Closets can have a significant impact on the rest of their space. You can use a wide range of materials, styles, finishes, and hardware to compose the perfect work of art to suit your own personal tastes and needs. The style and design choices can also change how closet systems function.

One of the most versatile types of doors for closet systems are slab doors that are made of one continuous piece. You can have a decorative inlay, add a border on top, router in a pattern, or leave it plain. A cope and stick door is made from a panel framed by four narrow pieces called stiles and rails. The panel remains loose while the outside pieces are joined together, generally by tongue and groove. With this style of door, you can select a panel style as well as a profile for both side of the stiles and rails.

Hardwood is a popular choice for organizational systems. It does expand and contract with the weather, but it shouldn't change the appearance or harm the quality of the door in any way. The wood can be shaped in different styles and the number of species available gives you unlimited choices. Materials like stainless steel and glass are generally used with another material for stability, safety, and design purposes. In the case of stainless steel, it can have a decorative touch with custom brushing or it can have a more industrial feel.

Although the hardware is small in comparison to the doors and the custom closet design, it has a big impact on the finished look of the piece. Knobs, handles, or pulls are the most common. If you would rather not have any handles, you can have groves routed into the backs of the doors or have the outsides of the doors beveled inwards depending on the final design. You can complement your design by choosing hidden hinges, such as a Blum hinge or pivot system. If you like the look of hinges, decorative hinges really add to the look of the piece.

The finish you select depends on not only the material you select, but also the purpose and look you desire for your closet systems. MDF, for example, can be coated with paint, colored lacquer and glaze, or laminate to get the look you want. These materials are easy to clean, which is why they are popular in kitchens and bathrooms. Hardwoods on the other hand, can be oiled, lacquered, stained, or painted. Materials like glass and stainless steel only really need to be kept clean, although you can add 'antiquing' medium or etching for added interest.

Glass is an art form all by itself. It too has an old history and it's uses have involved custom closet design service the religious and sacred. As it relates to custom doors, there are several types of glass that can be used, depending upon the effect you want to achieve through their use. There is clear glass, frosted glass, laminated glass, mirrored glass, linen glass and others. Each type of glass has benefits specific to it.

Locate drawers at the center of your closet design, directly across from the door so they are the first thing you see when entering the closet. Drawers make a good visual focal point and typically need the extra clearance provided by the central location. If you're designing a large closet, include an island in the center of the space that incorporates your drawers.