Reach-In Closet Designs Inspirations

Reach-In Closet Design. Learn about design guidelines and wardrobe considerations. For everything, there is a purpose. Short/Double Hang: The shortest items should be hung on the top rod to avoid overshadowing the items on the lower rod. Items with broad shoulders are better placed on the lower rod. However, if the client is petite, using the lower rod for almost everything is preferred. In such cases, it works well for the taller person to use the top rods and the shorter person to use the lower rods. Medium Hang: This is mainly used for hanging pants by the top or cuff instead of folding them in half. It's important to ask how clients hang their pants to determine if this configuration is needed for a design solution. If the client is petite, a Medium Hang can serve as a Long Hang. Half & Half reach-in closet: This configuration has a rod at 42" AFF and shelving above. It's one of the most effective configurations because the short hang is easy to reach, and so are the items on the shelves. It also doesn't feel like a "wall" of clothing because the hanging is below eye level. Long Hang: Always ask if Long Hang must be accommodated in the closet you're discussing. Most people have 18" or less. Adding this additional small section tends to increase the cost of the reach-in closet and decrease the effectiveness of the design solution for reach-in closet, especially when space is tight. If there's another reach-in closet where this Long Hang can be stored, it often results in a more effective use of space. Since most people don't wear Long Hang items daily, locating them in harder-to-reach or less convenient areas is acceptable. However, be careful not to design a tiny, 18" wide section into a corner  of a reach-in closet where accessibility is complicated. Shelves: Shelving provides many of the same storage functions as drawers or baskets but at a lower price point. Also, items on shelves are easier to see. Section Widths: When incorporating shelving into closet designs, use standard widths (and odd widths for hanging sections). 18" broad sections are not the best for folding items. Most folded items are 12" wide, so widths in multiples of this dimension work best (24" and 36"). Thirty-inch broad sections are also acceptable, especially when people want more oversized (30" wide) drawers and fold their items more loosely. Eighteen-inch broad sections are suitable for Long Hang and a small stack of drawers (especially for children) in a tight space or Reach-In closet. Shelving sections holding books and other heavy items should not be wider than 24". If you need to go more comprehensive, the shelf should have a cleat for support underneath. Section Depths: Deeper is rarely better. Most items stored on shelving are small to medium in size. The deeper the shelf, the more things get lost or forgotten. Also, the deeper the shelf, the farther apart they should be. If they're too close together, you create a "black hole" that doesn't allow you to see what's in the back. Again, ask what's being stored in the space, how needs function, and what problems must be solved. Pillows and blankets work on 24" deep shelves, but shoes and books do not. When using shelving and hanging in the same configuration (Half and Half), the shelves go above the hanging unless the depth of everything is 24". Since 24" deep shelves in a closet are not practical unless they pull out, stick with the shelving above. If you put doors in front of shelves, ensure the stored items fit entirely on the shelf. For example, if men's shoes are on the shelves, they sometimes stick out a tiny bit beyond the front of the shelf. It would be great if the shelves were open. But if doors are incorporated in the reach-in closet, they won't be able to close, so the shelving needs to be more profound. Putting shelves below hanging is a bad idea. If the installed system is less than 24" deep, the hanging will stick past the shelves and hide whatever is stored there.