I recently moved into a new apartment and was thrilled to find out it had three (three!) closets—kind of a big deal for New York City. What I found, however, was that it’s not the closet space that matters, it’s the closet storage. Of my three glorious closets, not one is organized to its fullest potential, but that’s about to change. In combing our archives to find inspiration, I came across plenty of clever clothing storage solutions that can be used to kit out closets of any size.
Here, 13 inspiring closets with storage ideas to steal.
Above: A walk-in closet in Brooklyn employs a few of our favorite storage solutions: wire gym baskets, a pot lid rack repurposed for wallets and clutches, and canvas nesting bins. See more in Steal This Look: The Organized Closet that Divides and Conquers Clutter. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista: The Organized Home. Above: Closed, this barely-there closet looks like a streamlined wall, but open it reveals well-thought-out storage and compartmentalization. See more in Beneath the Surface: A Quiet Railroad Apartment in Manhattan with a Surprising Amount of Storage. Photograph by Eric Petschek. Above: In a Provincetown, Massachusetts, beach house, design duo Hein+Cozzi devised minimal built-in closets (L) with a clever open shoe shelf that doesn’t obscure an original beam (R). See more in Out at Sea: A Shipshape Renovation in Provincetown by Hein+Cozzi. Photograph by Justine Hand. Above: In architect Spencer Fung’s London home, repurposed display cases from a clothing store serve as wardrobes in the dressing room. See more in Slow Architecture: An Elegant, Monochrome Home in London by Spencer Fung. Photograph by Richard Powers, courtesy of Spencer Fung. Above: A Gramercy Park apartment makes the most of its petite square footage with slide-out closets cleverly tucked under the stairs. See more in 8 Storage Ideas to Steal from an Actress’s Gramercy Park Apartment. Photograph by Devon Banks, courtesy of Denise Lee Architects. Above: The architects of this 645-square-foot Paris apartment carved out closet space behind the bedroom to accommodate the large wardrobes of the homeowners, both of whom work in fashion. See more in Think Big: 9 Small-Space Layout Ideas to Steal from a Petite Paris Apartment. Photograph by David Foessel, courtesy of Septembre Architecture. Above: Matching hangers on each rod make for a consistent look in this narrow closet. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista: The Organized Home. Above: Their hallway closet gets natural light from an interior window, so homeowners Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz opted to remove the door and leave their shoe collection on display. See more in Improper Bostonians: Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz at Home on Beacon Hill. Photograph by Justine Hand. Above: The stairway in this compact Moscow apartment is home to three closets in graduating size: one for shoes, another for outerwear, and a third with shelves and drawers. See more in The Secret Apartment: A Hyperefficient Moscow Flat with Stealth Storage (and a Hidden Kitchen). Photograph by Polina Poludkina. Above: Architect Elizabeth Roberts placed built-in closets that disappear into the wall of a Fort Greene, Brooklyn, master bathroom to store overflow clothing like scarves and bathing suits. See more in Archive Dive: Our 11 Favorite Built-in Storage Cabinets, Minimalist Edition. Photograph by Dustin Aksland. Above: A combination of wall dots, shoe shelves, and hanging rods allow the owners of this Odessa, Ukraine, apartment to artfully display and store their wardrobe. See more in Organization Eye Candy: A Glam and Surprisingly Spacious Closet in a Studio Apartment. Photograph courtesy of Home Design. Above: The blogger behind Stylizimo uses an ingenious DIY storage solution for shoes: five wall-mounted bathroom towel racks over which she hooks her collection of pumps. See more in 13 Clever Storage Ideas for the Closet. Above: After her closet cleanout, Gardenista editor Michelle Slatalla only had a few choice wardrobe items left, allowing her to easily access each one without digging through a packed closet. See more in Your Weekend Project: Edit Your Wardrobe to Just 10 Essential Pieces. Photograph by Zoe Quittner.
For more closet inspiration, see our posts:
Expert Advice: The 10 Best Closet Systems, According to Architects 5 Tips for Storing Your Out-of-Season Clothing The 10 Wardrobe Basics Every Woman Needs: Minimalist Advice from a Fashion Maximalist #ClothingStorage #ClosetShelving #ClosetOrganization&Storage #ClothesHangers #ClosetOrganizers
