17 Overused and Overrated Walk in Closet Features to NOT Waste Your Money On

Whether you’re looking to make sense of your IMPOSSIBLE to organize walk in closet or building a new home with soooo many closets (and costs are growing faster than you can say inflation), wasting money is the last thing you can afford to do.

And unfortunately, when it comes to walk in closets, a cheap closet is generally NOT an efficient and effective closet. And I tell you this from thousands of closets I’ve designed over the years and meeting people very frustrated (and apologetic about) their existing closets.

The question is how can you get a closet which works flawlessly for you – and for whomever you’re sharing it with (even if neatness is NOT their middle name) and NOT blow money in the process?

And I’d argue (even though I’m not an argumentative guy), the way to accomplish this is to eliminate overused and overrated walk in closet features.

And towards that end, I’ll present 10 overused, and 7 overrated, closet features I wouldn’t touch with a 10’ pole (or an 8’ closet rod). I’ll then identify better options for an efficient closet. At the end I’d love your comments about which overused/overrated features you hate, others you think belong on the list, and, on the positive side, smart features you’re enjoying if you already have a redesigned closet.

Now, let’s dig in.

Overused walk in closet feature #1 – long hanging rods.

So, the original builder decided to ‘cheap out’ and put in one lonely closet rod about 5 and half feet off the floor to save them money.

And now you have wasted space above the top shelf AND wasted space below your casual clothes because your single rod and shelf was only designed for long hanging dresses or gowns, of which you have few. Ok, that’s unless you’re an opera singer (with a ton of gowns) or hang out with RuPaul.

And while a closet with a single long hanging rod and shelf is budget-friendly for a builder – its MA-JOR cause of closet frustration for owners.

An efficient closet uses a mix of long hang, medium hang (for jackets), and double hang (for casual clothes) with shelves and/or drawers. Too many long hang rods is inefficient for you.

Overused walk in closet feature #2 – wire shelving.

Who loves wire closet shelving? ‘Err that’d be no one, except the companies who sell them.

And you may be asking why do people HATE wire shelves? Well for one, wire shelves aren’t adjustable. So, you’re ‘stuck’ with whatever height they’re at, whether this causes your shirts to fold at the bottom (if you’re tall), or you can’t reach the top shelf, if you’re V.C. (‘err vertically challenged).

And if you put too many things on this flimsy shelf and rod system, don’t be surprised if it falls off the wall and becomes a heap of shelving and clothes on your closet floor. And I’ve seen happen too many times to count.

In addition, wire shelves also leave those ‘lovely’ (sarcasm intended) marks on sweaters. And since they’re 12” deep – your sweatshirts and sweaters hang over the edge, which looks downright sloppy.

While wire shelving is low cost, it lives like ‘crap’ (and sorry for the crass phrase, but it’s true).

A better choice is a laminate closet system. It’s adjustable, sturdy – and far more stylish than wire with many color/pattern options.

Overused walk in closet feature #3 – 12” deep shelves.

Since many materials (like wood and wire shelving) are made in 12” widths, it’s common (and efficient for the contractor or manufacturer) to fabricate and/or install 12” deep shelves in a closet.

And while 12” deep shelves are cost-effective for a manufacturer or contractor, they aren’t the best for storing sweaters, sweatshirts, or large shoe sizes because then your clothes and longer shoes hang over the edge (and look bad).

Look for closet systems with 14” shelves for clothes and shoes, and 16” deep shelves if your walk in bedroom closet is doing double-duty as a linen closet.

Overused walk in closet feature #4 – Chrome hardware.

While there’s nothing wrong with chrome hardware, it does show spotting and it’s popularity is trending down. The reason it’s used so often by builders and remodelers is it’s the least cost option.

In today’s updated closet systems, matte nickel, matte brass, and matte black closet rods and drawer/door pulls are not only more popular finishes, but don’t show fingerprints like chrome as well.

Overused walk in closet feature #5 – Fixed shelves.

Your closet needs will change over time. And when shelves are fixed, there’s no opportunity to move them up if you’re looking to store boots for example, or down if you’re ‘trading in’ high heels and the corporate life for comfortable shoes because you’re retiring.

In addition, it’s nice to adjust shelves if you store clothes socks or underwear in different sized baskets or use Plexiglas shoe boxes of varying heights.

