Once upon a time in the not too distant past, a designer closet was only on the list of musthaves for homebuyers of very high-end homes. Today, that’s all changed, according to Megan Hall, owner of California Closets franchise in Las Vegas who consults on closet design and construction for Toll Brothers, a national homebuilder that has built scores of neighborhoods throughout Las Vegas with particular focus on the master-planned community of Summerlin®.
It’s a very exciting time to be in the closet industry,” said Hall. “Homebuyers of all income levels are looking for closets that give them easier access to apparel, shoes and accessories, ensuring they see and take full advantage of everything they own. Not only has custom closet organization become a ‘must-have,’ to keep your wardrobe organized, there are endless decorative options to make it your own,” she said.
According to Hall, mixed media that uses such materials as leather, unique metals and natural wood grains combine to create a closet that is on par with the detail of any other room in the house. “In an elegant contemporary-themed model for Toll Brothers’ new, coming-soon Shadow Point neighborhood, we’ll be incorporating a blue leather wrapped shelf for colognes, seashells and framed photos above the dresser – all well-lit, of course. The lighting trend also includes statement chandeliers that give closets the look of an upscale retail boutique.”
According to Joe Ferraro of Closets Las Vegas, the closet business is booming as homebuyers today place greater value on both organization and a closet that can help them achieve that. “Whether homebuyers are looking for functionality, aesthetics or both, closet designers can take relatively small spaces and exponentially enlarge them, turning them into places homebuyers embrace, instead of avoid,” said Ferraro.
Ferraro cites trends like pull-out shelves that hold twice the number of shoes as traditional racks; double or even triple hanging spaces to maximize capacity and corners that accommodate shoe towers or other special hooks for belts and ties.
“There’s also a push to minimize furniture in the bedroom to create a more minimalistic aesthetic, so armoires and dressers are moving into closet,” Ferraro said. Drawers that line the walls of the closet are one of the hot new trends that add considerable capacity, and a built-in dresser island doubles as storage solution and staging area for larger closets. Pair it with a little bench or stool so you have a place to put your shoes on,” he said.
Ferraro’s company works with multiple Summerlin homebuilders, including Pulte Homes, William Lyon Homes and Pardee Homes. “At Silver Ridge, a luxury neighborhood in the highend enclave of The Ridges at Summerlin, our closets feature floor to installation with custom glass doors up to seven feet high with sitting areas, built-in hampers and dressers. They are not just an extension of the bedroom, they serve as stand-alone dressing rooms.”
“To meet the on-the-go needs of clients, we’re incorporating areas for changing all the essentials when switching handbags,” said Lisa Adams of LA Closet Design in Los Angeles. “These purse ‘changing stations’ include inserts for pens, paper, and electronics for the busy woman who constantly changes accessories, or the on-the-go professional who carries her workspace with her,” Adams said. “As social media becomes an increasingly present part of our style choices, staging areas need to not only function well for creating looks, but also must be beautifully designed to showcase new looks and share them across social channels.”
Adams, who writes a blog called Closetphile, said that as fashion moves toward embracing unisex sensibilities, so do closet spaces. “With streamlined design elements, an overlap of masculine and feminine aesthetics and simple, natural finishes, couples can comfortably share a space without sacrificing personal style.”
According to Hall, as closets grow in functionality, some homebuyers prefer to keep design aesthetics inside the closet to a minimum, opting for an all-white, no frills look. “However, there is an equal number who prefer a design style that embodies their personality given how often they visit their closet and how central it is to their identity,” said Hall. “The bottom line: there is a closet for everyone. From simple and clean to more ornate and stylized, closets come in all shapes and sizes for all budgets. Gone are the days when you had one or two choices for your closet. Take advantage of the options and systems out there to make it your own.”
For those building their dream homes in The Ridges, one of the most exclusive custom home enclaves in Summerlin, closets are taken to even more personalized heights with brightly lit shoe walls, frosted glass accents and elaborate light fixtures to create a luxurious environment. According to Elle Gaensslen, sales and marketing manager for Summerlin who oversees custom lot sales in The Ridges, these dedicated rooms are often adorned with art and luxe seating areas, making the custom closet as beautiful as the rest of the home. “Adjustability is equally important to ensure custom closets can be easily accessorized to ensure maximium functionality as lifestyle needs change.”
For more information on new homes in Summerlin, including more than 30 actively selling neighborhoods, visit Summerlin.com; for custom homesite opportunities in The Ridges, please call 702.255.2500.
Photo Captions: White closet: This closet, designed by California Closets, is at Altura by Toll Brothers in The Paseos village at Summerlin. It embodies the popular all-white look with many special features, including shoe racks, accessory drawers, sitting area and dresser island.
About Summerlin
Developed by The Howard Hughes Corporation, Summerlin began to take shape in 1990 and has ranked in the country’s top 10 best-selling master-planned communities for nearly two decades. Located along the western rim of the Las Vegas valley, Summerlin encompasses 22,500 acres with approximately 6,000 gross acres still remaining to accommodate future growth, including infrastructure, open space and common areas, all within the master plan. The community is currently home to nearly 100,000 residents who enjoy an unparalleled list of amenities. These include more than 250 neighborhood and village parks, more than 150 completed miles of trails, 26 public and private schools, 14 houses of worship, ten golf courses, shopping centers, medical and cultural facilities, business parks and dozens of actively selling floor plans. Homes are available in a variety of styles – from single-family homes to townhomes– priced from the $300,000s to more than $2.5 million. For information on custom homesites in The Ridges please call 702.255.2500. Luxury apartment homes offer monthly rents starting from the $900s.
About The Howard Hughes Corporation®
The Howard Hughes Corporation owns, manages and develops commercial, residential and mixed-use real estate throughout the U.S. Our properties include master planned communities, operating properties, development opportunities and other unique assets spanning 14 states from New York to Hawai‘i. The Howard Hughes Corporation is traded on the New York Stock Exchange as HHC with major offices in New York, Columbia, MD, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas and Honolulu. For additional information about HHC, visit www.howardhughes.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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