We’re always interested in hearing about our clients’ experience. One of our recent clients was happy to share their experience of installing a luxury walk-in closet in their Columbia home.

We’re always interested in hearing about our clients’ experience in modernizing their home with our custom installation. What motivated them? Why did they choose Closet America? How did they develop their design? And most importantly, what was the end result? One of our recent clients was happy to share their experience of designing and installing a luxury walk-in closet in their Columbia home.

The Dream: A Luxury Walk In Closet

I’d consider myself pretty handy with tools and I’m certainly able to handle most of the repairs around our house in the River Hill neighborhood of Columbia, Maryland. We’ve lived here since 1993 and Columbia’s ranking as one of the “Best Places to Live in the US” is one reason we haven’t had plans to move. We’ve had to do very little to the house since we bought it, but earlier this year we decided our walk-in closet needed serious improvement. It’s a relatively large space—10’ x 15’—but it’s poorly designed and underutilized. We wanted to transform it into a modern, luxury walk-in closet; one that matched our current lifestyle and ever-changing wardrobe.  

At first, we were considering tackling the project on our own. After all, it’s just one room. But, the more we thought about it, the more convinced we were that we needed professional help. Sure, there are closet components we could have purchased from the store, but those options didn’t have the quality of which we were looking. The only way we could attain the modern, luxury style we wanted was by way of custom design. And everything we read talked about the value that a luxury walk-in closet adds to a home.

The Design: We Looked for Local Expertise and Experience

We looked for a local contractor and found Closet America in Landover, about 30 minutes south of Columbia. After contacting them we scheduled a consultation in our home for their designer to evaluate the closet space, listen to our ideas, and develop an overall design.

From the first handshake, we were impressed with the designer’s professionalism. She looked at the closet space, measured the dimensions, and recorded them on her computer. We then sat around the dining room table to discuss the project. We wanted a design that would accommodate both of our wardrobes, provide ample space when both of us are getting dressed, and maximize storage capacity for off-season items.

The designer brought samples of materials and components that Closet America uses. It’s one thing to see them in a catalog or online, but seeing the wide variety of wood finishes and quality of materials up-close, we really got a sense of how luxurious our custom walk-in closet was going to be.  

The Value of Experienced Design Professionals

I was blown away when the designer took all of our input and created an initial closet design on her computer. With this virtual walk-through of our custom closet, we were able to play around with color schemes, finishes, and components, and fine-tune the layout until it was exactly what we wanted. We had some suggestions for changes, but our designer recommended some alternatives that, in retrospect, we’re so much better. That’s the added value of working with experienced design professionals.

How We Customized Our Luxury Walk In Closet

In the final design, one of us ended up with a bit more space than the other, but I can live with that because the layout really works for both of us. We decided on sections of double-hung rods for shirts, blouses, jackets; single rod sections for dresses, gowns, pants, and formal attire. Every week we have clothing coming and going to the dry cleaner, so a dedicated laundry hamper and a few strategically placed valet rods make those transfers easy.

One item that I would not have considered, had I done the project myself, is the closet peninsula. It’s one of those things that, once you have it, you wonder how you lived without for so many years. The counter space is great for the last-minute dressing items or accessories. For our closet, we had custom jewelry drawers added to the peninsula. It’s so nice to just open a drawer and select an item without having to fumble through a pile of cufflinks or tangled necklaces. I also love the quietness of the soft-close drawers. In my opinion, the peninsula is a piece of modern furniture that adds the crowning touch to our walk-in closet.  

As for footwear, well, we have an extensive and ever-changing collection. And although we had a few shelves in our old closet, most of the footwear ended up in various piles on the floor. This was one problem we really wanted to solve. We designed our new closet with adjustable shoe shelves that let us organize by season, style, and color. No more hunting for the shoes that I know I have, but are lost in some pile. Adjustable shelves make each pair of shoes visible and easily accessible.

When I was contemplating tackling the project myself, I figured it would take about a month of evenings and weekend work, maybe longer, as this was my first remodeling project. I’m so glad I didn’t! Once our designer finalized the design on the computer, that 3D model was used to build the parts in their workshop and assemble all the components.  

The Process: Installation In One Day

On installation day, Closet America installers arrived early, covered all the work and traffic areas in the house with protective tarps and runners, moved the parts from their vans (impressive how they protected the components in transit to make sure they arrived without blemish) into the work area, and had our custom luxury walk-in closet finished by late afternoon. The quality of workmanship, the attention to detail, and the final result, well, there’s no way I could have accomplished that. When they left, there wasn’t a trace of dust or dirt.      

We’ve been thoroughly enjoying our new luxury walk-in closet for the past six months. Everything is easily accessible. Nothing gets lost. It’s the most modern room in our home. Was it worth it? Undoubtedly! Here’s why:

• Significant time savings—installation in a day, not weeks.

• Tremendously better organization of our wardrobe, accessories, and shoes makes every interaction with the walk-in closet enjoyable.

• Professional design, construction, and installation created a modern level of convenience and luxury we could never have achieved doing it ourselves.

• Quality of materials, construction, and installation truly modernized our older home and increased home resale value.

• A superior warranty— covers defects in labor, material, and installation for as long as we own our home, with the option to transfer the warranty to new homeowners if we decide to sell.

Are You Contemplating Installing a Luxury Walk In Closet?

If you find yourself in a similar situation, save yourself the time and the stress of tackling the project yourself. The professionals at Closet America have designed and installed thousands of custom luxury walk-in closets in the Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia areas. I couldn’t recommend them more highly. If you need any more convincing, you’ll find thousands of customer reviews that share the same opinion. Don’t just dream, take the first step toward modernizing your home by contacting Closet America today and scheduling a free consultation.   

Lead Image by Pexel user Binyamin Mellish