Closet Design Basics

Closet Organizer Components

There are certain components/building blocks that make up the "skeleton" of every closet no matter which construction method is chosen. The way these components are combined will determine your closet's storage accommodations, accessibility, and overall functionality. Closet organizer components can be categorized into Hanging Systems, Shelving, Drawer Systems, Basket Systems, Footwear systems, and closet organizers with Built-in Hampers. Each category of component is designed to handle a specific type of storage.

Hanging Systems:

Hanging systems include any closet organizers with a clothes rod for hanging clothes on hangers.
Clothes rods are installed at different heights depending on the length of garments. Typical configurations include double hang, triple hang, medium hang, long hang, and low hang.
Double hang is great for maximizing your hanging space for shirts, blouses, folded pants, and other garments where stacking the hanging space makes most sense.
Long hang is for overcoats, dresses, formal, coats, robes and other garments needing length.
Medium hang is used for suits, long skirts, pants hung from the waistband or cuff, blazers, and other medium length garments.
half & half is another configuration that holds the same length garments as double hang with the option of more shelves rather than an upper rod — often preferred in children's closets.
Triple hang is used mainly in baby closets. The short length of the clothing allows the stacking of three rods to maximize space.
Not sure what type of hanging you need? Check out our Closet Design Tips for help.

Clothes hanging in closet — See standard hanging units & specifications

Shelving Systems:

Shelves are perfect for shoes, sweaters, knits and folded jeans or casual pants.
Shelves are the backbone of most home storage systems.
Our shelving sections can be made to any width up to 36-inches.
Standard shelf depth is 14-inches. Custom depths are also available through our free We-Design service.
Shelving sections can be covered by doors for a custom cabinet look. Use our free We-Design service for this feature.
The 360 Organizer^® rotating shelving systems that turn on a Lazy Susan principle are also available.

Example of closet shelves — See standard shelving units & specifications

Basket Systems:

Pull-out wire closet baskets slide in and out on ball bearing slides with a functionality that is similar to drawers.
Baskets are less expensive than drawers.
Uses include bedroom closets, pantry, mudroom, laundry room, and more.
Slide-out wire closet baskets are 14 inches deep and are available in 18, 24, and 30-inch widths plus three heights:
- Small, 6-inch-high baskets work well for small items and accessories.
- Medium, 11-inch baskets are good for socks and underwear or other small accessory items like ties and belts.
- Large 17-inch baskets can store bulkier items. They also function well as a built-in hamper for your closet.
Wire baskets are available in polished chrome, brushed chrome and oil rubbed bronze finishes to match your hardware selections.
Removable basket liners in washable canvas are available with handles or as simple plastic liners for the bottom to keep things from falling through the wires.
Wire baskets should be installed below eye level. They are used in conjunction with shelves or other closet organizer components.

Example of slide out wire closet baskets — See standard basket units & specifications

Drawer Systems:

All drawers use under mount ball bearing slides with soft close, meaning you won't see any hardware and the drawers close quietly on their own.
Drawers are available with face heights of 5-inches, 7.5-inches, 10-inches, and 12-inches.
In a bank of drawers, there will be a fixed shelf between every three drawers.
We use real wooden drawer boxes. All drawers are constructed from high-quality, 12mm wood in 9-Ply plywood with banded edges.
All drawer boxes use dovetail joints — the strongest of all joints, interlocking, resists being pulled apart and looks attractive.
Drawer bottoms are made from MDF.
100-pound class dynamic load rating for each drawer.
Easy to remove drawers, clean and re-install.
Drawers pass KCMA/BIFMA/BHMA/ANSI Specifications
Drawers are available in three standard heights:
- 5-inch closet drawers are perfect for storing small items. Inserts are available for jewelry organization.
- 7-1/2-inch closet drawers are good for socks and underwear or small accessories. Drawer dividers are available to keep items organized.
- 10 and 12-inch closet drawers can store bulkier items like blankets. 12-inch drawers also accept file drawer inserts for organizing papers.
Drawer units are available in 18, 24, and 30-inch widths.
Download our drawer information sheet

Example of a wood closet drawer with dovetail construction — See standard drawer units & specifications

Footwear Systems: Shoes are an essential component of every wardrobe. Most people have at least 20 pairs, and some have many more. That's why shoe storage is an important part of closet organization. Footwear can be stored on shelves, various racks, or even rotating shelving systems.

Closet shelves that are designed specifically for shoes have the option of being slanted towards the front to better view the footwear. These slanted shelves are equipped with shoe fences along the front to keep the shoes from falling off.
The 360 Organizer^® Shoe Spinner is our rotating shelving system for up to 200 pairs of shoes. It is designed to fit in a 40-inch x 40-inch corner and can be built-in to a larger closet system or left to stand on its own. Shoe spinner models are available with a cabinet that attaches to the wall or as a freestanding unit.

Example of closet shoe shelves — See standard footwear units & specifications

Hamper Systems: There are two types of built-in hamper systems — pull-out and tilt-out. The pull-out variety works on drawer slides to move the unit in and out. The tilt-out variety includes a cabinet door that pivots forward at the top to open. There are many benefits to built-in closet hampers and the convenience makes it a favorite feature of custom closets.

Pull-out hampers are sold as closet accessories and can be retrofitted into standard width closet sections of 18, 24, or 30-inches at a later date if desired.
Large slide-out wire baskets can also be used as a closet hamper.
Tilt-out hampers should be included as part of the original closet design rather than trying to add one as a retrofit later on.

Example of a tilt-out closet hamper — See standard hamper units & specifications

Please review the installation procedures before installing any of your closet organizer components.

Closet Design Basics — Components

Closet Organizer Components