Carpentry and Woodworking - Closet organizer

I am trying to come up with a design for a built in closet organizer/cabinet. I would like to include a shoe rack, shelves, rod for hanging clothes and possibly several stacked box shelves? If you know what I mean. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jason

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and check out the closet organizers they sell. They're modular units that can be combined in numerous ways depending on your needs.

I would like to try to build one. Know of any plans?

Thanks,

Jason

Here is the planning stage, the most important part.

http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/housing/gh5800.htm

Hope this helps.

I would use Home Depot or Lowes for ideas - then design your own based on their layouts.

Start with an elevation sketch of the wall(s) you want to use and lay out your general arrangement (hanging space, shoe storage, shelving, etc) based on the amount of 'stuff' you're trying to store. (While you're doing this, thank the closet gods that you aren't married to my wife - the queen of the packrats!!)

Once you have the general arrangement figured out, start drawing a cabinet-type structure to turn the plan into a working drawing.

Jason, I think I know what you are talking about. Search my name, I posted a similar question a while back. Hopefully, I'll be able to get to this project sometime this month or in early August, but just have been very busy with work lately.

I'm doing this to both of the reach in closets in our master bedroom. The layout I came up with should better utilize all the available space in the closets and also make life easier for my wife, who is pretty short. I don't have a drawing to share with you, but I'll do my best to describe what it looks like.

I'm going to create a wood set of adjustable shelves that I'll mount in the center of the closet. It will actually be two columns of shelves, for folded clothes etc. These columns will be topped by a single shelf running from wall to wall and the columns will stop about a foot or 18" above the floor. On each side of the shelves, I'll place a rod that will run to the side wall of the closet. To gain additional rod space, I'm also going to run another rod, perpendicular to the first and at about half the height. (this will run from the back wall to the front wall of our closets) My wife and I don't have any clothes that hang that long towards the floor. Most items are probably less than 30", so that's why this staggered rod setup will work. You will also have half of the top rod(along the inside portion, next to the column of shelves, where longer items can hang.

I'm also planning on adding shoe storage, probably a simple angled shelf, along the bottom, but haven't come up with a definite plan for that yet.

This is probably a bit long winded, but it's the best I can do without pictures. If I can get this done soon, I'll get pictures posted.

Jason, just wondering how this was going. I started trying to plan some time off from work to get this done, so if that happens in the near future, I'll be sure to get some pictures up here for you.

We are also doing a similar project. We have added a walk-in closet to our daughters room (which is being completely rebuilt). I am going to build the closet units myself. Can I get away with using MDF or should I spend the extra $ on hard wood? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!! :)

MWTart-

Do yourself a favor and use a decent hardwood plywood such as birch. It's way stronger than MDF. If you're going to paint it, you can use solid poplar to make face strips to hide the ply edges. If you're going to stain/finish it, use solid birch.

Thanks Dave --- should have known you would answer!!!!
I am also doing built in desk, shelves, and entertainment center in her room. Yes she is very spoiled! So I am sure I will have more questions as we progress. Thanks again.

Dave, thank God you're still around. I'm actually taking time off from work next week to finally do this. I know you responded to my posts in the past, but I have one more question. You mentioned that you would use solid birch if staining. I am going to stain, but was planning on using birch ply. Of course, I was going to cover the ply edges with some nice trim. Is there a reason I should stay away from the plywood?

In that post I was saying to use poplar for a solid wood edge to the birch ply if the piece were to be painted. I like poplar for painted work since it takes paint like a dream and it's considerably less expensive than birch lumber.

If the piece is to be stained, use solid birch to face the plywood edges. Plywood is always my first choice for any cabinet carcass.

Okay, I get what you're saying. Thanks.