What Goes Wrong With Closet Projects?
A closet system can transform your storage, but mistakes, in planning, design, measuring, or installation, can lead to wasted space, poor function, or a system that doesn’t fit your needs. Avoiding the common ones ensures a closet that maximizes storage and works well. Here’s what goes wrong and how to avoid it.
Mistake: Not Assessing Your Storage Needs First
How to avoid it: Designing a closet without first assessing what you need to store leads to a system that doesn’t fit your belongings, too much hanging and not enough shelving, or vice versa. Avoid it by taking inventory of what you own, how much hangs (long and short), folds, or needs drawers or specialty storage, before designing. Then design the system around your actual belongings and habits. Because a closet should fit your specific storage needs, assessing them first is essential. Designing based on your real inventory, rather than a generic layout, ensures the closet holds everything and functions for how you actually use it. (For more on this, see How to Choose the Best Closet System for Your Home.)
Mistake: Wasting Vertical or Corner Space
How to avoid it: Failing to use the full vertical space (top to bottom) or, in walk-ins, the corners, wastes significant storage potential. Avoid it by using the full height, shelving above rods, floor storage, double-hanging where possible, and handling corners efficiently with corner solutions. Closets often waste the high, low, and corner areas, and a design that ignores them leaves storage on the table. Making full use of the vertical space and corners captures storage a basic layout wastes, so designing to exploit every usable area, not just the obvious middle zone, maximizes the closet’s capacity, a key to good design. (For more on this, see How to Design a Closet That Maximizes Storage.)
Mistake: Poor Measuring
How to avoid it: Measuring the closet wrong leads to a system that doesn’t fit, components too big or small, gaps, or a poor fit, and for custom systems, costly errors. Avoid it by measuring the closet accurately, width, depth, height, and any obstructions (doors, outlets, angles), or having a professional measure, especially for custom systems. Precise measurement ensures the system fits the space properly. Because an ill-fitting closet system wastes space and money, accurate measuring is critical. Measuring carefully (or professionally for custom) ensures the components fit and the space is used fully, so never guess at closet dimensions. (For more on this, see Hidden Costs of a Closet System.)
Mistake: Choosing Style Over Function
How to avoid it: Prioritizing looks over function, a beautiful closet that doesn’t hold your belongings well or work for your routine, leads to a disappointing result. Avoid it by designing for function first, the right storage types, easy access, and organization for how you use the closet, then making it attractive. A closet is primarily a functional space, so it should work well for storing and accessing your belongings. Designing around function, ensuring it holds what you own and works daily, while also looking good, ensures a closet that’s both practical and pleasant, rather than pretty but impractical. Function should drive the design.
Mistake: Forgetting Lighting and Accessibility
How to avoid it: Overlooking lighting and accessibility results in a closet that’s hard to use, dark, or with items you can’t easily reach. Avoid it by including good lighting (overhead, LED, or motion-activated) and designing for accessibility, frequently-used items within easy reach, less-used items higher or lower. A dark closet or one where things are hard to access wastes its potential. Including lighting and designing for easy access ensures the closet is genuinely usable and pleasant, not just spacious. Remembering lighting and accessibility, easy to overlook when focused on storage components, makes the difference between a closet that works and one that frustrates.
Mistake: DIYing a Complex System Poorly
How to avoid it: Attempting a complex or custom closet installation without the skill can lead to poor results, uneven or insecure mounting, gaps, or a system that doesn’t fit or function well. Avoid it by matching the installation to your ability, DIY suits basic wire and modular kits, while custom systems, complex builds, and premium installations are often better done professionally. Because a poorly installed closet system wastes the investment and functions badly, being honest about the complexity and your skill matters. For basic kits, DIY works; for custom or complex systems, professional installation ensures proper fit, secure mounting, and good function, so don’t DIY beyond your ability.
Staying Ahead of Mistakes
The common closet mistakes, not assessing storage needs, wasting vertical or corner space, poor measuring, choosing style over function, forgetting lighting and accessibility, and DIYing a complex system poorly, are all avoidable with careful planning, accurate measuring, function-first design, and matching the installation to your ability. When you’re ready to connect with a qualified local pro, connect below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not assessing your storage needs first. Designing without knowing what you need to store leads to a system that doesn't fit your belongings, too much hanging and not enough shelving, or vice versa. Take inventory of what you own, how much hangs, folds, or needs drawers or specialty storage, before designing, then design around your actual belongings and habits. Designing based on your real inventory ensures the closet holds everything and functions for how you use it.
Use the full vertical space (shelving above rods, floor storage, double-hanging where possible) and, in walk-ins, handle corners efficiently with corner solutions. Closets often waste the high, low, and corner areas, and a design ignoring them leaves storage on the table. Making full use of the vertical space and corners captures storage a basic layout wastes, so designing to exploit every usable area, not just the obvious middle zone, maximizes capacity.
Because measuring wrong leads to a system that doesn't fit, components too big or small, gaps, or a poor fit, and for custom systems, costly errors. Measure the closet accurately, width, depth, height, and any obstructions (doors, outlets, angles), or have a professional measure, especially for custom systems. Because an ill-fitting closet system wastes space and money, accurate measuring is critical, so never guess at closet dimensions.
Function first, then looks. Prioritizing looks over function, a beautiful closet that doesn't hold your belongings well or work for your routine, leads to disappointment. Design for function first, the right storage types, easy access, and organization for how you use the closet, then make it attractive. A closet is primarily a functional space, so designing around function while also looking good ensures a closet that's both practical and pleasant, rather than pretty but impractical.
It depends on the system. DIY suits basic wire and modular kits, which are often designed for it, while custom systems, complex builds, and premium installations are often better done professionally. Attempting a complex installation without the skill can lead to poor results, uneven or insecure mounting, gaps, or a system that doesn't fit well. Being honest about the complexity and your skill matters, since for custom or complex systems, professional installation ensures proper fit and function.
