What Are The Best Materials for Building Custom Closets?

Doug Haines • November 24, 2021

What Are The Best Material for a Custom Closet?

If you're installing new custom closets, you've got a lot of things to consider. You need to think about how you'd like to have everything organized, the best style to match your home, and what accessories you might need. First and foremost, however, you'll have to settle on the right material.

The best materials for constructing custom closets are Melamine & wood. Many choose to go with wire closets purely for their affordability, but they are certainly not the most long-lasting option out there.

Each of these materials has its benefits and drawbacks, so here are a few things to consider before pressing ahead.

Benefits of New Closets

Every homeowner uses their closets for storing different things. Perhaps you have a son or daughter entering their teenage years, and you need to replace a toy closet with one befitting a young adult? Maybe you'd like to upgrade a walk-in master closet that's more luxurious and organized? Whatever the motivation, updating old closets or installing new ones affords you the opportunity to increase your storage capacity while enhancing your home's aesthetic appeal.

Not only will you have an easier time finding the things you need when you need them, but your home will be more attractive for family and guests alike. Because of the impact new closets can have on your home, you'll need to choose the materials wisely in order to get the benefits you’re looking for.

Wire Closets

The least luxurious choice is - not coincidentally - the most inexpensive. Wire is affordable, practical in some cases, and easy to install on your own if you're looking for a DIY project. However, they are far from a wise investment. The wire components easily snag & are not made to hold heavier pieces.

Fiberboard

When home builders mention fiberboard materials, they usually mean MDF. MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is a composite of several sheets of reprocessed paper. MDF shelves work best when not required to span lengths greater than 3 feet.

Wood

Still perhaps one of the most popular options for custom closets, wood is strong, attractive, and available in a multitude of styles and finishes. Spruce is perfectly strong for most closets. Oak is also a fashionable choice, but whichever commercially available species of hardwood you prefer, wood that’s 2 inches thick is likely strong enough to support any number of clothes and shoes.

Melamine

More and more these days, homeowners want their custom closets to be made from melamine. One of the primary reasons for this material’s popularity is its durability. To create melamine, manufacturers bond resin-saturated paper sheets onto a particleboard base. The end result is a beautiful material that is strong, sag-proof, with a surface that is resistant to nicks and scratches.

Melamine is designed to serve as a cabinetry material, so there are numerous styles for consumers to choose from, according to Home Steady, so whatever style you’re looking for, you can almost certainly find it available in melamine.

With so many benefits, it’s hard to believe that melamine is also among the most cost-effective options. While there are several different factors that will impact the cost of a closet, such as its size and shape, when compared to other materials, melamine is significantly less expensive and more versatile. Also, due to its resistance to warping and cosmetic damage, it will last just as long as (or longer than) the above alternatives.

Conclusion

There’s no single custom closet material that is perfect for everyone. Depending on what you’re looking for in a closet, you might prefer wood or melamine. Whatever your needs, however, melamine is worth considering due to its versatility and cost-effectiveness.