The Closet

There was no such thing called closet in the eighteenth century. Clothes hangers had not been invented and that is why the
the closet was absent in the eighteenth-century houses. Without hangers and closets, clothes were hung on pegs, or were folded and kept on shelves or in chests.
The built-in closet was an American invention of early nineteenth century. Witold Rybczynski, an architect and a critic, declared that "The shape and location of the closets is fully revolved and has not been improved on since: a coat closet next to the front door, a broom closet near the kitchen, a linen closet in the upstairs hall, a medicine cabinet in the bathroom." Therefore, a closet has replaced wardrobes, cupboards, and chests, not only in bedrooms, but also in the kitchen.