made a huge difference.

Lyban, your DD's Pax system looks fabulous

We just installed ikea pax in our master closet -- built in (still a work in process). Great space and very affordable.

laura, we did the same - 4 Pax sections - double hanging on both ends, hanging and 5 drawers in one of the middle sections, and shelves and 5 drawers in the other middle section. The only thing I haven't figured out yet is shoes. I like what you did at the top of yours! BTW, for anyone considering Pax, the drawers are HUGE!!

Can you use PAX for an existing closet with doors, like the first picture?

I used Martha Stewart and it was easy to put together, ok, well over 2 weekends anyway. I have the cherry stain and it looks pretty good! You can design your closet on-line and it was reasonably priced.

we used john louis for our small bedrooms. it is solid wood, and very versatile. i think it looks nice for the price. one standard kit was enough for 2 closets. though adding drawers is something you need to buy extra. they sell it at costco and amazon.

I'm a big fan of John Louis as well. Pretty good quality for the money.

If you need space within drawers etc try those vaccum pack bags that suck the air out and compress real tight. I have some I got via a TV ad and they work great!

We don't have an IKEA near us so after looking at what was available locally decided to design and build our own. I wrote three articles on how we did it. I linked to the final one below, but there's links to the planning and supply list article with in the building article.
The photo is a composite showing both sides of our walk in. One could easily customize the plans for a straight closet too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Building a Custom Closet

I've used Easy Track a number of times for closets. Reasonably priced from lots of sources, & I like that the elements do not use the floor for support. This way, if in the future you decide to change flooring, you don't have to disassemble the closet hardware. Cleaning below is easy with no components on the floor.

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Track Website

We've had (from PO or or we had installed) California Closets in every house we've lived in, and I can't recommend them highly enough. They're like iPhones, they just work, and work perfectly. We had one closet system ordered online from a eAsy closets (I think that was the name) and a contractor installed it while we were renovating our Fla house. That closet has never looked as good or worked as well as the California closet installations. We do have Elfa rolling baskets in one storage closet and IMO California closets components are better quality.

We got a quote from California Closets for our master closet - $12,000. We installed IKEA Pax units for about $1,400, including hiring IKEA to deliver and assemble.

thanks everyone for weighing in. We discussed with a local closet installation company and got some quotes that were close to sjhockeyfan's, so we're headed to IKEA and Container Store to get some pricing. I was hoping to do all this before we moved in, but this will likely have to wait until after the holidays. Too much on the to-do list! I'll update once we have our closets done.

@beverly27: thanks for the great "shoe-porn" in the last picture. I wish I has that kind of space!

@pipdog: I love my Elfa system. I purchased during the sale and before my space was built out. I fit my full wardrobe (which is not totally out of control) in a 58" closet, including my three shelves worth of shoes. When it was time to install, I had to have a couple pieces cut down and the folks at the Container Store took care of it right away. I used the Costa Mesa store and I actually had to sign on and wait for a meeting with the Elfa rep. They are that busy during the sale!

After all this time, I was able to take a picture of my IKEA Pax wall - 4 units side by side.

Pipdog, just saw on another forum that The Container Store Elfa sale is starting shortly. 30% off. Don't have exact date but this person received a catalog with the announcement.

Good luck!

The elfa sale usually begins the day after Christmas, and runs into mid-February sometime.

The 30% off includes EVERYTHING elfa down to the littlest screw, wall anchor, etc. and includes 30% off installation (if you opt to use their installers).

sjhockeyfan-did you design it yourself with their website or did they help you lay it out in the store? We are considering a road trip to IKEA to do closets for our new build as well.

Autumn, we investigated in advance of building the walls for our closet, so we knew that 4 of the large units would fit (since you're building, you could do the same). As far as the exact design, we did it at the store with an associate's help. We have 5 short hanging sections, one section with all shelves above a short hanging sections, two sets of 5 drawers each, and some extra shelves where we could fit them. We actually measured what we needed in advance, although I will say I forgot to account for the [very few] long hanging items I have (a few dresses, even though I hardly wear dresses). I'm not going to modify the closet, I'll just hang those elsewhere.

One thing you should know is that there is one color that you have to order (we couldn't wait for it - called something like "whitewashed oak" or "driftwood" or "weathered" I can't remember). We just got birch.

We paid to have someone else put them together, and the whole thing including delivery and assembly was less than $1500.

Just an FYI in the Elfa system, we installed a wall mounted shoe rack shelving unit In the laundry room and then discovered that my husbands size 12 work shoes (dress shoes) would not fit. The shelves were slanted and the heel part of his dress shoes were too big to catch the rung or something and since his leather shoes are heavy they'd slide off. This may not pertain to you, but I was pretty Dissapointed as half the reason I installed the thing was to get my husband's shoes off the floor. I still like Elfa, but now I know that their slanted shoe shelves don't work for my husband, or at least they didn't as this was about eight years ago.

This blogger post the dates of the Container store sales..
Can't wait...

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.alejandra.tv/blog/2010/08/annual-elfa-sale-dates-for-the-container-store/

sjhockey-Thanks for the info. We have a 'non-traditionally' laid out closet, walls already built. I need to think it over some. Like you - very few long hanging as well. I think we have a lot of space but I want to be sure we lay it out to maximize it. :)