CUSTOM CLOSETS
Custom Closets
Custom closets are built-in storage systems designed, measured and installed to fit your exact space — not adjustable kits in fixed sizes. DreamSpaces has designed, built and installed custom closets for homes across Barrie, the GTA and southern Ontario for more than 10 years, with every install done by our own team.
What Is a Custom Closet?
A custom closet is built-in storage designed around your space and the things you actually own. Every panel is measured to your walls, every rod and drawer is placed for the way you dress, and the finished closet is installed as a permanent feature of the room — not a kit that is close enough.
That is what we have been building for more than 10 years. DreamSpaces is a Canadian family-owned company in Barrie, Ontario — owned by Todd and Trish Clifford — and we design, build and install every project with our own team. Closets are one branch of the custom storage and organization solutions we build for the whole house, and every closet pictured on this page is a real project, photographed in a client’s Ontario home.
Should You Choose a Walk-In or a Reach-In Closet?
Floor space decides it. A reach-in closet works inside the standard bedroom closet footprint — roughly 24 inches deep — while a walk-in needs enough room to step inside, typically at least 4 feet of clear width. Both can be fully custom; the difference is how much of the room you give over to storage.
Reach-ins reward precision: with one wall to work with, a designed mix of double-hang, long-hang, shelving and drawers can hold far more than the old rod-and-shelf ever did. Walk-ins reward planning: once you can step inside, shoe walls, drawer banks, benches and islands all come into play. The typical dimensions below are industry standards — your closet gets measured, not assumed.
| Closet type | Typical footprint | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Reach-in | About 24″ deep, 4–8′ wide | Bedrooms, hallways and entries |
| Small walk-in | About 4′ × 4′ minimum | Storage along one or two walls |
| Full walk-in | 6–7′ wide or more | Double-sided storage, islands, seating |
What Is Included in a Closet System?
A closet system is the full built-in package: hanging space, drawers, shelving and accessories combined into one fitted unit. In a custom closet system, that mix is designed around your actual wardrobe instead of sold as a preset kit.
- Double-hang and long-hang rods for shirts, pants, dresses and coats
- Drawer towers with soft-close hardware for folded clothing and accessories
- Adjustable shelving that adapts as your wardrobe changes
- Shoe shelving — angled or flat, sized to what you own
- Hampers, valet rods, mirrors and pull-out accessory trays
The part photos cannot show is hardware quality — and it is where cheap systems fail first. As an industry benchmark, Austrian hardware manufacturer Blum publishes that tests on its hinges comprise 200,000 opening and closing cycles. Our own measure is simpler: every DreamSpaces closet is backed by a lifetime structural warranty.
What Drives the Cost of a Custom Closet?
Five factors set the price of almost every closet project: size, the ratio of drawers to open storage, materials, accessories, and the condition of the space we are working in. We would rather show you a measured design with a real number attached than a bracket that misleads in either direction.
- Size — the linear footage of built-in storage is the baseline
- Drawers versus open storage — drawer boxes and their hardware are the biggest single cost lever
- Materials and finishes — from durable melamine through textured woodgrains and painted finishes
- Accessories — lighting, specialty racks, benches, islands and hardware upgrades
- Site conditions — sloped ceilings, bulkheads, tight corners and removal of existing built-ins
That is exactly what the free design consultation is for: you will see a design for your actual closet, with your materials and your accessories, before you commit to anything.
Who Builds Custom Closets Near Me?
If you are in Barrie, the GTA or southern and central Ontario, we do. DreamSpaces designs, builds and installs from Barrie with our own installers — no subcontractors — so the people who build your closet are the same people who stand behind it.
Start at the showroom at 73 Saunders Rd in Barrie, book a free design consultation anywhere in our service area, or call 705-315-9169 and talk to our Barrie closet team directly. Wherever you are in the region, the process is the same: measure, design, build, install.
Why Does Canadian-Made Matter for a Custom Closet?
Because the alternative usually is not local. DreamSpaces is Canadian-owned and Canadian-made, unlike the major US franchise brands — a family company building in Barrie, Ontario, not a territory on a franchise map.
You feel the difference in practical ways: the people making decisions are the people building your closet, and the same fitted construction runs through everything we make, from bedroom closets to our custom pantry cabinets. The design, the build and the installation all come from one Ontario team.
FAQ
Closet Questions, Answered
Can you work with the closet I already have?
Yes — most custom closets are built into existing closets. We remove the old wire shelving or builder-grade rod, prepare the walls, and design a built-in system for the exact footprint you already have. You do not need a renovation to get a custom closet.
How long does it take from design to installation?
It depends on the size of the project and the finishes you choose, so we will give you a real schedule at your design consultation. The process is the same for every project: a free design consultation, a design to approve, then the build and installation by our own team.
Do custom closets have to match the rest of my home?
They do not have to, but they can. Finishes can be chosen to blend with your trim, flooring and existing cabinetry, or to make the closet a feature in its own right. Because every closet is built to order, matching an existing look is simply part of the design conversation.
Are custom closets worth it compared to closet kits?
A kit makes sense when a standard size happens to fit your space and your wardrobe. A custom closet makes sense when it does not — awkward corners, sloped ceilings, a serious shoe collection, or a reach-in that has to work harder than a kit allows. Built-in construction also finishes the room in a way freestanding units cannot.
READY TO START?
Book Your Free Design Consultation
Tell us what is not working — the crowded reach-in, the walk-in that is all wasted corners — and we will show you what your space can do. Book your free design consultation, call 705-315-9169, or visit the showroom at 73 Saunders Rd, Barrie. No pressure and no obligation — just a design built around the way you live.
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