If you’re building a new home, you want to create surroundings that will not only have you feeling welcomed and relaxed, but will also make your life more efficient and stylish. One of the best ways to make sure your home is both tastefully designed and well-organized is to incorporate a customized closet system into your new house plans.

Smart storage solutions will make your home both more welcoming when you come home after a hard day ready to relax and also more efficient when you’re off to work or play.

In planning your new house, there are several questions to ask to make sure you make the best functional use of your new space:

• Who will be using each room, and what activities will happen there most frequently?
• How will you, your family, and your guests enter and exit?
• Which rooms/hallways will experience the most traffic?
• How much storage space will you need, both now and in the future?

When designing your new house, you want to make sure you’ve considered both your current and your evolving needs, and you want to make sure your rooms and closets will make the best use of the space you have.

As you continue in the design process, don’t forget you have a unique opportunity to create something special and customized for the needs of you and your family.  Go through your design room by room, and consider a few areas where smart storage can provide you with big benefits. 

Here are 5 examples:

1. Entryways

Where are the doors you will use most often to enter and exit your home?  Will you have a mudroom? These spaces often ideally need storage immediately on hand to help organize jackets, backpacks, shoes, or sports equipment that you won’t want to carry throughout the rest of your home.

If you have items that can be grouped together, like outdoor boots or a collection of hats, a tall closet unit with shelving options can be a great option to keep everything in place with easy access to the door.

2. Kitchen

When it comes to storing dishes, cookware, and even packaged foods, it can be useful to incorporate an extra closet into your kitchen, a storage space that can function like an extra pantry.

Think about what you need to store.  Do you have dishes that will look nice on display with open shelving?  Or maybe you need closed drawers to hide away some clutter?  Quality closets made from long-lasting materials, like plywood, provide durability that will make your new pantry closet both more functional and very stylish.

3. Family Room

The family room is the space where everyone comes to gather, relax, and have fun.  But this room can easily become cluttered with tv accessories, electronics, games, music, books, and other knick-knacks.

Customized closets can ensure you have the storage necessary to keep everything on hand but also looking neat and tidy.  Consider open shelves for keepsakes you may want to display, and enough closed drawers to keep different items organized.

4. Laundry Room

Laundry can become a much simpler and more pleasant task if you incorporate smart storage options to help you sort and clean.

Figure out a large enough drawer for each load of laundry you’ll do: whites, colors, delicates, etc.  This will make it easy to sort out your clothes as you use them day-by-day so your loads will be ready to go when it’s time to get the laundry done. Open shelving keeps frequently-used cleaning supplies right at hand, and you can store away extra supplies in closed drawers.

5. Bedroom and Hallway Closets

Think about it: each bedroom and hallway closet in your home will be used for a different purpose or person. So why not customize each one to match? From extra hanging rods to the size of the drawers and the number of shelves, take the time to figure out what your different storage needs will be for the master bedroom, kids’ rooms, guest rooms, and hallway closets.

If you have long dresses or coats, you will need rods placed up high with plenty of space underneath. But you can probably double up on hanging rods for dress shirts and jackets.  Open shelves can be great for special-occasion shoes or baskets filled with accessories. If you have any extra blankets or lots of seasonal wear, you may want additional hallway closets to keep your items stowed away.

By taking the time to plan for storage in your new house, you can figure out the best organizational strategies to fit your life and your needs, making your new house truly a dream house.