12 Closet Ideas For Better Design, Storage And Organization

What does your dream closet look like? Does it look like the one you have now? If not, you’re not alone. Many homeowners can find a flaw or two in their closets. Maybe your closet is cluttered, the space isn’t being maximized or there’s simply not enough room to fit all your clothes, purses and other belongings.

If this applies to you, don’t worry. There are plenty of closet ideas to help with design, storage and organization that enhance storage, maximize space and allow you to show off your closet rather than hide it. Whether you have a walk-in closet, an entire spare room or an old-fashioned wardrobe, consider some of these closet ideas to inspire your storage space.

8 Closet Storage And Organization Ideas

When you begin to think about ways to revamp your closet space, it’s helpful to start small. What are some simple – even do-it-yourself – projects that can keep any size closet organized without going through a major renovation? Here are some of our best organization and storage ideas to get you started.

The first step in organizing your closet is to make sure that you don’t have too many items to store. The less stuff you have, the less space you’ll need to store it all. Decluttering is the simplest and often cheapest way to organize your space.

Take inventory of everything in your closet and separate it into what you need and what you can live without. If you’re having trouble sorting between must-haves and items you don’t need, think about the clothes you wear all the time, and the clothes you don’t get much use out of. Items you use all the time can be kept, while clothes you’ve never worn before can be set aside to sell or donate.

2. Stow Away Seasonal Items

Another way to make more room in your closet is to remove seasonal items and store them away in your basement, attic or wherever else you have space. In other words, if you’re spring cleaning and you won’t need your snowsuits and boots until winter rolls around, store these items away in a separate location.

This might also be relevant for special occasion clothing like an old wedding gown, prom dress or other keepsakes. Make additional space by storing these items in a safe location – typically a dark area in a container that allows the clothing to breathe but also protects it from pests, such as a canvas bag or bin.

3. Install Cabinets

Bare-bones closet spaces can be spruced up with a simple, affordable shelving unit from IKEA, Amazon or any other spot with affordable furniture. With a simple closet unit, you can enjoy hanging space and shelving, providing a designated place for anything you own. Remember, this may turn into a DIY project since you’ll likely have to assemble the unit you purchase.

Prior to installing any built-in cabinets or shelving, measure out your closet space to make sure you’re buying the right size unit. Consider cabinets both with and without doors. Closed cabinets can make your closet system appear tidier, but cabinets with glass doors or no doors at all can help you find what you need more easily.

4. Place Open Shelving

Open shelving is another great storage system for anyone who wants easy access to their belongings, and efficient navigation when they need to sift through them. Open storage can also provide you the flexibility of changing your organizational system as your wardrobe evolves or you get the occasional itch to redesign.

Baskets, bins and dividers are great complements to open shelving. They allow the freedom of switching up your system or adjusting your overall closet design while keeping everything in its place. Plus, as design and decor trends shift, you can switch out wire baskets for wooden crates or whatever’s popular at the time.

5. Choose A Sorting System

A sorting system is essential to the organization of any closet space. There are plenty of ways to sort your clothes, bags and shoes, and whichever you choose should be suitable for your daily routine. Here are a few simple ways to sort the items in your closet:

• By color
• By type of clothing or personal item
• By frequency of use
• By season

No matter which sorting method you use, label your storage. Knowing where your jeans are versus where your sweatpants are will save you tons of time when getting dressed. Having a designated spot for each category will also encourage you to put things on hangers or back in drawers when you’re done with them, helping you maintain the neat and orderly closet space you worked so hard to achieve.

6. Install Proper Lighting

A tidy, redesigned closet is nothing without the right lighting. You need to be able to find what you’re looking for without digging around in a dark room. Proper lighting doesn’t just call for changing a light bulb, either. Depending on how sophisticated your closet design is and current lighting trends, you may want to include statement lighting like a chandelier, recessed lights or even natural lighting for entire rooms.

Looking for minimal hardwiring and the least complicated installation? Consider track lighting. With this type of lighting, individual bulbs are mounted to a single platform referred to as a track. These are great for a closet space because the bulbs can point in multiple directions. 

Another option is to consider lighting that isn’t permanently affixed to the wall, like strip lighting. These are adhesive strips you can attach to your shelving above your clothes for better visibility. Going this route means less installation work and potentially lower costs as well.

