At least once a year, I attempt to tackle the mess that is my closet. I’ve found that it’s easy to sort, organize, and store my kids’ clothes, shoes, and accessories. Their clothing fits into one of three categories: school, church, and play. Of course, there are some special items, like Girl Scout uniforms, dance leotards, and soccer gear, but those are easy enough to put in an “extracurricular” section of their drawers.
When it comes to my stuff, it’s hard to purge, display, and organize everything. My closet is like a hallway with a door on the end. Sure, I can walk in it, but it’s narrow and long. The layout just seems cramped no matter what configuration I use to sort my dresses, shoes, jeans, and tops. Then there’s jewelry, hats, and belts. Just thinking about it sparks my daydream of turning our spare bedroom into a huge, Cribs style (Does that show still exist?!?) luxury closet. Like, an Oprah Winfrey/Mariah Carey situation is what I’m envisioning. Since that’s probably not going to happen, I thought it was high time to whip my small closet into shape once and for all. I’ve rounded up eleven space saving life hacks for a chic closet to help me do just that, without sacrificing an ounce of style.
More Organizing Ideas:
- 21 Things Every Mom Knows about Cleaning Now as a Mom Vs. Back Then
- 12 Things You’re Not Replacing Often Enough (& The Shocking Ramifications When You Don’t)
- 85 Genius Cleaning Hacks for Your Home
11 Space-Saving Hacks for a Chic Closet
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Shoes Upon Shoes
If accessories are your main closest concern, consider removing the bottom clothes rod and adding cubbies for lots of shoes and bags.
Photo: Container Store
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Curtain Call
A small closet gets a little breathing room when you replace a protruding door with a beautiful curtain.
Photo: decor*pad
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Clear Cubbies
Below shelf hanging storage? Why didn't I think of that! This clear plastic bin won't add any visual bulk to an already tight closet.
Photo: Amazon
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Shoe Cabinet
This narrow beauty stores lots of shoes but doesn't hog up precious closet space. It's super shallow, and a little DIY love will make it a chic addition inside the closet.
Photo and tutorial: I Heart Organizing
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Jewelry Cube
This DIY jewelry cube hits all the right style notes. A brass finish paired with the simplicity of a wooden block makes this cube the perfect spot to dangle your chains and bracelets.
Photo and tutorial: Emily Henderson
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Hang Time
These super affordable IKEA shelf brackets double as DIY pants hangers. They're so minimalistic, your clothes can take center stage.
Photo and tutorial: Apartment Therapy
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Garment Rack
If you're in the tricky predicament of having no formal closet at all, consider making this DIY garment rack, and create a trendy, boutique feel by putting your best threads on display.
Photo and tutorial: In Honor of Design
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Side Shelves
Even reach-in closets have nooks and crannies that are perfect for mounting shelves with bins beside your clothes.
Photo: StyleCaster
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Kallax Stacks
IKEA's old reliable Expedit (now Kallax) cubbies can be customized with drawer inserts, bins, and boxes, and they're the perfect depth for stylishly organizing a reach-in closet.
Photo: IKEA
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Mesh Purse Bins
This purse storage hack comes courtesy of designer Rebecca Minkoff. It doesn't get much more chic than that.
Photo: Rebecca Minkoff
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Kallax Tower
If you need two hanging rods and cubbies, simply turn the Expedit (now Kallax) on its side, and mount as many rods as you need.
Photo: The Order Obsessed
