Devon-based interior designer Ani Semerjian is putting the finishing touches on part of a client’s home that stands to grow in popularity. The space includes a high-end light fixture, a cowhide ottoman with nail-head trim and a large marble island with Swarovski crystal hardware. Custom Hermès wallpaper is also a distinct possibility.
Sound like an over-the-top kitchen? It’s actually a master-bedroom closet for a client in Radnor. Lately, an increasing number of homeowners are investing in the likes of Semerjian to bring a “wow” factor to an area once considered functional and nothing more. “Closets are becoming a really big investment,” says Semerjian. “Given the amount of detail and attention that’s put into the design and overall look, it is almost like you’re doing a kitchen.”
Of course, the bigger the closet, the bigger the budget—and Karen Ridge has seen the number go north of $50,000. “We can customize any project to the needs of the client,” says Ridge, a senior designer at Closets by Design in Exton.
Ridge once created drawers for a client who didn’t want her Herve Leger Bandage dresses to stretch on hangers. She also added cabinets and doors with glass fronts to display her shoes and purses. The boutique-ish feel brings new meaning to the term “shopping your closet.”
But no matter how glamorous the aesthetic, the closet must be functional, first and foremost. “It has to be well-organized and user-friendly,” Ridge says.
That’s a trend that will never go out of style.
