Have you ever walked into someone else’s home and felt their personality emitting from every single design choice? You look around and see a wallpaper they’ve obviously chosen, a color scheme that reflects their disposition, and even a tile floor that speaks to their lifestyle. But as you look deeper, you realize that the cohesive and cozy feeling you’re experiencing extends even deeper than those more topical elements of interior design. Looking again, you can see that the custom harmony you’re perceiving actually has foundations in the more permanent parts of the home. Things like custom cabinetry, built-ins, and even large and handcrafted furniture items are what give this grounded sense of belonging and full functionality within the walls of a home.
And that’s where Christopher Scott Cabinetry comes in. We are best known for our meticulously designed and high-quality custom cabinetry, built-ins, and furniture—and we’d love the opportunity to make your home as uniquely personalized as, well, you. And while truly feeling ‘at home’ in your house may mean implementing this kind of work everywhere, one of many homeowners’ favorite places to start just happens to be with the best closet ideas a custom cabinetry expert can come up with.
Let’s explore the world of custom closet ideas for the home, some high-end closet ideas, and even pull a little inspiration from the closet master himself, Tan France.
The Impact of Custom Closet Spaces
First, let’s address anyone posing the question: “Why should I care about a custom built closet when I’ve survived this long just hanging things from one builder-grade rack?” Our initial response should not surprise you—life is about more than mere survival. Sure, dealing with the basic closet design in any given home is doable. But think of it this way—every morning and every night, you open the closet as the bookends to your day. What do you want to greet you? A haphazard smattering of his-and-hers clothing articles, shoes, laundry hampers, accessories, and more? An overflowing cascade of random things that don’t have a proper home?
Or, would you rather embrace the beauty of well-built, custom cabinetry for your closet where hats, sweaters, and trousers each have their designated space and are easily found and organized? And what if your personal closet space reflected not only your clothing choices but your lifestyle and personality as a whole? Did you ever think that some of the best closet ideas might include things like your personal heritage, family culture, or even religious practices? Investing in a high-quality, custom-built closet adds a level of customization that you’ll enjoy each time you get ready in the morning or settle in for the night.
But the best closet ideas for the home go far beyond what the eye can see. This isn’t simply a matter of powerful aesthetics or splurging on high-end closet ideas to keep up with the Joneses. Our deeper argument is that highly-functioning spaces create more highly-functioning people, which means happier, more productive lives all around. When everything has its place in a custom closet room, you save on time, energy, frustration, and more. But beyond just what you save, you can also gain convenience, cohesion, and confidence.
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That feeling extends beyond the private closet space into the more meaningful functionality of daily life—something you’re not likely to get from a run-of-the-mill builder-grade or even pre-made ‘custom’ closet design.
Our Best Custom Closet Ideas
While the absolute must-haves for closets will vary by homeowner, there are a few elements of a custom built closet we’ve found to be pretty standard when it comes to designing spaces anyone will fall in love with—in both form and function.
Let’s discover why custom closet islands, shoe shelving, a perfect-for-you storage combination, cozy closet seating, and beautiful lighting have become our go-to ‘best closet ideas.’
The Custom Closet Island
The custom closet island is a workhorse in the same way a kitchen island is. It stores, organizes, and even acts as something of a work surface (think folding laundry, grouping outfits as you pack, etc.). It also utilizes a large portion of space that in builder-grade closets may be entirely wasted. Going custom often means making every square foot count—not by cramming in as many dressers as you can, but by purposefully acknowledging your needs and building according to them. A master closet island complete with drawers, a nice counter space area, and maybe even a bench will do exactly that in most any custom closet design.
Custom Closet Shoe Shelving
Whether or not your shoe collection rivals the one seen above, the best custom closet ideas will often include a way to display shoes in a clean and purposeful way—preferably up off the floor. Without well-organized shelving built for their own use, shoes often become a tossed-aside, left-in-a-pile afterthought in an ordinary closet. This leads to lack of use, premature wear-and-tear, and general feelings of chaos or lack of cleanliness in the home.
LEARN MORE: Our Custom Cabinetry Journey with Tan France in Architectural Digest’s ‘Home at Last’
Custom shoe shelving can be flat, angled, tall, or short, depending on the type of footwear worn in your household. Regardless of the variety of the selection, reserving even just a small portion of wall space for this purpose will make a huge difference in the visual and functional aspects of your custom closet design.
The Right Storage Combination
One important tip for closet design is to ensure that the number of drawers, hanging rods, and open shelves in the space matches the needs of the users. While some people will want accessories on display, some may want them in closed cupboards adorned with beautiful hardware. Some people prefer to hang pants, while others want them folded neatly in drawers. Personal preferences and habits play a big role in how to design a closet in the very best way for each individual client. And don’t forget to take into consideration your previous limitations—for instance, if you’ve only been able to keep a basket of shoes at the bottom of a closet in the past, don’t let that limit you. Now is your chance to adjust things in terms of what you want your closet to look and feel like, not just what you may have settled for or dealt with in the past.
