According to 57% of women, a closet that is organized makes it quicker and easier to find what they need. However, not all closets are designed for organization, which can make this feat much more difficult. While you could invest in clunky plastic organizer bins, custom closet design can often be much easier and more intuitive. That said, if you want to design a custom closet, there are a few common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid.

1. Not Taking Stock of What You Have Beforehand

Before coming up with a custom closet design, you’ll have to actually know what you have so that you can plan accordingly. For example, if you don’t know how many shoes you have, you could end up leaving out valuable shoe storage space that you need. It’s important to take stock of all your clothes and accessories first so that you know exactly the types of storage you need to start an organized custom closet design.

2. Not Maximizing Space

Even the smallest closets can have their space maximized if you are willing to be creative. For example, if you need a lot of hanging space, double or triple hanging can help maximize your ability to hang clothes without seeming cluttered. Full height slide-outs can also be used to save space and store accessories, items that are often overlooked. Your center space can be reserved for deeper shelves that are capable of holding the majority of your folded clothes without worrying about them overflowing or being overstuffed. Maximizing your space is key when coming up with a custom closet design, and it’s not something that you want to overlook.

3. Not Adding The Right Lighting

No matter how organized your closet is, if it’s too dark, finding things is going to be difficult. Lighting is something that many people tend to overlook when thinking of a custom closet design, but it can be one of the most important things to consider. While overhead lighting is important to get right, you may also consider adding undershelf lighting to help illuminate items further down. Low voltage LED lights are perfect for this, and they won’t even require an electrician to install.

If you are unsatisfied with your current closet, consider designing a custom one to help provide you with everything that you need. However, be sure to keep these three mistakes in mind so that you don’t end up making them yourself!