More and more people are renovating their homes in order to have a larger walk-in closet area, and many mid-estate and estate level new home models already have walk-in closets in the floor plans. In our Canadian climate we have clothing specifically for the 4 different seasons and knowing the weather can change at any given time, having a closet large enough to house the many styles and seasonal pieces is a must.  Many homeowners are getting away from the traditional dresser and chest of drawers in the bedrooms as they take up too much space and you can’t view your clothing pieces in the traditional units without opening each drawer to see what is in them.  In order to design the ultimate walk-in closet of your dreams, we have compiled a three-step guide you can follow to get started.

 Select your Walk-In Shape

 In general, there are three main closet designs that most walk-ins follow. The first is an L shape closet. In this walk-in, the closets form an L by occupying two of the four walls in the space. The second is a U shape closet, which occupies three walls, maximizing your storage space. The third is what is known as a “straight” closet, which features parallel closets on both sides, ideal for couples who want to share a walk-in area.

 Select Appropriate Storage

 It’s wise to have a good idea of what your storage needs are. What ratio of shelving, hanging space, cabinets, shoe racks and drawers will you need in order to efficiently store your items? For example, if you have a larger than average collection of shoes, you may want more low-level shelving across the perimeter of the closet for his and hers, shoe selections.  Alternatively, you may choose to allocate one area of the closet for a built-in shoe rack from floor to ceiling for the female, and less shoe space for the male.  Seasonal dresses and outfits will generally have their own designated area with a longer space from the closet rod to hang them, and another substantial consideration is his and hers drawers.  Depending on the existing layout and potential renovation area that you have to work with, doing a closet ‘island’ with drawers and cabinetry could be another alternative while keeping the perimeter of the space with varying lengths of hanging rods, shelving and shoe racks.

 Select a Style

 When considering how to design your walk-in closet, choosing the right style and layout is important not only for functionality but with resale value as a consideration as well. Your closet should definitely have consistency and that can be achieved by having one top shelf and bottom shelf (or shoe rack) that carries through the perimeter of the closet space at the same heights.  Lighting is another important factor along with having a wall area designated for a full-length mirror. What would be the best way to organize your items? You can colour coordinate your clothes and create vignettes of your favourite items for displays. When choosing your layout, the possibilities can be limitless. This is your own personal area, so get creative! Browse interior design magazines, or surf Pinterest and Houzz to get ideas.  

 If you need an interior designer contact Prism Interiors and we’ll get you started with Meghan our Interior Designer and Architect. We specialize in beautiful custom cabinetry and will build it to suit your needs and functionality.