Cozy Seating for the Custom Closet
While it may feel like a splurge in terms of space, we argue that seating is one of the best closet ideas of all. Not only is it convenient for sitting to put on shoes, but it also takes the closet to a new level of comfort. As one of the most private spaces in your home, a well-designed master closet room can be a sanctuary or retreat—but without a place to rest and relax, it may fall short of what this area of your home could really be for you. Remember, the best custom closet ideas are those that really serve the homeowner and create a sense of stability, convenience, and comfort that will project into other areas of your home and lifestyle. We argue that a cozy loveseat, a built-in island bench, or even a hanging seat is going to do exactly that.
Lighting In Your Custom Closet
An absolute must have in the best closet design is great lighting. It is a functional necessity and can bring life, warmth, and serious style to a custom closet room that could otherwise be just another utility space. So, on top of useful recessed, mirror, and under-shelf lighting, consider bringing your personal aesthetics to the forefront with a stylish chandelier or a set of inviting and sleek sconces to shine the light on your new custom closet.
Copy Tan France’s Closet
When in doubt, check out Tan France’s custom closet designed and built by Christopher Scott Cabinetry and The Fox Group. Of course, you’ll want to adjust things according to your style, needs, square footage, and more, but it’s hard to go wrong by pulling inspiration from such an influential fashion icon and his own personal dream closet.
As you tour Tan’s closet, you’ll notice dozens of perfectly personalized details like custom hand-painted cabinet doors, dimensional patterned wall pieces, and the unique mirror trio. (You’ll also note he has embraced every single one of our best custom closet ideas—a freestanding closet island, plenty of custom closet shoe shelving, the exact right amount of shelves, drawers, cabinets, and hanging rods for his needs, a gorgeously restored hanging bench, and plenty of custom lighting to make everything look truly spectacular.)
The key is that, upon entering Tan’s custom closet, you know exactly who it was created for, what functional role each area plays, and how very at home its owner must feel there. Which is exactly what your own custom closet can feel like for you.
What You Need To Know About Designing Your Closet Space
Designing your own closet space is an exciting venture that can really breathe new life into your home—even if renovations stop there for now. Because it’s such a foundational space, we really believe that investing in a custom closet can make a large and positive impact on your organization, peace, and even stress levels at home and beyond.
It’s natural to seek inspiration for your new custom closet (and we’ll touch more on that in a bit), but the first step you need to take is evaluating your own situation—both current and future. First, think of things you’ve both enjoyed or been frustrated with in your current closet. Did you not have enough drawers? Was there nowhere to hang or display your hat collection properly? Were you constantly tripping over shoes or tossing things to where you wanted a laundry hamper to belong, but there wasn’t space for it?
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You should also address how much space your wardrobe will need in actual storage—drawers, hanging rods, shelves, cabinets, etc. But you’ll need to adjust that according to how much square footage you have available and how else it will need to be used (i.e., seating, space enough to stand back from a mirror clearly, etc.). Our philosophy at Christopher Scott Cabinetry when it comes to custom closet design is that every inch of space should serve a purpose, whether functional or visual. That means making smart use of corner areas, bringing light into the space, utilizing wall height, and more.
Next, it’s time to look for some inspiration. And this really means more than just searching for pretty images. Of course, it needs to be that visually inviting space we’ve discussed, but it also needs to fit your lifestyle. So, if you love your shoes, find closet inspiration that reflects that. If you’re a hang-every-item kind of person, look for the best closet ideas that include plenty of hanging storage space. You get the idea.
Eventually, you’ll need to come up with a general layout for your custom built closet, and this is where things can get a bit tricky. The ability to see a space and design for its full functionality is often best left to a professional team of designers and builders who can bring your ideas to life in the smartest ways possible. They will likely also be able to point you in the right direction for innovative closet ideas and clever uses of technology in your closet space, and of course, they will bring it all together in a quality and visually intriguing way.
Build Your Dream Closet With Christopher Scott Cabinetry
Ready to embrace the benefits of custom closet design? Let Christopher Scott Cabinetry maximize your best closet ideas in a beautiful space that feels luxuriously personal and profoundly functional. Our team of expert craftsmen knows what it takes to build a custom closet that reflects your style and meets your daily needs—all with meticulous attention to detail while building with the best materials for the job.
We’re ready to deliver the high-end closet solutions you need. Contact Christopher Scott Cabinetry today to start designing your dream closet!