Reclaim a space under the eaves to use as a closet in the converted attic bedroom; build a closet in the guest room, or refinish and replace the guts of an existing closet. For maximum use of the space and to ensure your pants don't drag on the ground, measure correctly for the hanging rod, or rods, so you and your clothes emerge from the experience, serene, unwrinkled and none the worse for wear.
Minimum Standard
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Get the most from the space with a main rod that can accommodate double hanging. Place the rod 84 inches up from the floor. Now you can add a hook-on bar and split the hanging space between jackets above and shirts below -- or any combination that makes sense for closet organization. Eighty-four inches is standard closet hanging bar height.
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Special Measures
As you imagine the perfect boutique-style system for your closet -- the one that puts everything in view and in reach so you can see at a glance what's clean and ready to wear -- calculate special hanging bars based on the typical length of specific items.
- Floor-length gowns and robes require a bar 72 to 78 inches in height from the floor
- Street-length coats and dresses need 63 to 68 inches
- Shirts, jackets, skirts and pants (folded) need 48 inches
- Kids' clothes are safe with 45 to 54 inches
Err on the side of more height for a general-use closet. Adjust the inches downward if you are very short, or for very young children. But consider the resale value of the home -- and the fact that children grow like weeds -- when you want to do the job once and not revisit it endlessly.
Tip
Standard width for a reach-in closet: 72 to 96 inches. Minimum depth: 24 inches -- so hanging clothes clear the back wall. Minimum height to hold double hanging rods: 84 inches. Mount the top rod at 81 3/4 inches, the lower at 40 1/2 inches.