Are you tired of the clutter that has built up at the bottom of your closet? Does your partner have way too many pairs of shoes leaving limited to no storage? Trick question, one can never have too many footwear options and yes, you need more storage. Shoe storage is a very important aspect of any closet, especially for a footwear enthusiast! Our proven process ensures that your closet becomes a functional piece of art.

First, your expert closet designer will take inventory of your closet. This is a crucial part of the designing process because it is the difference between a functional closet and a nonfunctional one, especially for shoe storage. The number of shoes will determine how much shoe shelving is needed.

On average, men need 21 inches for 2 pairs, 30 inches for 3 pairs and a whopping 39 inches for just 4 pairs of shoes. That is practically his whole collection! Women on the other hand, can squeeze more shoes per inch with 3 pairs in 21 inches, 4 pairs in 30 inches and 5 pairs in 39 inches.

After inventory has been taken and you have purged your closet of items you no longer use or like, it is time to measure for the height of your closet. For footwear storage, the height of the shelves is critical, because shoes also have different heights, such as winter boots.

Now that the shelf height has been determined, it is your decision if you would like the shelves to be slanted. By slanting shoe shelving, it allows you to better display your shoe collection. If you decide to slant the shelves, picking out shoe fences is next. Shoe fences are the railing that go on the tip of the shelf to avoid shoes from sliding off the shelf.

Finally, for a unique look, add lighting under the shoe shelves to illuminate your shoes or add glass doors to protect your beloved fashion accessory, your shoes.

Closets can be one of the darkest rooms in your house. Which, if you think about it, makes absolutely zero sense! No one wants to be asked, “Did you get dressed in the dark?” So, the best way to avoid a fashion disaster is to let the light in! Show off those designer shoes with the perfect glow!

There are multiple ways to light up your closet, such as LED light up hanger rods. These rods will illuminate the area and provide the true color of clothing rather than being left in the dark. Another alternative to glowing clothes rods is under shelf lighting, like the under-cabinet lighting in your kitchen except it’s under a shelf in your closet. If lighting galore is what you’re looking for, adding toe kick lighting is a unique use of lighting in a closet or even a bathroom. Finally, if you fancy something glamorous, puck lighting and a classic chandelier will add a more luxurious feel to your closet.

The type of lighting you select for your closet is very important, but another aspect that is often over looked is the color of light. Lighting is based on kelvin level. There are three main categories of light, 3000K will give off warm light, 4000K is considered cool light, and finally, 5000K is daylight.

The kelvin level used in your closet is based on your liking of light level. It is not important to carry the same kelvin of light from the rest of your house into your closet because it is a personal space. Some people prefer a very bright LED such as daylight, while others might find it too harsh. Any level of light can be resolved by adding a simple dimmer switch. To add a fun touch to your closet, add different colored lighting such as red, blue, or green.

The best aspect of a closet is that it can be whatever you make it. It does not have to be the same style as the rest of your home because guests will not typically be going into your closet. Your closet can truly reflect you and your personal style, whether you want something more glamorous or a little more modern.

Have you ever looked into an empty closet, perhaps in a new home, and thought to yourself, “How will all my clothes fit in here?”

Well, fitting everything comes down to good space planning. Configuring how the space is organized with rods, shelves, and drawers is like putting together the pieces of a puzzle – if you don’t put the pieces in the right places, then the closet will not function efficiently. There are, however, some simple guidelines to follow for maximizing the space when it comes to hanging your clothes and making sure everything has a place.

First, let’s discuss the difference between a custom and a non-custom closet. A custom closet is exactly how it sounds, everything is custom when it comes to the sizing. Some homes may not have closets where the measurements are standard, so they require customized closet solutions to maximize space for all your clothes, shoes and other personal items. Non-custom closets have a small range of sizes, so if your closet does not fit the parameters of the specific sizes, then you’ll need to go with custom (don’t worry, McCloset only does custom).

