Amazing Room: Master closets

Home and Garden

A good closet should be your dressing center, according to area closet expert Laura Gilbert of SpaceMakers Closet Interiors. Find out what you need to design the perfect closet.

A good closet, according to Laura Gilbert, senior designer at SpaceMakers Closet Interiors, is "a dressing center, a place where all of the items it takes to get you ready for your day are in one place."

Although any space can be organized, a roomy expanse -- like this one behind Vincent Sagart of Poliform -- works best, Gilbert said. Six feet by six feet is ample room. Larger spaces allow for more creativity and a wider range of uses.

All closets need hanging space, drawer space, areas designed for folded clothes and, of course, shoe storage, which should be close to the front of the closet. "People don't realize how much time they spend in the closet," Gilbert said.

A lady's closet, like this one by Closet Smith of Alpharetta, should have a long single hanging area for formal dresses, and medium hanging space for dresses and slacks. Women need more drawers than men, typically eight to 10, Gilbert said, and a drawer built specially for jewelry. Women also need shelves to hold purses and, of course, enough storage for shoes. Room for 30 to 45 pairs is suggested.

Men, on the other hand, need more space for accessories like belts and ties, Gilbert said. If there is a single hanging area, it can be small. Most of men's clothes can hang on stacked rods. A hamper where men can store shirts and dry cleaning items for handy transport is a good idea. Men need three to five drawers, Gilbert said, and storage for 12 to 18 pairs of shoes.

A child's closet should be designed to grow as the child's size and needs change. "Baskets are really great for kids," Gilbert said. A large catch-all located close to the floor is also a great idea, providing for quick toy round-ups.

Someone building or renovating a home should expect to pay roughly $1,000 to $1,200 for basic closet components and design, Gilbert said. But larger spaces and more complex closet systems like this one with stacked units, can be much more expensive. Some of the fancier closets have hydraulic systems that will bring clothes down without climbing or stretching.

Really upscale closets also include such items as furniture and specialized lighting. They also can include a morning kitchen with coffeemaker, wet bar and mini refrigerator, Gilbert said. If the closet includes windows, they should accommodate storage on either side, she advises.

Glass-front storage units are gaining popularity, Gilbert said. Although Atlantans tend to prefer traditional materials and motifs, some urban dwellers are beginning to experiment with more contemporary and offbeat designs. "A trend I'm seeing in Midtown and Downtown is funky wood patterns," she said.

This closet is lined with cedar, which helps repel moths and keeps clothes smelling fresh. Gilbert said good closet planning begins with a design consultation to help the customer take realistic stock of their storage needs. The discussion should include the materials to be used, the size of the space, the aesthetic sensibilities of the homeowner, and the possessions to be stored.

Small spaces, such as this closet in the home of Lisa DeAngelis and Randall Cobb, can present special challenges. Gilbert said any closet space should be designed to adapt to any number of uses. "You don't want any unitaskers in a closet," she said. "It all needs to be multi-purpose."

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A good closet, according to Laura Gilbert, senior designer at SpaceMakers Closet Interiors, is "a dressing center, a place where all of the items it takes to get you ready for your day are in one place."

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