No matter how hard you try, does your clothing simply end up thrown on the floor or bursting out of the seams of your wardrobe?
You’re not alone! And no, it’s not because we’re lazy! What you need is an organized and well-designed storage space, which gives you the ability to store your clothes, shoes, and accessories in a stylish and logical manner.
Not only will this make your home look a lot tidier and more luxurious but it will ensure that you enjoy getting ready every morning.
If you are thinking about renovating your home and creating a beautiful closet area, a closet island is a must! Below, we will reveal what a closet island is, as well as discussing five of the main things you need to consider before installing a closet island in your home.
What is a closet island?
A closet island is a popular feature you will find in a lot of high-end closets. They provide aesthetic appeal and functional storage, working in a similar manner to their popular kitchen counterparts.
As the name indicates, a closet island is placed in the center of the room, offering extra countertop space, as well as drawers and shelves so you have more storage options for all of your clothes and accessories.
The five key things you need to consider when installing a closet island
If you are thinking about adding a closet island to your home, there is a lot that needs to be considered. From the space that is available to you to the style and material of the countertops, there are many factors that you will need to plan and think about before you go ahead and make your purchase.
So, considering that, let’s take a look at the five main things to consider before having a kitchen island installed:
1.) Consider the dimensions of the closet island
There is only one place to begin, and this is by getting the sizing right. The majority of people simply want a few drawers within their closet island, as they intend to use it as a master closet island dresser. The benefit of this is that you can get rid of the typical clothes dresser from your bedroom.
However, you do need to carefully consider all of the space that is available to you, and then how much space the drawers are going to take up. Your drawers will play a big role when determining what size closet island is going to be right for you. While planning the arrangement of of the closet island, it’s also important to take average closet dimensions in mind.
It makes sense to use standard closet drawer sizes of either 18, 24, or 30 inches in terms of width, with either 14, 16, or 22 inches in depth. This will give you the ability for the most flexibility when selecting drawer organizers later on and it will eradicate the extra expense of purchasing custom size drawer boxes. When considering storage solutions, it’s important to think about the average closet depth. By sticking to these typical measurements, you can make sure that your storage solutions will work with a wide range of closet sizes.
You can allocate odd widths to the shelves. Either cover the shelves with cabinet doors or leave the door opening. This depends on your own personal preference, as well as your budget.
If you use the standard drawer depths mentioned, the smallest depth of a two-sided closet island that has drawers on both sides is going to be 28 inches. This size will enable you to have 14-inch deep drawers on both sides of the closet island. This is the smallest depth for a standard drawer. On larger closets, the 22-inch and 16-inch deep drawers can be utilized.
If the space that you have is not going to enable you to install a closet island with 14-inch deep drawers on either side, we would recommend that you either go for a single-sided closet island or you think about making one side shelving.
It is also imperative to consider closet island height with a lot of care. The standard height for a closet island is somewhere between 40 and 45 inches.
You can use your drawers to help you figure out your end measurement. Standard closet drawer height is typically five, 7.5, 10, or 12 inches for the drawer fronts. The actual drawer box is going to be somewhat shorter.
You should stake your shelves and drawers in the closet island to reach a total height between 36 and 39 inches. This means you are going to have three inches for the toe kick and one inch for the countertop, bringing the full height to between the desired 40 and 45 inches.
2.) Make sure you leave plenty of space around the island
Not only do you need to think about the size of the closet island but you need to carefully consider the amount of space surrounding it. After all, closet islands tend to take up much more space than a lot of people expect at first.
The number one concern is making sure that you have sufficient room to walk around the island once the closet has been installed.
You will need to leave at least 36 inches of empty space on each side of the island so that you can walk around it freely and access the various storage systems. This means that you are going to require eight or more empty linear feet in either direction in the center of your closet once you allow for storage across the walls.
If you have hanging storage on all four walls, you are generally going to need a room that is at least 12’ x 13’ in size to build a closet that is small and double-sided, boasting cabinets, drawers, or shelves on both sides.
For a single-sided island, the room can be smaller, but not considerably so. After all, you still need to allow 24 inches across the walls for any hanging areas, as well as the additional 36 inches for walking.