It is helpful to have a standard list of measurements when planning for hang space. Hang space is the designated space for certain types of clothing. For example, the hanging space for women’s dresses will be longer than for blouses. Men’s jackets will require more space than slacks. Here is a list of suggested measurements to consider when deciding on where to hang certain clothing items in your closet:

Vertical Space Per Item

– Women’s Blouses: 30 to 36 inches
– Men’s Shirts: 38 to 39 inches
– Women’s Suit Jackets: 32 to 42 inches
– Men’s Suit Jackets: 39 to 42 inches
– Pants: 46 to 52 inches (by cuff) or 28 to 32 inches (folded)
– Dresses: 48 to 66 inches
– Skirts: 34 to 44 inches
– Coats: 46 to 66 inches
– Outerwear Jackets: 40 to 44 inches
– Robes: 46 to 66 inches

Another measurement to take into consideration is the space allotment for shoes—I am talking to you ladies! I know you can’t help it, but let’s face it, you have a lot of shoes and that’s okay! For women’s shoes, the recommended spacing of shelves is to be 6-7 inches apart and each pair of shoes require 7 inches of horizontal space.

Remember, every closet is unique and the items you want in your closet are different from another’s. Consult with a McCloset professional designer to help you get the most space out of your closet.

For many of us, our closet is a black hole of miscellaneous items where we quickly find what we need and then immediately close the doors—and hope the clothes pile doesn’t come tumbling down. But, there is hope and it is called a closet purge.

It sounds bad, but it is one of the best things you can do to maintain your sanity and conquer the clothes pile when getting ready in the morning and being organized. For those of you who may find it difficult to get rid of clothes, shoes, etc., there are some questions that could help narrow down what goes and what stays:

Question 1: Does it fit?

Question 2: Have I worn it in the past 12 months?

Question 3: Will I wear it again?

Question 4: Is it in style/does it fit my style now?

Question 5: If it is damaged, will I take the steps to repair it?

Question 6: Would I buy this item again?

Question 7: Do I feel confident when I wear it?

If none of these questions apply to the item, toss it! Another thing to consider is if the item is versatile. Is the item of good quality and not damaged? Most importantly, do you love the item, even if you may not get to wear it often? If so, then keep it! I personally have a designer white trench coat that I can’t wear too often in Florida, but I got such a good deal on it and I love it, so it stays.

Now that you have cleaned out your closet, you have a clothes pile to reorganize and it can be very overwhelming.  Put all your items into specific pile such as summer and winter. Categorize your items in a way that works for you, because you’ll be more apt to remember where your items are. Even if you’ve lessened the load of clothes and shoes, not everything will fit just right inside your closet. It may be time to consider a custom closet to make sure that everything you wish to keep has a place and there’s even room for more. Since every person is unique, their closet needs are unique as well.

Brightening Up Your Closet

Designing your closet can be extremely fun and exciting. There are many closet inserts to pick from to spice up your partitions. If a closet is dark one can add shelf under lighting to brighten up your space. Under lighting is completely hidden so when they are off you will not even know they are there; but once turned on they give off a beautiful under-glow to show off personalized closet. In addition, multiple levels of brightness and colors will make you love you closet. So you can set dim the lights to set the mood or get crazy and change up the colors of the lights with just a click of a button!

Secret Compartments

Another cool category of closet inserts that I believe everyone should have in their closet is a hidden toe-kick. Everyone needs a spot to hide important and valuable items; a hidden toe-kick is just for that. At the bottom of your closet is your toe-kick, if you push it in the toe-kick will pop out a hidden drawer for easy storage. After placing your valuables inside the space you can then close it up, lock it and no one will even know that it is there. Also, let’s say a customer may want to keep all their jewelry organized and locked up. We have just the solution; jewelry trays can be inserted into a drawer and then a can be locked up with a remote. So, no more ugly key holes on your beautiful drawer fronts!

Keeping Organized

Tilt-out hampers are also becoming increasingly common inside closets now. These tilt-out hampers are conveniently built directly into our partitions to prevent eye sores and clothing clutter. When the hamper becomes full the cloth inserts can be easily removed and dumped into the wash. Last, a valet rod is suggested for any closet. Valet rods can extend from a partition and have your outfit for tomorrow hung right on it. No more stressing running late for work in the morning because you couldn’t find anything to wear!