High-End Luxury Master Bedroom Closets
Today’s high-end luxury master bedroom closets are a far cry from the tiny closets found in many Florida ranch homes in the 1970s and 1980s. Back then, there was hardly enough room to store clothing, let alone try to organize anything. Fortunately, that is no longer the case.
“Closets have evolved into a haven where you can relax and unwind as you end your day. In the morning, it’s the place where you get organized and prepare yourself to start your day,” says Ken Cleary of California Closets Tampa Bay.
Wayne Smith of Southern Closet Systems agrees that today’s savvy, affluent homeowners want a big, spacious closet with plenty of room to store everything. One of the reasons for this trend, he says, is that luxury master bedrooms are being used differently than in the past.
“The idea of a conventional bedroom with a bed and traditional bureau or dresser is out – that’s old school,” says Smith. “Instead dressers are being moved into the closet, which leaves the master bedroom much more open and comfortable.” It also transforms the closets into a high-end dressing room that can be decorated with a beautiful, creative touch tailored to the homeowner’s style and taste.
More Than Just Custom Closets
A well designed, inspired closet serves multiple roles. First, it’s all about eliminating clutter, creating organization and efficiency for people with extremely busy lives. But as luxury custom closets have transformed into personal retreat spaces, it’s only natural that homeowners would want to add the artistic touches and amenities that reflect their personality.
“The primary objective is to meet the client’s needs for organization, then we review the budget and begin to add the aesthetic features,” says Jack Green of Closet Factory Tampa. “We make sure it all fits appropriately, then layer in the design, texture, color and high-end materials.”
High-end Closets
More than simply storage spaces, today’s high-end closets also function as display galleries, not only for clothing but also for personal collections that can’t realistically be showcased anywhere else in the home. Do you have a passion for shoes, handbags, sunglasses, scarves, hats or ties? The closet is the ideal setting to put them on display so you can admire them in your own personal space.
“We’ve had some very fun projects, with clients wanting a Louis Vuitton Boutique or a Sex in the City Closet like the TV show,” says Green. “One client collected the small jeweled Judith Leiber Couture purses and wanted to display all of them, which numbered in the thousands. We’ve also had clients who loved sunglasses and had about 100 pairs they wanted to display.”
Not surprisingly, shoe collections are extremely popular for many people. The right closet design incorporates cabinets, display areas or drawers that are crafted to showcase the shoes to their best advantage while making it easy for you to find the right pair quickly. “We can create slanted shelves to maximize how many shoes can fit onto the shelves and then design accent lighting to highlight the collection,” says Cleary.
Color, Style & Closets Extras
Just like the bedroom, living room and kitchen, the addition of color and texture in the closet can dramatically alter the ambiance and personality of the space. The days of dark, masculine closet interiors are giving way toward a light, airy more contemporary feeling. “The two most popular colors these days are white and light grey, especially with a textured surface,” says Green.
Cleary agrees. “Tuscan Moon, which has a light blue-grey appearance, and Linen are in great demand. We can barely keep them in stock,” he says.
“Light grey and white are definitely popular, but we’ve done everything from navy blue to sage green,” says Smith. “When it comes to a painted finish, or a custom stain, whatever color the client wants is what we can do. We’ve also created a sleek, glossy finish for clients who want a more modern, contemporary look.”
According to Smith, texture is also a hot new trend. Distinctive textures and wood-grain finishes on walls, doors, cabinets and drawers can make a powerful fashion statement. So can European-inspired artisan panels made of etched laminated glass or translucent resin fabricated to resemble stone, marble or enhanced with bold colors and patterns, textures or images. “Artisan panels can be a work of art and enhanced with any number of designs, from flowers to bamboo and geometric patterns,” says Cleary.
Closets LED Lighting
LED lighting is another must-have feature for today’s high-end closets. “For years, lighting was prohibited by fire codes for use in closets, but now with LED lighting, we can use it to light up many different areas,” says Green. The possibilities are unlimited. Choose warm light or cool. Then select the right fixture: chandeliers, track lighting, accent lighting, backlighting and more. “We’ve used vertical lighting to highlight the shelves and then added illuminated wardrobe rails so the clothes stand out,” says Smith.
For the finishing touch, closet accessories can range from specialty racks, jewelry drawers, custom shoe storage cubbies and decorative hardware, to upholstered benches and islands with beautiful countertops. More unique extras include small refrigerators, a coffee station, mini-bar, flat-screen TVs and even hidden safes. “We’ve placed safes in islands or cabinets made to look like there are three drawers,” says Cleary. For a recent client, Southern Closet Systems created a secret entryway hidden within a bank of shelves in the closest. “Only the homeowner knows how to open it, ” says Smith. “The bank of shelves swings out to expose a huge bank vault door, which leads to a large safe room.”
Closets Not Just For The Master Bedroom
It’s easy to imagine a beautiful custom closet in a master bedroom, but a professional closet design can also provide an amazing make-over for garages, walk-in pantries, laundry rooms and home offices. Garages especially can use an expert eye. “Florida homes don’t have basements, we have garages,” says Green. “Closet systems can put everything into proper storage so you can take back your garage and actually pull the car in. We’ve also turned garages into high-end man caves for individuals with a car collection.”
According to Cleary, garages often function as an entryway to the home and eliminating clutter can make the homecoming more pleasant. “A good storage solution means everything will have its place in the garage with customization geared to lifestyle, which includes golf accessories, fishing poles, bicycles or even children’s toys,” says Cleary.
There are hundreds of ways to organize any room in your home and create the master bedroom closet of your dreams. It’s time to turn mere storage into a work of art.
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