7. Add Mirrors

Want to test out your outfit of the day from multiple angles? Strategically place mirrors throughout a walk-in closet to make it truly feel like your own personal fitting room. Not only will they help you showcase your most-loved items, but mirrors will help reflect light throughout your closet, too.

Working with a small space? Mount a full-length mirror to the wall or the back of your closet door. In bigger spaces, place several full-length mirrors around the room, so you can assess your look with a 360-degree view. You can even purchase mirrors with LED bulbs already installed to enhance the lighting in your space and get a fitting room feel in one fell swoop.

8. Incorporate A Vanity

Larger spaces like a walk-in closet are the perfect spot for a vanity. This addition can be a catch-all place to do hair and makeup, and provide more storage for all your beauty supplies and personal care products. A vanity can also help create a dressing room feel, as mirrors do.

Some vanities are built with both a mirror and dresser in one, while others you may be able to assemble yourself. Pair an old desk or dresser that’s been lying around with a refurbished mirror to create your very own secondhand vanity that fits the interior design style of your closet. Complete the vanity with a trendy swivel chair and a rug and you’ll have a cozy setup in your closet that you’ll never want to leave.

4 Additional Closet Design Ideas For A Renovation

If you have the means to undertake a full closet makeover, your closet design opportunities increase exponentially. But where do you start? Below, we’ve laid out some unique closet design ideas to help inspire your closet renovation.

9. Set Up A Closet Room

If you’re fortunate enough to have a spare room in the house, why not renovate it and turn it into a closet room? An entire room gives you the opportunity to implement as many of your favorite walk-in closet ideas as possible. That means a couch, a sizable vanity, lots of decor and plenty of storage space.

A closet room can have floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall storage units. In other words, your entire wall could display all of your clothes and accessories. Or maybe you’d prefer an entire wall of mirrors, an accent wall or all three. Think about the features your dream closet would have and make the space your own. Remember, you can DIY any of these projects by refurbishing old furniture to ensure your closet remodel doesn't break the bank.

10. Make A Kids’ Closet Playroom

Looking to revamp your kids’ closet? Consider a closet playroom. Mixing a closet and a playroom can create one multi-functioning place where you can stow away all your kids’ toys and clothes. Not to mention that the cooler the design, the more time your kids will want to spend in the space, which is ideal for keeping any mess out of sight and out of mind, and keeping kids busy.

Include a sitting area with a comfy chair, or even build a fort where they can do their homework or play with friends. The design possibilities are endless. Does your child love outer space? Create a night sky with glow-in-the-dark stars. Kids who love camping will appreciate an outdoorsy design theme with a hammock or swinging chair. Take your children’s favorite hobbies and use them to inspire a place where they can have fun and keep track of their belongings.

11. Design A Closet Reading Nook

Bookworms, this closet design idea is for you. Dedicate any extra space in your closet to a reading nook. This can be a place not only to store your books, but also a peaceful, quiet place to immerse yourself into a good read. This closet idea is especially useful for under-utilized space in your home, like space under your stairs, a large coat closet or a mudroom.

The keys to a reading nook are comfort and good lighting. Ideally, you’ll want to spend hours on end in your nook, so it must be comfortable. In order to facilitate a reading-friendly environment, you’ll need enough light to stay zoned in on the romance novel or thriller your book club recommended. If you have a walk-in closet, consider making a wall-to-wall bookshelf to create the ambience of a home library.

12. Create A Laundry Closet

Closet spaces can also be turned into a space devoted to laundry. If it’s large enough and you’re able to power the devices, your closet can be a great destination to tuck away your washer and dryer – either stacked or side by side. It’s also ideal for storing laundry baskets and any hampers for dirty clothes, which will ideally avoid piles of laundry on your bedroom floor and help keep your house clean.

A laundry closet isn’t much different from a regular closet. You can maintain the same storage units, but simply add a place for dirty clothes. Having all your clothes – clean and dirty – in one place will also help you stay motivated to fold your clothes, sort them and put them away in the right place, rather than lugging them across your house or up and down the stairs.

The Bottom Line

The best part about this list of closet ideas is that it’s only scratching the surface of what you can accomplish with your redesign. All of these closet design ideas and storage solutions can be fine-tuned to meet your style preferences and align with your budget. To avoid getting overwhelmed, start small by completing some DIY projects or recycling old furniture.

Ready to put some of your ambitious walk-in closet ideas into action? Apply for a cash-out refinance with Rocket Mortgage^Ⓡ to help finance your closet redesign.