Extreme Closets

Luxury home aficionados and voyeurs know that walk-in closets are a given in any modern or updated high-end property. Many mansions and penthouses have closets larger than the footprint of entire apartments rented by the non-rich-and-famous (ahem).

That said, two of the most coveted closets are improbably located in apartments in New York City, where even decent-sized closets are rare. One of these closets belongs to Mariah Carey, who showed it off on the reality TV show “MTV Cribs.” It is really more ostentatious wardrobe room than closet, with monogrammed marble and gold-leaf floors, and row upon row of clothes racks.

The other famous New York closet is fictional but has been re-created. Carrie Bradshaw’s oft-admired closet on “Sex and the City” did not represent the norm — as with many other aspects of the show — but a Long Island businessman did make it a reality. He hired the movie’s set-design team to replicate the character’s upgraded closet from the movie for his wife, to the tune of $175,000. That total doesn’t even include a planned replica of Bradshaw’s beau Mr. Big’s closet. The lady’s closet was made from a 400-square-foot guest bedroom and can accommodate more than 400 pairs of shoes, plus drawers for sunglasses. The vanity is custom designed to house the owner’s preferred styling appliances.

The following collection of extreme closets, from Luxury Portfolio International, doesn’t include any New York City examples, but it does have a marvelous urban example from Chicago and several remarkable closets from other continents. It also has the closet of an interior designer/TV personality, and two celebrity closets from Realtor.com. (Prices given are for the houses, most which are currently for sale.)

By Colleen KanePosted 2 February 2012

Home Price: $2.15 million
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 4   
Square Footage: 3,980

Provider credit: Built in 1928, this inviting Gold Coast condo in the Beaux Arts Astor-Banks building in Chicago is the home ofinterior designer and daytime television host Nate Berkus — and it shows in the impeccable décor. Berkus preserved the metal St. Charles kitchen cabinets and Samuel Marx paneling of this space, but upgraded to new hardwood floors, a rehabbed bath, new appliances, and more. The walk-in closet, with its Prussian blue shelving and drawers, is not the largest in this collection — it’s probably the smallest — but it is one of the most tasteful.

Home Price: Nearly $3.3 million 
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3   
Square Footage: N/A

This Aussie contemporary built in 2010 is hidden away behind high walls, ensuring privacy for residents using the home's pool and spa, outdoor kitchen, outdoor living room, or any of the indoor rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. This closet is one of the house's more enclosed rooms, but it has a skylight and the space flows seamlessly into the master bath, which also has a skylight and opens into the bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s no escaping the natural light here, even in the closet.

Home Price: $13.5 million
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 9   
Square Footage: 10,000

This pink Mediterranean-style mansion once the home of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, and their three kids. In 2007, Christina Aguilera bought the house for $11.5 million and moved in with her then-husband music executive Jordan Bratman. They completely overhauled the décor, and Aguilera was featured in InStyle magazine posing in one of her two closets (the one shown here) on a pink ladder against a pink wall of shoe and boot shelves. This closet opens into a dressing-room-style vanity table. Following the couple’s split, she put the home on the market last year, and it remains on the market today.

Home Price: $9.95 million
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6   
Square Footage: 10,000

This contemporary Brentwood architectural concrete and glass mansion has gallery-like high ceilings, dual offices, and a two-story library. The huge walk-in closet has a dramatic, modern frosted-glass entryway.

Home Price: $6.795 million
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6 full, 2 partial       
Square Footage: 8,870

This airy mid-century modern marvel from 1963 is located on Lake Michigan and has a private beach. It features a circular and curved motif throughout the home, in room shapes, a sofa, pool, patio, and lawn elements, continuing on down to the curved bar and massive circular island in the upgraded kitchen. That’s why this closet is an anomaly amidst the otherwise playful and round interiors, lined as it is with rectangular built-ins that evoke wooden sports lockers. Perhaps this closet was formerly the house’s fallout shelter?

Home Price: Nearly $6 million 
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 7   
Square Footage: 5,572

As host of the talk show “Chelsea Lately” and a sitcom based on her high jinx also bearing her name, and as the author of four best-sellers, three of which also contain “Chelsea” in the title, Chelsea Handler has crafted her own branded empire. This chic modern Bel Air home, which she bought in November 2010 for $5.942 million, is befitting of a multimedia empress. While the house is luxuriously appointed — this closet is more a dressing room with windows than a walk-in — there isn’t a lot of flash or frill on display in this property.

Home Price: $6.5 million
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6 full, 1 partial       
Square Footage: 8,696

This house, built in 2007, almost looks like a converted warehouse from outside. Highlights include an underground garage, marble floors and fireplaces, and a geothermal HVAC system. The master bedroom has his and hers baths, along with this enormous closet with high ceilings. The closet has shelving for shoes and cowboy boots, as well as overhead storage for hats and out-of-season clothing.

Home Price: Nearly $3.5 million
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5   
Square Footage: N/A

This contemporary South African house boasts an entertaining patio, two cottages, and a children’s mini football field/ playground. There’s nothing mini about this closet, however. It features a large vanity mirror above a built-in dresser, as well as shelving for pictures or hats and further storage concealed behind frosted glass.

Home Price: $22.5 million
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 8   
Square Footage: 10,000

This East Gate Bel Air Mediterranean mansion is known as Mi Patria. It was built in 1929, but has been renovated to include all the expected features of today, including a gourmet kitchen and a gym. The spacious walk-in closet shown here is just one of two serving the master suite. It is paneled in masculine dark wood (both are made from unspecified rare woods, according to the listing), with a center marble-topped island serving as a built-in dresser.

Home Price: $2.2 million
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 10
Square Footage: N/A

This modern South African mansion is an amalgamation of many novel details, including a brick-paved driveway, a Deco-esque glass-paneled front door, a cascading entryway chandelier, an unusual figure-8 shaped kitchen island, and a pool with covered entertainment area and gas braai (Afrikaans for a barbecue/grill ). The master closet features a series of built-in dark wood wardrobes, and a center island with accessory and hosiery drawers and additional storage.