The closet consultation conversation often begins with the client saying:

“And I’d like some shelves for shoes on the bottom”.

If you’ve designed many closets – you’ve heard this request from a client.

Just because you were raised with putting your shoes on the floor underneath the single rod inside your reach-in closet DOES NOT mean it’s the best practice to employ today.

And just because you see it advertised that way does not make it a good idea either.

Typical hanging garments average 24” in depth. That means when they are hanging on a hanger inside your closet, they occupy about two feet of space.

I’m willing to bet that not one of you reading this has feet that are 24” – I don’t even think Shaquille O’Neal – Doctor – Shaquille O’Neal – has feet that big.

So what that means is that if you put shelving underneath hanging, you’ve got to clear your clothing out of the way to be able to see what’s on that shelf. You’re looking down into the darkness to find your black shoes.

Makes sense to me.

Make finding your shoes as difficult as possible.

How about the opposite?

Best practice in the closet industry is to bring those shoes into the light (pretty high minded of us isn’t it, outwardly worshiping shoes in such as a way as to allow them prime location in our closet space).

Yes, you can put 24” deep shelves below your hanging, but if you do that, those shelves should be pull out shelves or you’ll never remember the items that get pushed to the back on this deep of a down low shelf.

If you want drawers under hanging – that’s an option but standard industry drawers are 14” and 16” deep – so your hanging will “hang out” (and not in a cool way) over the standard drawers and block your access.  It’s also a bit more difficult for people who are petite to reach that higher rod – so it’s not a design practice I ever put in to play.

So you either put shelving above a short hang rod or do an entire column (or stack or section) of shelves to accommodate any items you would normally store on shelve – be it jeans,t-shirts and yes – even shoes.

Watch the video –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVKms2fGbsg&feature=channel&list=UL

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Denise Butchko is a design and marketing expert who teaches these concepts with the intention of helping people grow their businesses (particularly those in the design/build industries). She’s been a contributor to Closets magazine since 2003 and is a judge for the closet industries “Top Shelf” Design Competition. Her design work has been featured in national publications like “Better Homes & Gardens” and she works with some of the top interior design firms in the country. She’s helped cabinet companies launch closet product lines and trained sales professionals in both design and marketing, including ways to leverage social media and design to increase opportunities and brand themselves as the “go to expert”. If you want to have fun while you learn and bring your “A” game to your business, Denise is the one to partner with to make that happen.