Some homes have giant walk-in closets—others don’t. Especially if you live in an older house, closet space may be in short supply. But just because you have smaller closets to work with doesn’t mean you can’t have appealing, well-organized ones. To maximize every inch of your closet, consider these expert organization ideas that will help make the most of the space you have.
- Neitra Rose of Organizing Lifestyles
- Lauren Hill, divisional merchandise director at The Container Store
- Jimmy Seifert, closet buyer at The Container Store
Do a Closet Purge
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If you want to learn how to organize a small closet with a lot of clothes, first, it’s critical to decide what you plan to keep in the closet. Do you need space for out-of-season clothes, bedding, or shoes and accessories? “Knowing how you want to use a space is key when trying to determine how to organize the space,” says Neitra Rose of Organizing Lifestyles.
Group Your Belongings
Once you know what’s going inside the closet, be sure to separate your items by category; this will help you keep like items together. “To get really organized, you need to group your belongings, so everything has a designated space,” says Lauren Hill, divisional merchandise director at The Container Store.
“Jeans in one place, jackets in another. Everything should have a home based on which items you use the most in your day-to-day life.”
Move Your Shoes to a Separate Space
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If you’ve been keeping your shoes in a small closet with the rest of your clothing, it might be time to move them to their own area in a mudroom or coat closet to free up some space. Shoes take up a lot of room, so when you move them to a new home, you’ll have more space for other, more critical items. There are plenty of great shoe organizer options to give your shoes the organization they need.
Use Matching Bins
Bins are an easy way to keep things contained and in order, and they come in a variety of styles. “When determining clear or solid, is it something you want to be able to see and identify quickly, or is it a keepsake and you don’t want to?” says Jimmy Seifert, closet buyer at The Container Store. Solid fabric or woven bins in a neutral color scheme create a minimalist aesthetic that hides the visual chaos of your items. “Matching bins or hangers always transform a space,” says Seifert. “Try to avoid trendy, busy patterns so you don’t feel like you have to replace your storage solutions often.”
Make Use of Your Walls
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When you run out of shelf space, look to your walls. You can easily add hooks, install shelving, or whatever fits the space best. This way, you can easily hang things up that you use daily without having to dig through your closet.
Add Lighting
To see everything clearly, good lighting is key. Add small LED lights to the center of your closet ceiling that are just bright enough to illuminate all of your items. You can even find battery-powered options that have motion-sensing capabilities so that you don’t have to run electrical into your closet.
Utilize Floor Storage Options
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Your closet floor may currently be a dumping ground for everything from duffel bags to old sneakers, but it offers essential space that you can use for installing custom drawers, shoe racks, or other much-needed storage. “Clear up floor space by installing elevated drawers, wall hooks, and floating shelves,” says Hill.
Maximize Your Shelf Space
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Many closets are built with just one or two upper shelves, which can be a prime spot for storing shoeboxes, sweaters, folded jeans, or bags—if you can make the most of the space, that is. Rose recommends adding stackable risers and shelf dividers to separate your categories and create more vertical storage.
Thoughtfully sized bins can also help you access every last inch. “Narrow shelves seem frustrating, but we design our bins and boxes specifically for those shelves,” says Seifert. “I would avoid round bins and go with something more square, so you utilize more of your space, creating modularity.”
Add Over-the-Door Storage
Look for hanging organizers for scarves, belts, ties, or jewelry that optimize the back of your closet door. “Add over-the-door storage—it’s underutilized in every home,” says Hill. “It’s the free space of the closet.”
Store Small Items in Bins and Baskets
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Everything from baseball hats and lightweight scarves to bathing suits and evening bags can find a home in a bin or basket. The material, lid options, and style you select ultimately comes down to personal preference. “When deciding bins or baskets you could have a mixture,” says Rose. “There may be things you need access to easily”—so you’d want a basket with an open-top—”or something that can be stored away for occasional use”—better suited to a lidded bin.