If your closet space is going to be smaller than the advised 12’ x 13’ and you have your heart set on going for a double-sided closet island in the middle, consider making one wall of the closet all shelves. A shelving wall can be narrower than 24 inches, enabling you to get the closet island into a much smaller space.
3.) Add beautiful and luxurious style with your choice of countertop
Once you have gotten all of the mathematics out of the way in terms of figuring out the space that you need, it is time to start thinking about the good stuff, i.e. the style of closet island you are going to go for.
From contemporary and glamorous to rustic and retro, there are so many different styles, designs, patterns, and textures to choose from, ensuring you are able to choose a closet island that perfectly fits in with the current style of your home.
When it comes to the overall look and feel of your closet island, the countertop is the crowning glory. The material used will set the tone of the room and it will also cover up the boxes and individual cabinets that make up the multi-section or two-sided island.
There are a lot of different types of materials that can be used for closet island countertops. Laminate and stone are definitely two of the most popular choices. However, wood, concrete, and glass are also great options as well. If you can use a material for a kitchen countertop, you can pretty much be sure that you will be able to use it for your closet island as well.
This is a great opportunity for you to run wild and really let your personality shine through with your choice of countertop style. It is a good idea to spend some time browsing on social media websites like Instagram and Pinterest for some inspiration. After all, there are some beautiful and impressive closets on these social media platforms, so you can get some ideas and suggestions to use for your own closet space.
Don’t be afraid to have fun and play around with different styles and materials. Your closet is a place whereby you can really let your individual style shine through.
4.) Make the most of clever in-built storage elements
A lot of people assume that storing your accessories in a closet island simply means throwing your jewelry into a drawer and allowing it to get all tangled and messy. This is not the case.
The best closet islands on the market today come with in-built features that give you extra storage and functionality. You can make the most of lingerie organizers, drawer dividers, velvet jewelry drawer inserts, and much more to take your closet island to the next level.
If you have a range of your favorite shoes, antique clutch bags, or a special collection of jewelry, you could even highlight them with a beautiful and luxurious in-built display across the side of the closet island.
Mirrors are another option if you are looking for a useful but striking accessory to adorn the side of your island that does not have any shelves or drawers.
Different types of drawer organizers and security features like safes and locks tend to be most common in closet islands. Locks can be used to secure doors and drawers to make sure no one is able to get access to your most treasured items.
If you are going to have a safe installed in your closet island, make sure that it is concealed behind a cabinet door to heighten the security levels.
If that was not enough, some of the other accessories and storage options you may want to consider for your closet island include pull-out shelves and in-built ironing boards that fit in a drawer.
5.) Get the lighting right
Last but not least, it is important to make sure that you get the lighting right when you install a new counter island in your home. Lighting is vital because it can take your closet island from a dull and boring piece to being a true statement item in your home.
You should consider illuminating the insides of your drawers and closet island cabinets so that they light up automatically whenever you open them. These lights will run on low voltage LEDs, which means they are safe to install and they are energy-efficient as well, so you do not need to worry about your energy bills going through the roof!
The convenience of having your drawers and cabinets light up every time means that you don’t have to scour through all of your belongings to find what you need. This makes life a lot easier and ensures you do not end up creating a mess looking for the things you really need.
You can incorporate lighting into any cabinet, shelf, or closet drawer, yet it works incredibly well in jewelry drawers especially.
Depending on the sort of material that has been used, you may be able to back-light the countertop from underneath. Some countertops that are translucent, i.e. made from glass or some types of stone, can be back-lit so that they provide a soft glow inside of the closet. This is something that looks truly incredibly, adding the X-factor to your closet and creating a truly luxurious space.
Final words on installing a closet island in your home
So there you have it: five of the main things that need to be taken into account when it comes to enhancing your home’s appearance and functionality with a beautiful and luxurious closet island.
From your lighting options and the style of your closet island to accessories and dimensions, if you carefully consider the five elements that we have discussed above, you can give yourself the best possible chance of creating a closet that ticks all of the boxes, with your closet island being central to this.
We also recommend that you spend some time looking online and across social media platforms so that you can get some great information and suggestions when it comes to creating your own magical closet space.
