Hi All, Am a first timer here, came to look out of curiosity & this thread caught my eye. I've been thinking abt doing this as I have quite a large but totally inefficient closet (double barred, front to back, a very full front bar means I can't access the back bar at all, so much of my clothing stays on hangers on the closet doors, yeah that's useful (sarcastic) ... cluttery looking too). As I'm working on decluttering (am serious amateur plant collector 180+ plants) & quilter, I've abt hit the end of my patience w/ the clutter. So ... I'm thinking abt redoing the closets, unless I win the lottery it's DIY only. Was recently in Bed, Bath & Beyond, saw the system they offer called FreedomRail. Looks pretty doable & versatile, I'd just need someone to help me set the foundation which is the horizontal rail(s) (need someone to drill for me). Anyone have experience w/ this system? Since the closet is approx 36" deep (& abt 60" wide), there's a lot space being wasted. Seems much more efficient to put 1 long rail (bar) across the back & then short rails along the 2 sides, maybe one side having an upper & a lower, so I could hang, say skirts on the bottom & shirts on the top. Then of course, the enormous work of emptying the closet & going through all the clothes (decades worth, yikes). Makes me think I should take a couple of days off from work to do this. Anyway, anyone have experience w/ this particular system? Thanks in advance. (PG) Karen

We have had two closet systems installed Closets by Design. Both times we had positive experiences with the install; just be clear whether you want it to be notched in the back for baseboard, in my opinion it looks better to remove your baseboard so it’s not notched. It’s also worth it to add the baseboard and crown, and increase the height of the system to the ceiling. The salespeople do have a “poor mentality” to make sure they get the sale so you really have to push to add these extras. We are pretty handy, so the third closet system we did ourselves using Menard’s Dakota system for a third of the cost or less. It looks as nice and sturdy the rest.

"desertsteph, you know what they say about death and taxes, so I would keep those funeral suits! " I know! that is why I keep of few of my 'old' things - tho they are banished to a back bdroom. I'd love to just get rid of them but then I'd be in a pickle if I needed them. keeping them is easier than even the thought of going shopping for decent 'public' wear. I live in sweats and shorts - very tacky for a funeral (or even a wedding!). I've also kept a pr or 2 of 'good' dress shoes in case needed. IRL I always wear birks slip ons. thx for the info on weight of shirts etc. I don't have any suit jackets to worry about - just mostly my casual stuff. My stuff is mostly light weight. The flannel shirts being probably the heaviest of my normal wear. For the few heavier jackets I have I can continue to use the 'ol thick plastic hangers. They live in that back closet also - only needed a few times a yr - maybe. I don't watch HSN much so I'll try to 'check in' on it thru out the day/evening until I see them on sale.

I've tried some of the closets mentioned above for various closets around my home, i found that Modular Closet systems were far superior. (quite surprising actually, considering their cheaper price point then EasyClosets, CC and Ikea..) They're manufactured here in the US so that's good. They're made of hardwood with a really solid melamine surface. It's basically a fully customized closet storage system for the price of a store-bought shelving unit, plus they offer free design service which is really helpful especially if your like me and not a good DIYer. Assembly is quick and install is easy, I had my nephews help me with that. Little piece of advice: Once you got a good closet system to organize your stuff, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!! Good Luck! Here are some useful links: if you know exactly what you need and want full control on closet layout https://www.modularclosets.com/pages/design-your-own-closet if you want to leave the work for a designer to create a custom closet for you https://design.modularclosets.com/free-design Friendly warning: always CALL THEM to touch base to make sure they understand your needs and requirements. Just because they're proffesionals DONT ASSUME they can read your mind. You can just ggogle modular closet phone number or something, it shld come up.