Closets: Canvas For Higher Living

Closet design is booming. Extraordinarily functional, the space-maximized closet is a key enabler for the design agendas of the rest of a home. The greater the storage capacity of a home's closets, the more minimalist a home's design can be throughout the rest of the space. It's no wonder that the entire industry of organizational products & closets is experiencing explosive growth: 

"Demand for home organization products in the US is forecast to increase 3.5 percent per year through 2019 to $10.5 billion."

-Freedonia Group (Home Organization Market Study, 2015) 

With that in mind, it's super-important to maximize your space with the right storage elements to achieve optimal use of that precious closet space. Here are 5 must-have closet design trends from the experts in the trenches at the Modular Closets Design Center who help create customized space-saving solutions for closet seekers using Modular Closets.

Happy Organizing!

1. Closet Drawers For The Win 

Closed storage in the closet is a massive draw (punny!), providing an out-of-sight organization option while lending an attractive, smooth finished look to the closet design. Finding the proper balance of high-quality & affordability in a wood closet drawer, though, is often a challenge. Particle board materials don't bode well for the extreme wear drawers undergo, with caving bottoms, warped-out slides & the like. 

A solid wood drawer box, high-caliber chrome slides, and smooth face drawer fronts are the things you want to check off on that closet drawers list.

MODULAR DESIGN TIP: Of all closet features, drawers require the most extension allowance when allotting room for clearance, so keep in mind the extra inches when planning your drawer locations!

2. Closet Corners 

A common technique in kitchen design is "corner killing", where fillers & empty space are employed to create a hollow closed off corner. While this may work in doored cabinetry, closet organizers are all about open storage solutions & maximizing those challenging spaces. 

Perhaps the most common issue for closet designers, maximizing a closet's corners is every bit as challenging as it is rewarding. Optimized correctly, the space in the corner can mean the beginning of a most functional, smart closet design that's appealing & beautiful. 

Product Highlight: "L" shaped Corner Shelves are a DIYers dream, providing the freedom to bridge the gap between two Modular units at the corner.  

MODULAR DESIGN TIP: Corner shelves aside, wall-to-wall placement of closet units is ideal when designing for max use & that doesn't mean the end of your closet corners either! A simple straight corner connector shelf can be attached to the side of the one unit and the front of the other with a wall brace support to attain that continuous top shelf effect. 

 3. Double Your Hanging

Worried you won't have enough space for all those long dresses you don't own? Here's a mind-blowing statistic from the Modular Closets archives: Double Hanging Modules outsell Tall Hanging ones by 2-1*! This means that A) People own twice as many shorter clothes they love to hang like blouses, skirts, shirts, etc., & B) Space-savvy closet designing calls for more Double Hanging make use of the vertical height storage availability. How high to make shorter hanging? Shorter hanging standard height is approximately 37-41", but can differ based on the subject's height & size. 

MODULAR DESIGN TIP: Far from looking over-crowded & cluttered, a row of 3-4 Double Hanging sections is a beautiful & effective way to purge your stuff & sort hanging clothes by color, season or by any other personal sorting preference. 

(*ModularClosets.com- based on 90-day sales by product reports) 

4. Shoes Shoes Shoes 

The 3 basic staples of human living are clothing, food & shelter. A little known fact is that the close 4th on that list is shoes. While that was totally made up, the fact remains that having tons of shoes is every person's dream- and clutter nightmare (think rummaging deep into that shoe flood on your closet floor trying to find the left shoe from your favorite pair- yikes!). That's why Shoe Shelving is so popular among closet seekers as a way of keeping a neat & functional shoe storage system. Rows of sturdy wood shoe shelving, adjustable for heels, boots & more, are literally a time & energy-saving feature that's quickly grown into a closet must-have. Shoe shelving also helps extend the lifespan of your shoes, since they tend to be better looked after & not crushed underneath the dusty bed for 6 months.

MODULAR DESIGN TIP: Shoe Shelving is perhaps the top way to design your closet's Feature Walls - that is, the wall that first presents upon entry. Neat rows of clean shoe shelves filled with your shoes paint your personality right into your closet's bloodstream. 

5. Back Wall Accenting

Many DIY wall mounted closet organizers & closet systems work with an open-back setup. To the design-savvy closet maker, this opens up a veritable world of possibilities. Anything from paint accents to wallpaper to adhesive wood wall paneling can serve to take your closet to the next level. Adding a color pop or accent behind your open closet units lends an inspiring, high-design effect that will have you giving as many walk-in walk-through tours as you can. 

MODULAR DESIGN TIP: White closet fixtures are the perfect neutral with which to branch off of when starting to plan wall accents. Pastels will add a muted color aura to a space, while a strong dark hue will contribute a powerful punch to sway your vibe. Experiment with different tones & materials tones.

Closets are more than just a way to improve your home's functionality. They speak volumes about your personality & lifestyle. They give your clothes- the embodiment of your personal style - a home in which to stay while you're out creating - and a place to return to when you call it a day. Make your closet express your own true self. Make it sing. Make it you.