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It’s no secret that custom closets have become a status symbol
similar to owning a luxury car or wearing designer clothing.
Driving the trend are celebrity homes, many with plush, “tricked out”
walk-in closets that feature flat-screen TVs, sound systems, wine
bars, lounge areas, fireplaces and chandeliers. Some custom closets
even occupy multiple levels with each level dedicated to showcasing
a particular accessory.
For those who don’t want to spend a million dollars on a custom
system, it’s still feasible to get a sophisticated and stylized closet
that fits your needs. Builders and homeowners have recognized the
value of adding a custom or walk-in closet since they are on many
homebuyers’ must-have lists. Surveys have shown that after the kitchen
and bathrooms, the closet is one of the top factors that homebuyers
take into consideration when making a purchasing decision.
And a luxury home walk-in needs to be custom designed and
swoon-worthy. Christopher Ritzert of TTR Sotheby’s International
Realty in Washington, D.C. had a $4.75 million condo listing that
came with a built-in closet that resembled a stage set with automatic
lights that revealed beautifully crafted cherry cabinetry and handcarved handles. “When everything else in a home is so well-thoughtout, to have stopped at the closet door would have been a great
disappointment,” Ritzert said.
This trend doesn’t just stop at the shores of the U.S. Charles Smith of
United Kingdom Sotheby’s International Realty in London confirmed
that for his business, custom closets are, “a status symbol and
expected by the global wealthy who have very sophisticated designer
clothes and accessories.” In Britain, a 2012 study revealed that fortyfive percent of women surveyed listed a custom walk-in closet as
their number one status symbol. Men listed a sound system in every
room of the house as their first choice.
One in five study participants said when they had guests, they loved
to show off their latest household purchases, and twenty-six percent
of the women said buying a new household gadget was more exciting
than buying a pair of shoes. Mark Swift of high-end appliance brand
De’Longhi Appliances, commented, “Styles and fashions may come
and go, but it seems we will never tire of buying status symbols for
the house.”
Another recent trend – those who own older homes, townhouses and
urban condos are now creating big closets by annexing rooms near
the master bedrooms and transforming them into walk-in closets.
Carolyn Brundage of Schererville, Indiana received a walk-in closet
as a gift from her husband who morphed a former nursery into a
spacious closet with cherry wood cabinets, jewelry drawers, custom
purse racks and shoe shelves. The closet is now larger than their
bedroom. Brundage said the room is her respite.
“It’s the one place I feel is really my own room. Men have their man
caves. I have my closet,” she said. Her closet design was inspired by
Carrie Bradshaw’s closet in the 2012 film, Sex and the City.
A New York couple took this inspiration one step further and hired
the movie’s set designers to create a $175,000 replica of the movie’s
closet in their home.
Closets have clearly evolved from being a storage place to a lifestyle
space. They are not only a showcase for an owner’s style and taste,
but a place that helps them relax. When one’s dressing area is
beautiful, organized and full of personal amenities, people feel less
stress and are better equipped to face the day.
Take a look at how a custom closet can help you increase the value
of your home, make you feel organized, reduce your stress level and
help you rise above the status quo. Visit www.closetfactory.com.