The Las Vegas closet is getting bigger

Fall is fast approaching, and some people aren't asking, "What's in your closet?" They are more interested in how big and convenient it is.

Las Vegas luxury Realtors say luxury homeowners are wanting TVs, benches, lounging areas, laundry facilities and even writing desks in the personal space they organize their lives.

Las Vegas interior designer Cary Vogel said many people like to display their prized positions so they can see them every day in their private retreats as they prepare for the day. He said he just finished designing one house where the owner wanted a writing desk in the closet, which had a little window.

"It's more than a closet. It's a quiet escape. A little retreat," he said. "It's a cocoon, intimate — a smaller space. It's comforting to most people."

Everyone is different. While some people want to see family photos or personal items, some want to give a nod to those Louis Vuitton, Judith Leiber and Hermes handbags, or those Jimmy Choos while getting ready to meet the day. Some people want both.

Jennifer Sher, a local interior decorator, has designed homes with women's closets that have a receiving area or "boudoirs."

"It's a place to have a cup of coffee, listen to music and hang out in the closet," she said.

Many women use this private sitting area to elaborately display their favorite jewelry and expensive handbags.

"They are almost like pieces of art," she said.

Some luxury closets can be the size of a studio apartment. In fact, Las Vegas luxury Realtor Zar Zanganeh said he has seen a trend of the master bedroom shrinking and the closet becoming bigger.

He said the biggest closet he has ever seen was a Spanish Trail home that had a 2,500-square-foot master suite with an 800-square-foot closet. He also sold a Lake Las Vegas house that had a two-story closet.

He said there are a lot more TVs in the luxury home closet these days.

"There is usually a bench so you can watch sports or the news and relax. The ladies may have a chaise lounge so they can have a glass of wine and figure out what they are going to wear," he said.

Some trends are timeless. In some vintage homes in Rancho Circle, the closets are known to have secret compartments for safes. One home in that neighborhood that was built to resemble a castle has a closet with dark woods and a chandelier. On a tour of the home last year, Zanganeh showed Real Estate Millions where the secret safe was. Most of the compartments have been removed over the years as the homes have been remodeled.

When world travelers and casino architects Jon Sparer and John Klai built their mansion in The Ridges in Summerlin, they pondered the tiniest details of their home, including their giant closet that is bigger than most people's first apartments.

"It's bigger than my first apartment," said Jon Sparer, who is retired. "But some people look at the home (which is for sale for $12.5 million) and say it's not big enough."

Sparer, who said he shared a closet with his father growing up, talks about how he and Klai crafted this area they share to accommodate their busy lives.

It has two large islands that can be connected to provide 13 feet of surface for packing suitcases. There is plenty of storage in them and overhead space to hang dry cleaning.

The men had lighting installed in the rods from which their clothes hang in glass-enclosed cabinets.

"The light is right on top of the clothing," he said. "You can really see the nuances of colors, blues and blacks."

Like many luxury closets, this one has laundry facilities and a special jet sink for cleaning small items. There is a special cabinet for a steamer and ironing board.

Everything is extremely organized. The sock drawers and cabinets for belts and ties are all in order. There is a bench near the shoe shelves.

"It's all part of living," he said. "Guys today, they allow themselves more luxury."