Can Custom Closets Work in Challenging Places?

Doug Haines • Jun 21, 2022

One of the biggest barriers to entry for people looking to install custom closets is that they think they won’t be able to work around problem areas in their home. Whether you’re trying to work around low or sloped ceilings, slanted walls, an attic door, or all of the above, a custom closet can work in your home.

Not only can a custom closet help you increase your storage options and declutter around your home, but it can make even the most challenging places in your home shine.

Here are just some of the ways that we work around challenging features in your home:

We incorporate sloping walls into our design.
We’ll use low ceilings to our advantage.
We work around attic doors and crawl spaces.
When possible, we split up closet space.
We’ll lean into categorizing for simplicity.

Let’s explore how we work around even the most difficult areas in your closet space.

We Incorporate Sloping Walls into Our Design

You might be put off by sloping walls in your closet and assume that you’ll have less room for hanging clothes and storing items, but the right design choices can mean that you’ll have just as much space to store your articles of clothing as you would in a standard closet.

One of the ways we work around this feature is by leaning into installing shelving where the wall slopes, then installing hanging rods at the wall’s highest point for the greatest efficiency.

We’ll Use Low Ceilings to Our Advantage

Low ceilings present some obvious challenges, especially when it comes to hanging longer articles of clothing. That’s why we take advantage of overhead space by installing custom drawers. This way, you can add space up top for pieces of clothing that can easily fold.

We also install hanging rods that adhere to your closet’s length, width, and overall shape. One of the obvious benefits of a custom closet is that you don’t have to stay stuck with things as they are.

We Work around Attic Doors and Crawl Spaces

It’s surprisingly common for attics and crawl spaces to intersect with home closets. While this might’ve been a convenient place for the architect to tuck away that space, it’s not quite so convenient for you. You’ll have to ensure that these doors aren’t obstructed and that you have access to them at all times.

We avoid this problem entirely by installing drawers and cabinets around these entrances while still maximizing your storage space. Keeping those spaces open and accessible allows you to use them down the line for extra storage should your home get too cluttered.

When Possible, We Split Up Closet Space

Some awkwardly-shaped closets might otherwise give you plenty of storage space were it not for the difficulty in navigating them. One way around this is to essentially turn one closet into two separate closets.

For example, one common closet type we’ll come across is the L-shaped closet. We can section this space off to make it easier to categorize your clothes by type. Maybe the longer half of the closet is where you’ll install hanging rods, while the shorter half can be dedicated to cabinet and drawer storage. Whatever works for you!

We’ll Lean into Categorizing for Simplicity

As Martha Stewart notes, developing a categorization system in your closet will not only declutter your home, but also save you time and money. We lean into this line of thinking by customizing hanging rods and drawers to fit your needs.

For instance, if your closet space is tall but not very large, we can install two hanging rods to take advantage of that verticality. If low ceilings are a problem but you have available width, we can look into installing a number of drawers and racks near ground level.

Conclusion

Too often, homeowners assume that the closet space they had at closing is the closet space they’ll be stuck with. This isn’t the case. Whether your closet suffers from low ceilings, sloped walls, an awkward shape, cramped quarters, or any of the above, it’s important for you to know that you have options.

A custom closet gives you a targeted, personalized solution for your very specific storage and categorizing needs.