Look for a closet system with ‘adjustment holes’ to move shelves up or down. It’ll live far better over the long run and ‘flex’ with you as what you store changes.

Overused walk in closet feature #6 – Closet rods and pulls which are hard to use.

If you’re vertically challenged (or need to use a wheelchair) your top closet rod within double hanging sections may be hard to use.

And, in addition, if you’ve got small knobs on the closet drawers they could be hard to grip if arthritis is not ‘your little ‘fren’ as Tony Montana from the movie Scarface might have said.

Let’s face it, in most closets there’s minimal ‘thought’ put into their design or how they’ll work for someone who is short, wants to age in place, or has mobility challenges.

If you’re ‘generic closet design,’ isn’t cutting it for you, read how you can use ‘age in place’ design principles for a more efficient and effective closet in this article titled How to Design an Age in Place Closet.

Overused walk in closet feature #7 – A professional closet which is all ‘floor based.’

If you don’t know what a ‘floor based’ closet is, you’re likely not Jay Pritchett or being paid to play him on Modern Family, or a professional closet designer.

However, a ‘floor based’ system is one which is built to the floor. Floor based closet look elegant. Floor based closets also allow you to use deeper drawers and shelves.

And although these are wonderful features (and reasons to use floor based closet systems), if your budget is squeakier than the old door hinges in your closet, consider a ‘combo system’ which uses a floor based design (for deeper sections) with a wall mounted system (which uses less material and costs less) for hanging sections.

The key is to design the closet to fit you, your things, AND your budget! Learn more about wall hung and floor based closet systems by reading How to Choose Between a Wall Hung and Floor Based Closet System.

Overused walk in closet feature #8 – Velvet jewelry trays with ‘fixed’ compartments

Some people have a ton of necklaces, rings, sunglasses, and watch collections they ‘attempt to’ fit in predetermined slots in standard velvet jewelry trays.

And while standard sized velvet jewelry trays are most cost-effective, they don’t adjust to the size/shape of the items YOU want to store.

That’s why I love innovations like this faux leather lined jewelry tray where you can adjust the interior section separators to fit specifically what you want to store. 

Overused walk in closet feature #9 – A closet system which leaves a TON of dead space at the top

It’s common for a builder/remodeler to install a low cost closet system primarily designed for long hanging clothes (see overused walk in closet feature #1) which has 24” to 36” of space above the top shelf. And since you can only stack things so high, this causes wasted ‘closet volume’ most people would desperately like to use.

In general, it’s best to locate the ‘top shelf’ 84” above the floor (for an 8’ high closet) and 90” off the floor for a 9’ high closet. The key to a more effective closet is to efficiently use the volume above, and below your shelves and hanging clothes.

Overused walk in closet feature #10 – Wicker baskets for storage

I understand why so many people use wicker baskets for closet storage. They hide clutter. They add warmth and texture. They’re inexpensive and you can get them at a department store or even a ‘Dollar’ store (or nothing in there costs in there anymore!).

However, there’s a lot of negatives to this commonly used closet feature. For example, you can’t see what’s inside. It’s hard to find what’s at the bottom. They shed and aren’t designed for anything in particular you’re looking to store.

Better solutions include pull out drawers, plastic separators, pull out hampers, or even shoe shelves.

And now that we’ve looked at overused walk in closet features, let’s check out overrated closet features (at least those which are overrated from the view of THIS closet designer!).

Overrated walk in closet feature #1 – Slanted shoe shelves

People who ‘fancy’ slanted shoe shelves have often fallen in love with the look after researching on Pinterest.

And while slanted shoe shelves do ‘look cool,’ because they not only store, but also ‘display’ shoes, they waste the space behind the slanted shelf. And for the vast, vast, vast majority of people, the reason to do a closet remodeling project is to reclaim wasted space (and be able to store more stuff).

So, unless you have a lot of room, and a bigger budget, you’ll want to ‘slam-dunk’ your desire for slanted shoe shelves. Instead use flat, adjustable shoe shelves.

Overrated walk in closet feature #2 – Crown molding

I gotta admit (and yes, ‘gotta’ is a word! Ha! ha!) I love the finished look of a walk in closet with crown molding. And who wouldn’t love the look of this unbelievable closet below designed by a friend of mine, Wendy Scott of Timeless Closets and Cabinetry in New York and New Jersey. 

