Hoosir's Woodworking Diary

Build Your Own Unique Custom Closet DIY

Closets have gone from an ignored portion of the house to a home selling point in the last few years.  People are spending tens of thousands of dollars on their closet systems and even turning whole rooms into closets, which are really more like posh boutique dressing rooms.  Professional closet designers report all sorts of lavish requests for closet designs, including espresso machines, pedicure chairs, refrigerators, mini bars and more.   Couches, chairs, granite counter tops and motorized shoe racks aren’t at all uncommon.  You can use some of these ideas to turn your boring closet into a thing of beauty and convenience, even if you don’t have a lot of room or money to work with.

Just adding a few conveniences will make your closet more usable.  If you are starting with a standard hanging bar and high shelf, you may need to add some basics before you really deck it out.  You can inexpensively add wooden shelves if you do it yourself.  Building shelves is not all that hard.  You will need precise measurements when you buy your wood.  You may be able to get it cut at the hardware store when you purchase it, but you may have to have, rent or borrow a miter saw.

Design a closet system that fits your space and meets your needs by pulling everything out and categorizing it.  This part can be really fun.   Purchase a stud finder if you don’t have one already, and make sure that you secure all shelves into studs.

You may have space between studs to add recessed shelves, which look really nice and add a lot of storage without using any space.  Measure out the space between the studs, mark it off with a ruler, then remove the drywall using a steak knife or drywall knife.  Stain and varnish the wood that you would like to use.  Simply use wood glue to frame out the hole on the top, bottom and sides.  Screw in 1×2 guide rails on each side and back, then place the shelf on top.  You can use wood glue to secure the shelves and give them a nice finished out appearance.

Install the larger shelves in your closet.  You can easily attach rails fro drawers underneath the shelves and use almost no room.  You can buy drawers that are already built or build them yourself.  An interesting drawer pull will make your closet unique.  Drawer organizers can make a perfect place to store rolled ties, jewelry and more.  You can even install a child lock on the drawer if you need to store valuables or dangerous items.  A magnetic entry child lock cannot be seen from the outside or opened by an adult without the magnet entry key.

You can install valet bars, baskets, multiple level bars, shoe organizers and more to finish out your custom closet.  Top it all off with some sturdy wood hangers that match your stain.  A good coat hanger can keep your clothes from ending up on the floor and give your closet that upscale appearance that you’re going for.  Have fun designing the closet of your dreams!

About the Author

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com .

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