What Is the Best Material for a Custom Closet?

You’ve saved up for months, maybe even years to have your own custom closet. Finally, after all this time, your dreams are going to come true. You’ve moved to the planning stages of the project, but before you can proceed, you need to answer one very important question. That is, what is the best material for a custom closet?

Memphis Garage & Closets talked about custom closet materials and the difference between DIY and custom closets on their blog. Custom closets are beneficial in that they improve your home’s curb appeal. You can also ensure your closets are designed just the way you want them.

According to the Family Handyman, a closet organizer made of melamine is about $250, but again that number could very well vary.  

Melamine is a great material to consider for your custom closet for several reasons.

Compared to plywood, melamine tends to cost more, so make sure you budget accordingly.

Wooden custom closets are another option. You can use wood for the base of the closet itself, the shelves, or even both. When it comes to shelving materials, many homeowners consider plywood, as it tends to resist warping.

Wood prices can vary wildly depending on the type you choose. 

Wood is incredibly versatile, with nearly countless types. Whether you like hardwoods or softwoods or even something in between, you can create a custom closet your way. Should the wood not come in a color that’s preferable to you, you can always paint or stain it. 

Wooden closets can get expensive quickly depending on the type of wood you choose, especially compared to the more reliably priced melamine. MDF may sometimes sag, so make sure you don’t use this material for your closet shelves. If you must, then don’t put anything heavy on MDF shelves.

From melamine and wood to metal, wire makes for another great custom closet material. The simplicity of wire shelves gives your closet a clean look. You can even get wire baskets or organizers to keep your newly-designed closets neat and tidy. The gaps in the wire let you see what’s in the baskets and organizers, so you grab only what you need when getting ready in the morning.

The pricing of your wire closet will depend on how complex you want to go. 

Wire is very lightweight, so if you want to reorganize your closet or even start again from scratch, you can avoid lots of heavy lifting. Also, you may spend less money on wire compared to wood and melamine.

The biggest downside to wire closets are the gaps from one piece of wire to the other. It absolutely does depend on the type of wire you get, but sometimes these gaps are quite spacious. You have to be careful about what you put in a wire closet, as smaller, slimmer items can slip right through the gaps and fall to the floor.

Now that we’ve explained the perks and downsides of melamine, wood, and wire closets, how do you narrow down your choices? Here are some factors to keep in mind.

What have you always envisioned for your custom closet? If you close your eyes, you can see it, right? Is it a wood closet? A wire one? All three of the closet materials we talked about are attractive in their own ways, but one will undoubtedly jump out at you as the best looking.

Besides looks, you have to consider durability as well. After all, if a closet only looks good but begins sagging when you fill it with clothes, shoes, or accessories, then you won’t have it for very long. You need a strong material that can stand up to your daily closet use.

Going hand in hand with durability is the project price. The pricing examples we used above, for example, are for per shelf or per piece while others are for the whole closet system.