Design Guides
Closet Design Guide
Updated 2 min read
The short answer
The builder’s single rod and shelf wastes over half a closet’s volume. A shirt hangs about 900mm; a rod at 1700mm in a 2400mm closet leaves roughly 800mm of dead air below and 500mm of unreachable space above. Adding a second hanging level, drawers and adjustable shelving typically increases usable capacity by 70–100% in the same footprint.
Hanging clearances
| Garment | Clearance needed | Typical rod position |
|---|---|---|
| Shirts, blouses, folded trousers | 1000mm | Double-hang at 1050mm and 2050mm |
| Jackets, blazers, suits | 1150mm | 1200mm above the shelf below |
| Long dresses, coats | 1700mm | Single-hang zone, full height |
| Trousers hung full length | 1400mm | Dedicated single-hang section |
| Folded shelf spacing | 300–350mm | Adjustable, so it can change |
| Shoe shelf spacing | 180–200mm | Angled displays better; flat holds more |
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Design principles
- Zone by garment type
- Most wardrobes are predominantly short-hang with a small long-hang section. Designing the whole closet at one height wastes the difference.
- Put drawers in the closet
- Moving drawer storage into the closet frees floor area in the bedroom, which is usually more valuable than the closet space it uses.
- Make shelving adjustable
- Fixed shelving locks in today’s wardrobe permanently. A shelf-pin system costs almost nothing extra.
- Light it properly
- Most closets have no window, so every colour judgement is made under artificial light. Warm-white LED at a high colour-rendering index on a door switch is transformative.
- Full height, always
- The zone above 2000mm is ideal for seasonal storage. Stopping a closet system at 2000mm throws it away.
- Do not over-specify accessories
- Valet rods, tie racks and belt pull-outs are useful in moderation. It is easy to buy several that never get used.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
- How much extra storage does a closet system actually add?
- Converting a single-rod builder closet to double-hang with drawers and adjustable shelving typically increases usable capacity by 70–100%. The gain is largest where ceilings are high and clothing is predominantly short-hang.
- Should the closet system be wall-hung or floor-mounted?
- Wall-hung leaves the floor clear for cleaning and looks lighter, but needs reliable fixing into studs. Floor-mounted carries load directly and suits heavy drawer banks and long spans. Many closets use both, and the choice is made at the measure once we can see the wall construction.
- What lighting works best in a closet?
- Warm-white LED with a high colour-rendering index, ideally on a door switch so it comes on automatically. Strip lighting under each hanging rod outperforms a single ceiling fixture, which puts your own shadow on whatever you are looking at.
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