Closet Design Mistakes to Avoid

Crossed Hanging Rods

If the rods on perpendicular walls are crossed in the shared corner it is wasting approximately  2 feet of usable hanging space in most cases. One of the two rods should be going wall-to-wall with the other stopping at least two feet away. If you are curious why the second rod should be at least 2 feet away read on to the next mistake. 

Inadequate Reach Space in Corners

Do you have a spot in the closet where you feel like you’re always struggling to see what is hidden back there or your clothes just plain don’t fit? Clothes need at least 24 inches of room to hang on a rod. When the closet is designed efficiently, there will be 27-30 inches of space so the clothes can hang freely AND you can easily see what is hanging in the corner. This design flaw is more of an issue with built-in systems rather than a shelf and rod system. 

Shallow Shelf Depth

In many built-in closet systems, there are only 8 or 10-inch deep shelves. Most men's shoes need 12-14 inches deep to not hang off the edge leaving a greater chance for shoes being knocked onto the floor when passing by. Also, handing rods cannot be hung from a shelf with this depth, therefore wood cleats jut out into the closet from underneath the shelf to hang the rod at the proper distance from the wall as pictured below.

Wire Shelving

With wire shelving the question isn’t if your system will fall, it is when will it fall. Wire shelving is not designed to support the weight of the typical amount of clothing items hung on it and will likely sag over time or detach from the wall, leading to potential damage and frustration.

Overstretched Expandable Rods

Clothing rods should be stretched no more than 42 inches wide in a double hang section and no more than 36 inches for dress hanging without additional support to ensure the rod does not bow with the weight of the hanging clothes. The problem with an expandable rod is the temptation to stretch them to bowing limits and hangers won’t be able to easily slide due to their design of one piece of the rod being inset into the other piece. Our modular style system is designed to accommodate these standards so expandable rods will never be necessary and eliminate the likelihood of bowing.

Conclusion

These errors typically stem from cost-cutting measures or general lack of knowledge for proper closet design, but come at a price to homeowners like you when there is a lack of functionality and durability. When upgrading your closet, it's crucial to partner with a reputable company that has closet design experts, like us, that won’t steer you the wrong way!