The closet's bright orange paint job was the least of the problems. Most of her clothes were stacked in the master bathtub because the closet's rods and shelves were loose or missing.
She spent $400 and two weekends installing everything. "The finished, empty closet was gorgeous," says Porcher.
Despite her thorough measuring and planning, however, Porcher neglected to take a ruler to the most important part of the closet—her clothes. "The hanging clothes are too long and they cover the drawers of the closet's existing built-in dresser," she says. "I can't believe I missed that." As a result, the dresser remains empty.
When it comes to remodeling a closet, the little details can matter even more than the quality of the finishes, says Eric Marshall, a certified closet designer and board member of the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP) who also owns DEA Kitchens and Closets in Phoenix, Arizona.
That's why Marshall tries to start every project with a meeting inside the client's closet. "I don’t want clients to clean up for me," Marshall says. "I like to see the problems so I can fix them."
With an eye toward key technical and planning details, Marshall and other designers and DIYers outline their best advice for what to consider when remodeling a closet.
