Closet

Subtopic: Other uses of the word
– In Elizabethan and Middle English, “closet” referred to a small private room
– The use of “closet” for toilet dates back to 1662
– In Indian English, “closet” continues to be used for toilet
– Related forms include earth closet and water closet
– Privy meaning an outhouse derives from private, connecting with the Middle English use of “closet”

Subtopic: Types
– Linen closet
– Broom closet
– Coat closet
– Custom closet
– Linen-press or linen closet

Subtopic: Closet tax question in colonial America
– Some claim colonial American houses lacked closets due to a closet tax
– Others argue that closets were absent because residents had few possessions

Subtopic: Closet organizers
– Wire shelving: Moderately difficult to install, cannot hold much weight
– Wood shelving: Difficult to install, sturdier and more expensive
– Tube shelving: Easy to install, involves few pieces and no cutting or measuring

Subtopic: See also
– Cubby-hole, one name for the cupboard under the stairs

Closet (Wikipedia)

For other uses, see Closet (disambiguation).

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A closet (especially in North American English usage) is an enclosed space, with a door, used for storage, particularly that of clothes. Fitted closets are built into the walls of the house so that they take up no apparent space in the room. Closets are often built under stairs, thereby using awkward space that would otherwise go unused.

A piece of furniture such as a cabinet or chest of drawers serves the same purpose of storage, but is not a closet, which is an architectural feature rather than a piece of furniture. A closet always has space for hanging, where a cupboard may consist only of shelves for folded garments. Wardrobe can refer to a free-standing piece of furniture (also known as an armoire), but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, a wardrobe can also be a "large cupboard or cabinet for storing clothes or other linen", including "built-in wardrobe, fitted wardrobe, walk-in wardrobe, etc."