Apartment Decorating: Open Closets as a Design Element

In most homes and other properties, closets have doors, which reflects the popular function of the closet: a place to hide all of the extra stuff that would end up lying around the house—however, in some kinds of apartment decorating, designers choose to use closets without doors as “open closets” for an altogether different kind of use of this accessory space. Here are some common tips for making an open closet livable and inviting.

Pruning Hanging Items

Even in a normal closet, the amount of jackets, dresses, formal clothing, and other hanging apparel that get stuffed into a closet space can easily get out of hand. Often, those who are serious about creating nice closet spaces will have to go through and get rid of the excess. This can be especially important for an open closet that is always on display. Also, if the closet is intended to be a “walk-in,” too many hanging garments can get in the way. Take a look at how to include more free space in your open closet.

Lighting

Without adequate lighting, an open closet becomes just a dark hole in the corner of a room. Those who want to fix or add lighting can choose from a variety of options. In the old days, closet lighting consisted of a traditional halogen bulb, either surrounded by a shielding fixture or just hanging on a cord (this design is dangerous for most closets!)—today, homeowners and others designing open closet spaces have additional choices like LED or light emitting diode electronic lights that throw off less heat and present less fire risk. These new kinds of innovative lights are also energy savers, and can be safely squeezed into a closet space.

Upgrade Shelving

In some open closets, there’s some structural work to be done. Old shelving or peeling paint can make a closet space look shabby. In the worst case situations, the actual drywall or plaster needs to be fixed. Assuming this isn’t necessary, the primary tasks will be applying a fresh coat of paint and removing any chip or damaged wooden shelves, re-painting or replacing them, and adding them into a new and improved open closet design.

Adding Interest

Lots of open closets are spaces that may get a lot of use during a party or social event in the home. It might not be a bad idea to outfit these out of the way spaces with interesting display items if you think the open closet will get a lot of visitors. Designers can really use their imaginations to come up with great light installations, using (clean) terrariums, recycled art items, or anything else that will add visual appeal to an open closet.

These are some of the strategies that designers bring to an open closet setup. Obviously, the design task  will be different depending on whether the closet is primarily for storage, or if it is more of a display space. Think about how to incorporate one of these alcoves into a total home design.