Image Credits: Timeless Closets

However, there’s a negative to crown beyond its cost. That ‘con of crown,’ is it stops your ability to store above the top shelf.

So, if you need, need, need to maximize your closet ‘square inch-age,’ kill the crown.

Overrated walk in closet feature #3 – The symmetrical two person closet

I’ll admit I’m a ‘symmetry guy.’ I like balance in a closet design (and in design in general). And in a perfect world I’d design a perfectly symmetrical closet for my wife and I, AND I’d also claim 50% of the space for me, myself, and I.

However, just because I’m in the closet business DOES NOT mean I’m able to ‘negotiate for’ 50% of the space in our closet! You see my wife uses 70% of our closet and ALL of our dresser in the bedroom. Maybe that’s why she looks so pretty and stylish– and I’m still struggling with my U.M.D. And if you don’t know U.M.D. is, it’s Ugly Man Disease!

And even if your closet walls allow for perfect symmetry (and most don’t BTW), this doesn’t mean your design should be the same on both sides. You likely wear different things. You likely store differently than your partner (some like to hang, others like to fold, some like to store clothing, socks, and underwear in closet drawers).

Customize your design to what each person needs. Don’t let your desire for ‘perfect symmetry’ to cause your closet to be hard to use. And if you’re wondering how to ‘win’ the battle of the two person closet read Storage Wars – 7 Essential Tips to Win the Battle of the His and Hers Walk in Closet.

Overrated walk in closet feature #4 – The closet island

The idea of a closet island (a place to fold clothes, stage tomorrow’s outfit, to iron etc.) is enticing and glamourous (especially if you have a cool chandelier above it). However, if you have an island you need at least 24” around it’s sides. And if you have drawers in the island you’ll need far more than that (because you need room to open the drawers and stand behind them).

So, while closet islands are cool, you’ll need more room than you think for them to be a comfortable – and effective – closet feature.

Get professional advice (and no, not that kind of professional – ha! ha!) before committing to a closet island. I’ll tell you I’ve talked far more people out of closet islands than into them over the years. To learn more read 6 Awesome Tips for a Walk in Closet Island.  

Overrated walk in closet feature #5 – The rotating ‘lazy Susan’ of shoe shelves

Image Credits: Wayfair.com

This ‘monster’ closet feature eats up so much room, 99% of the time it’s impractical.

A more effective way to store shoes is with simple flat shoes shelves at the entrance of your closet because they’re space-efficient and you take off and put on your shoes first and last. And besides that, you don’t have hanging clothes ‘jutting out’ at your entrance which makes your closet feel cramped.

Overrated walk in closet feature #6 – Lighting built into closet rods

Lighting built into closet rods looks WON-DER-FUL AFTER the closet is installed, but before you put in your clothes. You see when you put in hanging clothes, the light from the rod gets blocked by the clothes.

A better option is LED lighting installed inside the closet section separators (in the industry we call them ‘verticals’). With this product, lighting is evenly dispersed within the sections and NOT blocked by clothes.

Overrated walk in closet feature #7 – Shoe cubbies

If you want to spend more money (because you’re a ‘M.O.M.’ – which stands for Made Of Money … said NO MOM, ever!) AND waste space, install shoe cubbies. The problem with shoe cubbies is while they look ‘super-cute’ (and yes, this is a phrase a guy can use), they chew up room separating the shoes – and take away space to store more shoes.

Once again – I’m a fan of basic flat adjustable horizontal shoe shelves. They ain’t sexy, but they max the shoes per square inch. And this is key for most people’s space-constrained closets.

So, which of these overused or overrated closet features do you have which make you want to SCREAM? Do you need help designing a more efficient and effective closet?

So, which of the closet features discussed above really bothers you and makes you want to pull out your (already thinning – if you’re like me) hair?

If closet design is confusing to you and/or you’d like to leave all the thought (and installation challenges) to someone else, (and your project is in Columbus or Cleveland Ohio) call Innovate Home Org at 614-545-6888. And if you’re not in one of these cities ask me for a referral in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading and putting up with my wackiness along the way.

Mike

If you’d like more information on home organization systems, custom closets, Murphy beds, or design advice follow me on LinkedIn @MikeFotiLinkedIn. There you’ll find a (slightly) more ‘buttoned-up’ version of me.