In recent years, the walk-in closet has been elevated from a mere storage area to a grand luxury retreat complete with flat screens, sitting areas, and wet bars. The latest in high-end master closets go well beyond the typical walk-in and are created to look more like high-end boutiques.

“We don’t call them closets anymore, the preferred term is now dressing room.”

“Designers and architects say for some clients, the cost of the closet can rival or surpass that of the kitchen, some topping $100,000 , for large custom-designed walk-ins with luxurious cabinetry, sound systems and office nooks. Increasingly, developers and home builders aren’t only installing windows in closets, they are also configuring home layouts to make sure the closets capture some of the best views and natural light.” – Candace Jackson, WSJ.

The new closet is quickly becoming the new social space. Alison Schwartz of online real estate tracker Move.com, says she tells clients to think of closets as multifunctional living spaces. “[Friends] want to hang out there, they want to see what you have,” she says. Going through clothes to purge older items can be done “with your girlfriends over wine.”

“A Room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy.”

Closets are increasingly become the trend in high-tech man caves. Walk-in closets now have amenities such as breakfast bars, leather couches and flat screens, and lighting from below sneaker displays and sunglass drawers.

“So much of what makes a walk-in closet stand out are the cabinets. They are going to determine the dimensions, as well the overall feel and aesthetic,” remarked Dov Grushka of DnG Millwork & Cabinetry.

Condo developers are also taking note of the growing appetite. Echo, a condominium in the Miami-area that recently hit the market, will have some 2,800-square-foot units with 300-square-foot master closets, more than 10% of the total floor plan. The closets, part of 700-square-foot master suites, will include “midnight bars” with coffee machines, wet bars and a small refrigerator; buyers can pick from several chandeliers. Units range in price from $900,000 to $3.1 million.

The two biggest factors for choosing custom are attention to detail in the design phase and having the ability to seamlessly match millwork, trim or furniture pieces with the custom cabinetry. True custom cabinets offer customers the ability to have complete flexibility in their project designs. Special sizing constraints, uncommon wood types or finishes, and complicated design elements are not an issue when choosing a custom cabinet and millwork shop.