Closets For Less provides custom closet design in Chester County, PA, for homes ranging from 1800s brick and stone in the boroughs to subdivisions built in the last forty years. Every closet is measured in your home, designed for what you store and installed by our own team. The design consultation is free, and we have been designing and installing closets since 2007.
Chester County homes and their closets
Chester County holds three very different kinds of housing, and each one needs a different kind of closet.
- Historic boroughs. West Chester, Phoenixville, Kennett Square and Downingtown have brick rowhomes, twins and Victorian houses from the 1800s and early 1900s, with small closets and some rooms with none.
- Farmhouses and older country homes. Stone farmhouses, many expanded over the years, have thick walls, closets tucked under stairs and rooms under the roof.
- Newer subdivisions. Exton, Chester Springs, Downingtown, Malvern and the townships around West Chester filled in with colonials and townhouses from the 1980s on. Their closets are bigger but come with builder wire shelving.
The eastern edge of the county is also part of the Main Line, with Paoli, Berwyn and Devon sharing the stone homes and large lots of the towns farther east.
Closet types by Chester County home
| Home type | Common storage problem | What tends to fit |
|---|---|---|
| Borough rowhome or twin | Small closets, few of them | Reach-in with double hang, shelves and drawers |
| Victorian | Rooms with no closet | Wardrobe closet built to the wall |
| Stone farmhouse | Closets under stairs and rooflines | Shelving and hanging planned around the space |
| 1980s to 2000s colonial | Wire shelving in every closet | Full reach-in and walk-in systems |
| Newer home with a large primary suite | Big walk-in with empty walls | Walk-in with drawers, shoe storage and an island |
| Any home with an attached garage | Garage used for overflow | Cabinets, slatwall and a workbench |
Closets for West Chester, Phoenixville and Kennett Square borough homes
The boroughs have walkable downtowns lined with brick rowhomes and twins, many from the 1800s. Bedrooms are narrow, closets are shallow, and some rooms were never given one. Here the job is fitting the most storage into the least space: double hanging, shelves that reach the ceiling, a drawer stack, and a wardrobe closet where a room has no closet at all. Basements and attic rooms in these homes can take shelving and cabinets for the overflow.
Walk-in closets for newer Chester County homes
In the county’s newer neighborhoods, the primary walk-in is where a design gains the most. These closets have the square footage, but a single rod and a wire shelf on each wall leave most of it unused. A designed walk-in closet plans each wall: long hang, double hang, shelving for folded clothes, a drawer bank, and shelves for shoes. Larger rooms can take a center island with drawers on both sides and a counter on top.
Reach-ins and wardrobes for older homes
In borough rowhomes and older houses, the closets are small and every inch matters. Double hanging, adjustable shelves that run toward the ceiling and a short drawer stack let a small reach-in hold far more. Where a bedroom has no closet, a wardrobe closet designed to the wall adds hanging space, shelves and drawers without framing a new closet.
Townhouse closets
Chester County’s newer communities include many townhouses, where the closets are a fair size but the rest of the storage is limited. Replacing wire shelving with a designed system matters even more when there is no basement or the garage holds a car. A townhouse walk-in can take a drawer bank so the dresser leaves the bedroom, and a hall closet can hold coats, vacuum, and cleaning supplies in assigned spots.
Closets in farmhouse additions and renovations
Older farmhouses in the county have often been added onto more than once, so one house can have a 1700s stone section and a modern wing. The newer part usually has the primary suite and its walk-in, while the older part has small closets or none. When a renovation is underway, bring the plans to the consultation so the closet is designed before the walls close in, around the doors, windows and outlets you have planned.
Mudrooms, pantries and garages
Chester County families come and go through the garage or a side door, and that entry collects coats, boots, bags and sports gear. A mudroom with lockers, a bench, cubbies and drawers gives each person a place for their things.
In the kitchen, a pantry with adjustable shelving and pull-out storage uses the full height of the space. In the garage, cabinets, slatwall and a workbench clear the floor. See our garage storage systems for options.
Home offices and built-ins
Many Chester County homes now have a room set aside for work. A built-in desk with shelving, file drawers and cabinets holds more than freestanding furniture and keeps the room tidy enough to take a video call. Entertainment centers, shelving walls and Murphy beds are other ways to get more use from a room without adding to the house.
What goes into every system
- 3/4” furniture-grade boards
- Adjustable shelving that can change as your needs do
- Soft-close drawers
- Many finishes, from white to wood grain, and a range of hardware
- Accessories such as shoe shelves, jewelry drawers, valet rods and hampers
Each system is custom designed for the space and installed by our own team. You review the design before anything is built and can ask for changes.
What custom closet design costs in Chester County
The cost of a custom closet comes down to four things:
- The size of the room and the number of walls that get shelving or hanging.
- The number of drawers, since drawers cost more than shelves.
- The finish and hardware.
- Accessories, such as islands, pull-outs and shoe walls.
The consultation and estimate are free, and you get a detailed price with your design. Our custom closet cost guide explains each factor and what it adds.
Chester County towns we work in
In Malvern, where the mailing address covers the small borough and several surrounding townships, many homes date from recent decades, so walk-ins and wire-shelving replacements come up often. In West Chester, the county seat, projects range from small closets in downtown brick homes to walk-ins in the surrounding townships. For Paoli, Berwyn and the rest of the Main Line, see our Main Line custom closets page.
A locally owned closet company since 2007
Closets For Less is locally owned and based in Warminster. We have designed and installed closets in the Philadelphia suburbs since 2007, and customers rate us 4.8 stars on Google. Book a free in-home design consultation and we will measure your space, talk through what you need to store and send you a design you can revise before it is built.
