Tips in Maximizing Space in a Small Walk-In Closet

Declutter the Closet

The first step toward maximizing the storage space available in a small closet is to get it decluttered. According to Shop Your Wardrobe, most of us wear between 20 and 30 percent of our clothing. While you might not be ready to ditch 70 to 80 percent of what you own, you undoubtedly have at least some items you could part with.

So how to figure out what you’re not wearing? First, just go through the piles and stacks. If you see something you know you haven’t worn in months or even years, pull it out and put it in a box for the thrift shop. You can also try the trick of hanging your hangers backwards (so the hooks go up and behind the rods rather than in front of them). When you wear something, turn the hanger around. After a few months, you can look and see which items you haven’t worn that season. 

Whatever your method, see if you can cut down even by 10 or 20 percent; this will free up room in your custom closet system and will make the whole thing feel less cramped and crowded.

Install More Hanging Rods

One of my simplest tricks to double the space in a closet of any size is to install a second hanging rod. In a walk-in closet, you might already have two or three rods going across the back and each side, but if it’s small, you might only have one. No worries! My suggestion is to raise the current rod (which is easy if it’s adjustable, like the rods my team installs) and then add a second rod three feet below the first.

You might not be able to do this for your entire closet since if you wear dresses or have suits that hang low, you’ll need the full space. If you can manage it for half the closet, though, you’ll double the space available for your smaller separates, like blouses, skirts, shirts, and pants folded at the knee over a hanger or pants rack.

Organize Clothing Sensibly

When a member of my team sits down with you to go over how to best organize your closet, we’ll talk about how you use your space. Organizing the area sensibly will mean different things to different people, so you’ll need to think about what it means for you.

If you’re sharing your closet with a partner, it usually makes the most sense to have two separate sections – one for them and one for you. Within each section, you can each separate your clothing in a way that feels natural. If one of you wears mostly office clothes, such as button-down shirts, dress pants, or perhaps blouses and skirts, those will be hung. If the other wears mostly t-shirts and jeans because you work from home, those might be better stored in drawers.

Similarly, the colors you wear might be a factor. If you wear mostly neutrals, your clothing storage strategy might be different than someone who wears all colors of the rainbow. Consider separating items by color to help you find what you need; if you have four black skirts, for example, having them all together in the closet will allow you to more quickly find the precise one you want.

Add Drawers to the Closet

My last tip is to consider allocating part of your walk-in closet system to housing drawers. Now, hear me out. I know the closet space is small and that space is a premium, but keeping space open for drawers can allow you to eliminate at least one dresser or bureau in the main part of your bedroom. This reduces clutter in the main bedroom area, and it also forces you to reduce what you’re storing.

Having less clutter overall can lead to better sleep, according to the Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee. If your ultimate goal in cleaning out your closet is to enjoy less anxiety over your morning routines and to streamline your life, getting better sleep is really an integral part of it. 

Of course, adding drawers to the closet also allows you to more effectively store items, like sweaters, t-shirts, and jeans, which don’t need to be hung (and, in the case of sweaters, really shouldn’t be hung). So talk to your closet designer about how they can fit drawers in your closet, even if it’s small.

Conclusion

Taking control of your small walk-in closet can seem like a challenge, but my team is up for it. We often use the tips I’ve shared, and we have lots of other space-saving tricks up our sleeves, too. Give us a call to schedule a free consultation, and you’ll be thrilled by your closet’s transformation.

Sources

• https://shopyourwardrobe.com/shopping-clothes-emotions/how-much-do-you-wear-and-waste/ 
• https://sleepcenterinfo.com/blog/bedroom-spring-cleaning/