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Your options for designing a closet are now nearly as wide as your choices for furnishing your house. It used to be that all a closet got were poles, hooks and shelves. Today, a closet’s custom mill work and visual finishes are as sophisticated as any high-end kitchen, bath or even retail store. In new home construction, if you don’t say anything to a contractor, you’ll get a basic “pole and shelf” setup: a single pole with a fixed shelf above it. Then it’s up to you to customize the closet interior. Typically built and painted on-site, this is the least expensive way to go. The next upgrade includes multiple poles and shelves of varying lengths and heights to accommodate different types of garments. Typically, the vertical partitions holding up the poles are used as the sides for adjustable closet shelving. The components can be shop-built and painted on-site or, for a more durable (and expensive) finish, surfaced with melamine or laminate. The third option is Oprah-style luxury. Think shop-built, prefinished wood: essentially furniture that is designed and dimensioned to fit your closet interior precisely. Custom-made dresser drawers, shoe cubbies, shelving, jewelry drawers and partitions give you the maximum amount of storage and cost the most money.

The quickest way to increase storage capacity in an existing closet is with a standardized modular closet system such as those offered at large home stores and DIY centers. The classic coated-wire basket system is widely available, simple to install, and inexpensive, but often has bins that are too deep to allow for easy access to smaller items. Supplier-installed standard systems, professionally designed and measured to fit your closet, cost less than a custom-crafted interior but are far more expensive than the do-it-yourself option. The upside is that they have true drawers, offer the maximum storage capacity, and have a more finished look.

Sometimes building a closet isn’t practical for economic or design reasons. Armoires and wardrobes still make a lot of sense for hanging items. You’ll have to trade off a little storage space, but an armoire can have several advantages over a closet of comparable size. Unlike an armoire, a closet can’t be moved around easily, which means your options for furniture placement are more limited. Inexpensive, prefabricated armoires are inevitably cheaper than even the simplest comparable closet. Like any piece of furniture, an armoire can add to the look of a room. Since an armoire typically does not extend all the way to the ceiling and often is set on feet above the floor, it allows for a better appreciation of the full volume of the space surrounding it. Have fun with it and display accessories in an armoire like your own mini-boutique.

Closets that feature wood shelves, cabinets, drawers and wooden hangers are classically beautiful. These closet styles withstand the test of time, in beauty and in functionality. If you’re considering installing a closet that features wood, then you have a lot of options.

Wood is one of the sturdiest building materials on the market. For closets, nothing beats cedar. It is strong, fragrant, and protects your wardrobe from mold, mildew, and pests. Cedar has a beautiful, colorful wood grain that is both unique and stunning. The look of cedar has been adored for generations.

In addition to the many benefits of cedar that you’ll experience long-term, you can also enjoy the fact that cedar doesn’t have to be stained or varnished. Its uniqueness is best enjoyed unfinished. After a few years, your wooden cedar hangers, shelves, and cabinetry can be gently sanded with a fine grit sandpaper to renew its fragrance.

Other types of wood shelving that are popular are maple, oak, and pine. Pine isn’t quite as sturdy as the other types of wood, but is still great for closets. If you use pine, be aware that the wood can easily split when you are nailing or screwing it into place. Drill a small pilot hole in the shelves before you nail or insert a screw to avoid this problem.

You can paint the walls of the closet with a color that compliments the wood you are using before you install. It is easier to do this before you install shelving. You can also sand, stain and varnish wood before you install it.

Once you have your system in place, you can accentuate the wood theme by installing crown moulding in the closet. You can install wood doors, door frames, use a dowel instead of a metal bar, use wood hangers or other high end clothes hangers, and install baseboards around the sides, top and bottom of your system. Wooden pegs instead of metal hooks make for functional hat and robe storage. You can also use a wood clothes hanger designed to hold things like belts and ties.

If you like the idea of a cedar closet, you might love the idea of lining the closet in cedar. You can use cedar planks or panels to finish out the closet. It looks beautiful and smells wonderful. It deodorizes your clothes and shoes so that you never have to worry about that musty closet smell.

Using wood in your closet will make it something you are proud of. It will be beautiful, increase your home’s selling value, and give you a sturdy closet system that can last you forever. Doing the project yourself will give you a feeling of accomplishment. Finishing out the closet with wooden hangers will give it that timeless beauty that you’re looking for.

About the Author: Charlie Hafter is on the staff of Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online resource for clothes hangers. Get all of the closet and clothes hanger accessories you could need at http://www.closethangerfactory.com, which is recognized worldwide for their excellent quality hangers.