9 Features That Are Popular in Closets

It is interesting to take note of what has become popular in closets in the past 5 years.  The type of closets home pros are designing and homeowners seem drawn to now offer just as much style sense as storage.  Though many of the closets pictured here are large and high-end, we tell you how you can get the look in a more modest space as well.

1. Luxe Closet Lighting

Again and again, integrated and often dramatic lighting has been a request heard more from homeowners in recent years. Lighted rods and shelves, interior cabinet lights, lights that shine on cabinets, and LED lights highlighting other specific areas of the space seem to be popular in closets and coming up in designers’ work more often.

Getting the low-key look. Incorporating custom lighting is typically a pricier undertaking in general, but a few thoughtfully placed fixtures or LED bulbs can go a long way.

Getting the all-out look. Whereas statement-making chandeliers were all the rage a few years ago and still come up regularly in upscale closet designs, fewer clients opt for all-out glam and more looking for unique and geometric fixtures, in addition to the other built-in light systems.

2. Mixed Closet Materials

Closet trends often follow in the footsteps of kitchen trends. That pattern may be at play in the number of homeowners and designers asking for and installing closets that combine different colors and materials. Whereas for years you picked a color — white, black, wood grain, whatever — now there’s a tremendous surge of color mixing. One example might be a particular base color for vertical panels and shelves, and another for drawers and doors.

By pairing a navy island with the warm wood-look cabinets, for instance, adding interest and edginess to an otherwise standard space. Blue, in particular, is a color we see as getting big, much as it has in kitchen cabinetry.

3. Warmer, With Wood

The rustic character that’s been such a staple of the popular farmhouse style appears to be making its way into closets as well. We are seeing a migration from ultramodern to transitional — a wanting for more warmth in the space, whether that’s wood-grain cabinetry or lighting and furnishings . Wood looks have additionally gained traction in the form of new textured melamine closet systems and other materials that appear more like natural wood than some earlier wood-grain iterations.

Getting the low-key look. A wood or wood-look accent shelf, storage box or countertop can add a dose of warmth.

Getting the all-out look. For homeowners looking to keep their belongings behind closed doors, warm wood cabinets, or custom built-in wood or wood-grain furniture or drawers, can keep things looking tidy and incorporate a laid-back, textured element.

4. Dressing Rooms – The Ultimate Closet

The aspirational idea of a designated space just for getting dressed is no longer reserved for elite homeowners and lucky movie characters.

People are creating their closet-dressing rooms in unused rooms in the house. While a walk-in closet was previously saved for the wealthy, everyone is now getting in the game. We see people converting dining rooms, living rooms and extra bedrooms into dressing rooms. There has been a shift from closets to dressing rooms — a space where you get dressed in, which includes a seating area, full-length mirror, vanity, et cetera.

Getting the low-key look. If you have the room for it, simply fitting in a makeup table or an ottoman can transform your closet from standard to special. Tight on space? A dramatic light fixture can feel just as elevated.

Getting the all-out look. By combining a sumptuous tufted velvet ottoman, integrated in-shelf lights and a striking contemporary gold chandelier is one way to embrace the dressing room in all its chic glory.

Ultimately, a dressing room or dressing room-style closet should play up lighting, displays and special features that make it feel as if you’re walking into a boutique every day.

5. White and Gray Closets

Though more colorful options seem to be popular in closets, classics like white and gray still dominate the market.

Gray, which has become a go-to shade in kitchens, bathrooms and other remodeled household spaces, is a favorite new neutral choice. Gray is most prevalent in cabinetry and flooring. We’ve also seen a bump in a champagne-like color for painted closet surfaces. It’s not white, ivory or cream but a nice subtle combination of all three.

Getting the low-key look. White never goes out of style. Budget-minded homeowners should stick with white closet accents in a contemporary style that will stay fresher longer.

6. Brass Closet Hardware

Brushed or antique brass is a must for many homeowners, though expect black and gunmetal finishes to keep growing in popularity in the coming year as well.

Classic silver drawer pulls and accents appeared more frequently, signaling at least one disconnect between what homeowners seem to be choosing with designers and what’s still catching their eye online.

Getting the low-key look. Investing in statement-making hardware packs a punch, even if cabinetry or other materials are relatively basic.  You save tons of money on the material and the faces, so you can spend a little extra on the hardware to really spice it up.

Getting the all-out look. Play up hardware and accents throughout the space that make other luxe details, like a statement lighting fixture, pop.

7. Hidden Closet Features

Smart solutions that can neatly be tucked away remain popular in closets. We often hides safes for valuables and integrates hidden panels or compartments into closet projects. Additionally, collapsible or pullout valet rods, hanging rods, ironing boards, drying racks and other features are desirable extras.

Getting the low-key look. Even if you’re not incorporating a slick hidden safe, adding more traditional features (think drawers or cabinets) that keep messes contained behind closed doors or panels can achieve a similarly organized feel. Open cubbies seem to be less popular than they once were. Everybody is either liking the cleaner look of seeing [their belongings] hanging, or [they’re] behind something.

Getting the all-out look. Get creative. In addition to hidden safes, pullout drying racks and other unexpected details, added amenities like ottomans can also be made to be tucked away and pulled out when needed.

8. Simpler Shoe Setups

We’ve seen a shift in many homeowners’ approach to shoe storage. Flat shoe shelves and hidden shoe storage seem to be more popular in closets than in years past.

For years, everybody wanted an angled shoe shelf with a toe catch, and what happens is when you have sneakers or something that doesn’t have a heel, it has a tendency just to fall off.

9. Extravagant Closet Extras

In general, closets appear to be spaces where more homeowners feel comfortable taking risks and having fun. People are taking the designs of their closets and private spaces less seriously than the rest of the home. That might mean they’re more willing to use a playful wallpaper pattern, bold colors or a nifty fold-away feature.

Even high-tech add-ons, such as an extraction ventilation system, is something we see more homeowners requesting. Removing unwanted smells from clothes after a night out is always a great tool. Or removing humidity from the wardrobe, avoiding damp clothes and unwanted moisture. Extraction helps to keep clothes smelling fresh and also dust-free.

Getting the low-key look. If you don’t have the space or budget to fully deck out your closet, we suggest that you invest in mirrors. In addition to making the space feel a little more glam, mirrors can trick the eye.

Introducing mirrors on the front of doors or on the backs of cabinets makes the room feel a lot bigger.  If you have light and color bouncing off that, it obviously makes the room feel like a lot more than it is.

Getting the all-out look. When it comes to creating an updated closet space with all the latest bells and whistles, the possibilities are endless. The closet is now seen as a space worth investing in, the pros say, when just a few years ago that wasn’t the case.

If you go back 10 years, prior to that, thoughtfully designed closets were a real luxury item. They were for the very upper end of your homes, and now they’re much more mainstream.  Everybody’s doing closets now, where it used to only be people who were in $800,000-and-up homes did their closet. It’s become much more common and much more expected from a builder. Nobody wants those darn wire shelves.