help! i have no closet space!
We’re about to move into a cute Cape Cod just outside of Washington, DC. A lot of its vintage charm has been preserved — which we love — but this also includes ridiculously small closets. (See our “coat closet” above.) We’re coming from a space that had great closets despite being built in the 1930s, so this is going to be a big change for us. What have you done to deal with tiny (or nonexistent) closets in your space? Wardrobes from Ikea? Shelves from the Container Store? Do tell! –Michelle V.K.
We have no closet space either, so we have two moveable clothing racks in our office. Works fine if you have space for them!
Our closets aren’t deep enough for hangers (sigh), so we installed wire shelving and use them as dressers, and then we got Ikea wardrobes to run along one wall of our already small bedroom. The key was going as wide and high as possible so it’s like a wall instead of a looming obelisk or something. I’ll admit it, I LOVE them. I’ve never had a decent closet so being able to hang things up with no struggle is a luxury. We did two levels of hanging rods plus a drawer for socks, etc. in mine, one hanging rod and three drawers in my husband’s, and then have one narrow one where I can hang full-length things like dresses. (There are also a couple shelves for shoes in that one.)
our small 1-bed house has the same problem. only a tiny coat closet (similar to yours) & a small bedroom closet. so, my husband uses the small bedroom closet & i have this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dityfleur/3321842292/in/set-72157600282502288/
we originally had the pax system from ikea, but it was too overwhelming for our small bedroom. made me feel claustrophobic, so i replaced it with ikea’s stolmen system. it is shallower so it doesn’t take up as much space and you can take advantage of the full height. i also have a small dresser as a nightstand & a larger dresser that my husband & i share. i had to pare down my clothes and risk fading & dust, but i think its worth it for a better living arrangement. good luck!
We love the free-standing elfa shelves from the Container Store; so easy to assemble. I like the idea of attaching drawer pulls to the wall, too, to hang clothes from either on hangers or off.
If you are like us and don’t want to store closet junk outside of your closet you should talk to the Elfa staff at Container Store. We have tiny and goofy shaped closets and they helped us get at least three times as much stuff in our closets. Elfa is so flexible and you can always switch shelves, drawers, rods out if your situation changes. A great investment!
we like to store things up high in the closet so we still have a good “time out” place to lock the kids in when we go to the store.
we found that the hanging shelving works really well.
also, spend the extra $3 and put weather stripping around your closet doors. it really helps block out the sound of crying.
Our closets are totally small, too. But, we just found by purging items we don’t need and investing in organization items, we were able to make them work. We also used small areas behind doors and in the area going to the basement by putting shelves in them for pantry items and baskets.
Good luck.
Nicole at Making It Lovely has inspired me with her beautifully organized closet! She and her husband have modular wardrobes from IKEA, take a look:
http://makingitlovely.com/2008/12/16/my-organized-closet/
It will make you drool, guaranteed!
Thanks Dawn! I needed a giggle this morning. : D
I made a rrrrreally tall box bed that is high enough to slide those plastic bins under. I can fit 6-8 bins under the bed and the clothes/linens/stuff I don’t access as often under there. Bonus: I feel like a princess climbing into bed!
When we moved from a small apartment with great closets to a slightly larger house with microscopic ones, we went the route of shifting almost all our clothes to two side-by-side Ikea Leksvik bookcases. Our tiny closet can hold clothes that must be hung and we’ve actually come to prefer the shelf system since now we can see everything we have and can easily determine what isn’t worn much or at all.
Shoes are on the bottom shelves, hats, bags etc on the top, with everything else in between close to eye level. We were thinking about getting some great fabric and fashioning a curtain to cover the shelves, but that may be a project for another year. So far we’re pleased with the look of it.
1. Is Dawn Kiepunch a real name? 2. has any one called the child protection services yet?
I had to come up with a solution for this as well – it actually turned out great! I used sturdy metal garage shelves, and hung an IKEA curtain all around the perimeter from the top of it, leaving the fabric to open in the middle. We then tucked the shelf behind a door in an unused corner and it’s perfect storage, and not an eyesore!
Purging is definitely the best thing to do, but most of the time space totally depends on what you are working with. I do love the Container Store and of course IKEA is always wonderful, but I found that ordering closet material from Freedom Rail works just as good. Have you thought about consulting an organizer? The clutterprescription.com offers step by step advice on how to organize a closet and is A LOT less expensive than having an organizer come to your house.
Thanks, everyone, for your great suggestions! I’ll let you know what we decide to do :)