So the master bedroom closet is not the biggest and I would like to maximize storage in there. It has Poles for hanging clothes and a shelf above that. I would like some options on (preferably) real wood modular/stackable organization options. Some drawers, shoe racks etc. Outside Closetmaid that is modular but with the particleboard, is there anything in between that and getting custom woodwork done?

I find this relevant to my interests...

We just did my daughters closet with IKEA Pax stuff. I like it so much I think I am going to rip out the stuff in my wife and my closet and put it in. Options seem to be Rubbermaid, Container Store, IKEA or something I don't know of.

My hubby rebuilt a closet for mom using Allen Roth closet system from Lowe's. They have many differs option that mix and match and made of real wood.

Ultimately it had a shoe organizer on one side and drawers on the other side. It was a 3 day project. 1st day was just ripping out the awful wire racks, putty, and paint.

There is quite a bit of assembly on the Allen Roth items; it is not hard but simply time consuming. I suggest you get it all assembled before you even start the closet demo.

before


after

Dubi- what are the dimensions of that closet? How far is the tower from the back wall?

I am (still) looking at closet organizers and am having a difficult time finding something that I really like/a configuration that is functional because my closet is 55" wide by 66" deep. The other side has no return, so it is not usable space.

Home Depot does have corner cabinets, which would allow me to maximize space to hang clothes, while also having shelving in the corner. I'm not sold on it though.

Looks like from my research, like the Allen Roth suggestion, home depot has some options to design your own, mix and match, swap options, etc. I think this is about as middle of the road as possible.

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Dubi- what are the dimensions of that closet? How far is the tower from the back wall?

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Max,

Mom's closet is a rectangle (maybe 8' x 8'). So we put an organizer on the left and right sides with double rods. Far wall we did single rod.

Let me know if you want to see it in person. Mr Dubi did a fantastic job.

Dubi,

If you don't mind me asking, what did something like that run y'all? We are planning on changing up our master closet as well. When we moved in, the closet was tiny and the previous owners had their clothes split between two closets. We've done pretty much the same, up until we decided to put the house on the market for a brief stint and we consolidated everything into once closet. I've opened up the closet by removing the 24" door and replacing it with 2 24" bi-fold doors, which has helped tremendously. My next step is to re-organize, but in different shelving, shoe racks, etc, and change up the clothes racks.

Cost was about $1,200 for the parts.

Hubby was free.

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How far is the tower from the back wall?

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Far enough away that it did not interfere with hanging clothes.

Before you do ANY closet work, PLEASE get a good studfinder and mark (with tape) the studs. I didn't do this when I bought my house and preemptively tore out all the old closets, thinking putting up new shelving wouldn't be a problem. It took a while and a bit of light engineering, but I would have rather known all that going in.

Speaking of which, can anyone recommend a good studfinder? I think I got rid of/loaned out my old one, but it was a piece of crap anyways. I need to buy one now so that I'll have one around when I need it rather than in the middle of a project.

ProSensor 710 Precision Stud Finder, $50 on Amazon.

This is the one I have and it works great! I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/ProSensor-710-Franklin-Sensors-Precision/dp/B0064EICKG/ref=sr_1_3?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1412020529&sr=1-3&keywords=stud+finder

I have that same stud finder and it's head and shoulders abover anything else I've ever used before.

I have tried 3 or 4 stud finders over the years and have never found one that gave decent results. I finally resorted to the old knock and nail routine (which, of course I HATE!!!) I just ordered one of those studfinders... what the heck, looks like a better mousetrap to me.

I use container store, because it is always simple to install. They help you design it in the store & then cut everything to size. They have a sale between Thanksgiving & Christmas, I think.

We've put elfa (container store) in both of our walk-in closets, one coat closet, and an empty space in the utility room. We love that stuff.

Hubby and I have similar sized and shaped closets that flank his bathroom vanity, and I wanted to be able to customize for each of our specific needs, and looking at the options at Lowe's just didn't wow me...I felt like I would have to make it work instead of getting EXACTLY what I wanted. So, I happened across easyclosets.com and started playing with a design. I configured the different wall sections the way I wanted, then saved the designs to mull it over. Decided to take the plunge and ordered. Here's what I learned:

"Easy closets" came in 35 boxes. 35. OMG! Easy?

It is possible for a woman with limited handyman skills to install the system, but easy? It took a great deal of stubbornness on my part to see it through.

I started with my closet. Took out all the wire shelving, patched the walls, painted, then drew the lines for the steel track that the vertical panels would hang from. The first important lesson I learned was to wait and paint after the steel track is installed. I found out that newly painted walls can give stud finders a hard time because there is moisture still in the paint for several days after painting. To be safe I did a lot of test holes to make sure of my stud locations (which the steel track covered up, so it was no biggy)

This is going to get long, so I'll condense. Once the steel tracks are properly installed with the screws and wall anchors (where necessary) the system goes up pretty easily. I haven't started hubby's closet install yet, but for it I will patch the walls from the wire shelving demo, install steel mounting tracks, paint, install sliding tracks and hardware on drawers, and get all the shelves with cam connectors ready to go. I'll sort the panels and shelves by size, and then the installation will go much faster. I learned as I went with my closet, so I don't anticipate many issues with hubby's. I do know I will get him to help me mount the other half of the drawer slides onto the vertical panels themselves, because getting those suckers installed and level was hard by myself.

Each closet came with its own custom instruction book that was understandable and well organized. Customer support was very good, and they will review your plan with you before you finalize your order, to make sure you haven't designed something crazy.

I upgraded to a dark brown espresso finish with easy close drawers, and also bought a tie rack and belt rack for hubs. Other than that, the base system is very good. It was not cheap, but it was exactly customized to my needs and the materials are of good quality. Yes, it is particle board, but again, good quality with a durable outer coating that mimics wood (if you get a wood-toned color and not solid white). The hardware is all very good. I could tell you what I paid, but it's better to just go to their website and input your measurements, and see what it will cost you to get something that works for you. Each change you make will update the price so you can know exactly what you will pay. There are drop down menus for further customization, so take your time and fully explore.

Bottom line, I'm very happy with my closet and it works SO much more efficiently for me now. I received my order in about 5 days, and the UPS guy probably cursed me for a week. Some of the boxes weigh 50+ lbs! But each box has a label with the contents, and with ours, the contents are differentiated between his and mine (our designs each have their own name).

I know, tl;dr, but I just thought I would throw my experience out there since it's fresh. I'm in the middle of a lengthy phone backup, so no pics. But their website is good, so you can get a good picture from that.

We did the elfa closet from the Container Store. I took all the measurements of the closet and they helped design the layout in the store. They can do the installation, or you can do it yourself. I did the installation myself and it was pretty easy.

The elfa system all hangs off of a bar that is anchored near the top of the wall. I was nervous about all the weight hanging off just the top bar, but we have ours loaded down and haven't had any issues.

About 90% done, have to trim down the shelf and hanging arm for the right side but near completion

And done, master closet next

Sounds like I'm late to the party, but if anyone is in the Dallas area and wants help with the Elfa stuff from Conatiner Store, let me know. My wife works for them and will come do a consultation and work up some designs for you.

Needless to say, but every closet on our house is Elfa and I'm still surprised at how much extra room you can get out of a closet using Elfa.

I think they are getting ready to release a new upgraded closet line along the lines of California Closets if anyone is interested.