Storage Tips

Where to Put Your Clothes if Your Closet is Teeny-Tiny

August 31, 2017

It’s funny how space has a way of disappearing. You can start out with an empty closet and before you know it, there’s not even room to hang your coat. My plan of attack to combat closet clutter? Don’t leave any crevice unconsidered. Like most households, yours probably has more spots for storage than you think.

Here are some of my favorite ways to organize your wardrobe, even when your closet has had enough.

Photo by Mark Weinberg

Roll Out a Freestanding Clothing Rack

Don’t be afraid of the latest season—where wardrobes are concerned there's always room for growth. Instead of stuffing your closet beyond capacity, free up some extra space by adding a freestanding clothing rack to your bedroom. You can reserve this rack for bulkier items like coats and jackets, or save the space for your most worn belongings so they can easily be reached right when you roll out of bed.

Add a Hanging Clothing Rack To Your Room

Want more space to hang your stuff? Try looking up for a change. Floor space in the bedroom is usually hard to come by since beds and dressers are often the biggest pieces of furniture in the entire home. Utilize all of that empty ceiling space with a hanging rack in polished copper or oil-rubbed bronze.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“If I could afford one $85 hanger or one $55 hook, I could afford to build larger a closet. ”
— Kris S.
Comment

They’re easy to assemble on your own, and add a touch of minimal modern elegance to any interior.

Assemble a Stackable Shoe Rack in Your Mudroom or Entryway

Possibly one of the most common (mostly harmless) obsessions among the human race is the never-ending need for more shoes. I definitely admit I’m guilty of owning a few more pairs than necessary, but have learned to keep my habit in check with the proper dose of organization. If you share my proclivity, invest in a stackable shoe rack for your entrance or mudroom.

A simple slatted style in natural wood will easily blend into the background and add the extra levels of structure you and your collection need.

Shoe racks and hooks Photo by Mark Weinberg

Try Metal Hooks or Rods For Hanging Belts and Scarves

Accessories may seem small, but don’t let their size fool you. Belts and scarves can add just as much mess as larger items of clothing without a proper place to put them. Installing metal hooks on the door or walls of your closet will provide the perfect spot to hang your finishing touches so they won’t end up in a jumbled pile on your floor.

Store Off-Season Clothing in Bins Under Your Bed

Instead of being afraid of the monsters and dust bunnies that lurk below your bed, try giving them the boot by using that extra space for storage. I know it can be hard to take your favorite leather bomber from it’s special place in the closet, but if you know you won’t wear it until fall, give more breathing room to your summer items. Fold away your autumn gear in practical roll-out bins until chillier weather when you need them again.

*Tell us: What are your best storage solutions for shoes and clothes?

This post was originally published in May 2016.

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See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Helenatwork
    Helenatwork
  • Ann Roehrs
    Ann Roehrs
  • al wright
    al wright
  • Kris Sicura
    Kris Sicura
Jessica is a Los Angeles based designer and art director whose work aims to balance subtlety, grace, and quiet sophistication. She founded her design studio in 2012, which specializes in refined visuals for emerging lifestyle brands. Building off of her formal interior design training, Jessica imparts her eye for detail and appreciation for simplicity into all facets of her work, including The Elysian Edit, which she launched in 2016 as a way of showcasing the people, places and practices she finds inspiring.

4 Comments

Helenatwork January 3, 2022
I moved my living room couch out from the wall, about 5 inches. No one notices. It is a long couch and conceals several boxes and bags of off-season shoes, plus, one large box of Williams Sonoma’s 5 piece bakeware (a gift I received).
 
Ann R. May 17, 2017
I can only store one season of clothing in my closet. I had a nice big empty suitcase being stored in there but it's not empty anymore. Aside from coats all my winter hanging clothes are in there. I also placed a wire shelf with four racks sideways in the coat closet for shoes and the upper coat closet shelf is used for scarves and bags.
 
al W. June 15, 2016
WHAT does this have to do with FOOD?
 
Kris S. May 15, 2016
If I could afford one $85 hanger or one $55 hook, I could afford to build larger a closet.