DIY Closet

Dear Melissa:
My wife and I are planning to convert a small bedroom into a walk-in closet. We are doing the work ourselves to save money. We have the choice of a wire system or melamine. Is there a disadvantage to one over the other, besides cost? C.B.

Dear C.:
Yes, so pick your poison: dusty shelves versus a waffle weave on stacked clothes. Personally, I like the furniture look of solid closet systems, but I would choose wire myself nowadays. When I was younger I thought that having the imprint of a wire grid on my sweaters would be horrible. Now that I’m aging rapidly, the thought of dust collecting on my closet shelves along with the rest of the house is just too much. See, it’s really just a matter of perspective.

Some words of advice, though, since you are doing the closet plan yourselves. First, discard everything you don’t need to store, before you start measuring. (Sometimes simply cleaning out a closet solves the problem.) Group like items together for planning purposes. Lay out the closet for easy retrieval by placing the things you will need most often in an accessible location. Place closet poles over one another for shorter items. If possible, place a small island in the center of a walk-in closet for folding and arranging outfits; a small chair would also be helpful for putting on shoes. Don’t forget good lighting – think about what the lighting in store dressing rooms does to our self-esteem.

Keep some dimensions in mind when calculating the space. Clothes closets should be 24-32 inches deep. Allow 2 inches of hanging space for each item of indoor clothing (more for outerwear). Allow at least 12 inches between wire shelves for the brackets to fit. If planning on putting a hanging bar close to the ceiling, leave space above it in order to lift out the hangers. Figure at least 4 inches beneath the longest hanging garments for air circulation and vacuuming.

That said, you should be off to a good start. Let’s face it, organization keeps life running smoothly. M.A.K.