If people are going to scrimp on any part of the home, it is not going to be the owner’s suite closet. While the sleeping chamber may be getting cozier, closets are expanding faster than the metro area itself. “We are doing closets that are 1,000-plus square feet,” says Warren Eck, co-owner of Harkraft in New Hope. Even though one might think that these mega closets would provide all the space a homeowner might need, some also have space-utilizing features, including what Eck refers to as “triple-hang.” This feature allows for clothes to be hung in three tiers, rather than the standard two. The top tier is accessed by using a hook to grab a custom, spring-loaded pull-down rod.
Closets like these, however, are certainly not being put into starter or mid-range homes, but they do create a buzz in the building community. “In the $1-million-plus homes we usually are able to do some really fun things,” says Eck. “People generally have small washers and dryers inside their closets at this level, so we are building clothing management areas for sorting, folding, and drip-drying.” Large center islands or peninsulas with granite or other solid-surface tops are common as are custom color laminates with wood-grains or possibly even solid hardwood stained to match other cabinetry in the home. Even door handles and drawer pulls in these luxury closets are coordinated to match or complement the hardware used elsewhere in the home. “For a very high-class look,” he says, people are using raised panel glass doors to cover the clothing areas. Other fun features for upscale closets include windows, skylights, heated floors, elegant sitting areas, and inset wall safes programmed to recognize fingerprints. The material for these closets alone can cost anywhere from about $10,000 to $50,000.
Standard owner’s suite closets in homes ranging from about $300,000 to $500,000 are certainly not as elaborate as closets in more expensive homes, but they can still be fun and functional. To outfit a typical 10-foot-by 10-foot closet, Eck says, “you’d spend about $500 to $3,000” for a combination of wire shelving and shelf or drawer stacks, used to efficiently store folded clothes, socks, and undergarments.
