How To Make The Most Of Your Closet

Whether you have a small closet or a large walk-in, there is a closet system that will work for you. Take inventory of your clothes and accessories and decide what your needs are. Do you need a lot of hanging storage? Shelves? A place for miscellaneous accessories? Regardless of your needs and budget, I will try to help you find your best closet system.

I will start with smaller and more inexpensive options and work up from there. I personally haven’t used all these options but as when I purchase items, I looked for the best reviewed products that solved the closet storage issue.

Small Closet

Our previous house had small closets and we tried a few different ways to optimize storage.

Fabric Hanging Shelves

Due to budget, we first started with the fabric hanging shelves. These are a great way to add some shelves to your closet without spending a lot of money. While they are inexpensive and easy to assemble, they will not be as sturdy as actual shelves and do offer limited storage.

SimpleHouseware 5 Shelves Hanging Closet Organizer, Bronze

  • Hangs on standard closet rod, wired closet rack
  • 5 Fabric Bronze Shelves, dimension of each bin is 12” W x 10”D x 9”H
  • 6 Side Mesh Pockets, each side of this organizer has 3 mesh pockets
  • 2 Hooks hanging system


It is an Amazon’s Choice and it rates 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon and it is currently under $15 (as of 03/24/2021 13:16 EST- Details)

You can purchase at Amazon

Cube Storage

If you have a little extra space in your closet, cube storage organizers may be an option for you. Some of these organizers are stackable. To make your own closet system, you may consider stacking a couple of these in the middle of your closet and use tension rods on either side for hanging clothes.

The fun thing about cube storage is that the fabric bins come in all kinds of materials and colors. Find ones that fit your personality! Remember these are still an inexpensive option so they probably won’t last forever. These are obviously more study than the fabric hanging shelves and allow a little more storage.


ClosetMaid 8985 Stackable 3-Shelf Organizer, Espresso

  • 3 Shelves (2 adjustable)
  • Stackable
  • Easy to assemble

It rates 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon and is currently under $35 (as of 03/24/2021 13:32 EST- Details)
You can purchase it here on Amazon

Closet Systems

If your budget allows for a little more, you may consider a closet system. The price range for closet systems greatly varies depending on the size of your closet and what material and options you want.

If you decide on a closet system, start with measuring your space to make sure you purchase the appropriate size. Keep in mind, these obviously require more set up than the first options I discussed. I am lucky enough to have married a handyman, however, I realize that isn’t everyone’s situation. If you don’t think you have the skills to assemble, find a very handy friend and offer them dinner in exchange for helping you.

The two main materials for these systems are a wire system or a wood system.

Wire Closet System

Wire closet systems are a great option to add sturdy shelves and hanging space to your closet. They usually come in a kit and there are lots of add-ons that you can then purchase to further customize your closet system. Wire closet systems will require assembly and may require cutting the shelves in order to fit your space.

ClosetMaid 1608 5ft. to 8 Ft. Closet Organizer Kit, White

  • Everything you need to install a shelving system in a closet 5ft. to 8 ft. wide
  • Up to 180 in. of hanging space, up to 264 in. of shelf space (includes 36 in. show shelf)
  • A fixed system limits customization but a greater choice for an inexpensive closet system

It rates 4.3 stars out of 5 on Amazon and it is currently around $105 (as of 03/24/2021 14:42 EST- Details)

You can purchase on Amazon

If you are looking for something with more options, consider one with a track system. This will allow you to adjust your shelves and hanging rods to suit your exact needs.

ClosetMaid 22875 ShelfTrack 5ft. to 8ft. Adjustable Closet Organizer Kit, White

  • All-in-one kit has approximately 132 inches of hanging space and 216 inches of shelf space (includes 36 inch shoe shelf)
  • Configuration for 5 ft. to 8 ft. wide closets, shelving is 12 inches deep; Features 36 inch shoe shelf

 It rates 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon and it’s currently around $150 (as of 03/24/2021 13:34 EST- Details)
Visit Amazon for more information and to purchase.

Wood Closet System

If you don’t like the look of the wire shelves, there are plenty of wood closet systems. As with wire shelving, there is assembly and some cutting may be required.

ClosetMaid SuiteSymphony Starter Tower Kit, 16″, Natural Gray

This is a good starter wood system. We used similar ones to these in our last house and it was a great option with a clean look.

  • Kit includes the Tower, 3 rods and 2 adjustable shelves
  • Creates up to 75 in. Of shelf space and 144 in. Of Hanging space
  • Fits closets 6 feet to 9 feet wide; Hang rods expand from minimum 30 inches to 48 inches maximum

It rates 4.5 out of 5 stars and can be purchased on Amazon for under $160 (as of 03/24/2021 13:39 EST- Details)

Oops, no closet

I know there may be some readers going “oh man, I wish I HAD a closet”. Luckily, there are solutions for you too!

I found a couple of different options, again depending on space, needs, and budget.

Here is an affordable option that will give you the benefits of a closet.



YOUUD Wardrobe Storage Closet

  • 50″ length x 17.7″ width x 66″ height
  • High quality steel tube. PP plastic connectors.
  • Easy to assemble, no tools required

It rates 4.1 out of 5 stars and you can see those reviews or purchase it on Amazon. It currently costs under $50 (as of 03/24/2021 14:58 EST- Details)

If you want a more sophisticated looking option, this may be more your style. Again, it’s easy to install and customize to your needs. It also includes a curtain for an even cleaner look.


Deluxe 4 Tier & Shelf Hanger with Curtain

  • Easy to install
  • 5 hanging rods and 2 shelves
  • Curtains to “close” closet

It rates 4.2 out of 5 stars on Amazon. It currently costs around $205 (as of 03/24/2021 14: EST- Details) For additional information or to purchase, visit Amazon

 So many choices

So regardless of your budget and what your current closet situation is, there are options for you! While these options all have great reviews, do your own research before you buy.

With a new closet design, you will want to keep it clean and organized! If you struggle with folding clothes or folding them narrow enough to fit into the hanging shelves or cubes, try making my clothes folder. It’s a simple tool and easy to use for perfectly folded clothes. I also have information on how to organize your drawers and closets if that interests you.

I would love to hear if you chose any of these or if you have any other closet system solutions. If you have any questions, please comment below and I would be happy to try and answer them.

 


21 thoughts on “How To Make The Most Of Your Closet”

  1. Thanks for sharing! I love the fabric shelves for smaller closets! I love things organized. I feel so much better when they are. I organize mine by color and love it.

  2. When we built our house, we hired a closet designer to come in and design a shelving system for us. Best $500 I’ve ever spent! I believe because of that, our closets get less cluttered.

    1. I believe great organization systems do lead to less clutter. I would love to see what a designer would say about our closet 🙂

  3. I love organizing my walk in closet! Sometimes I do it just for fun and to change things up. I love how there are so many different ways to organize it, too!

    1. That’s awesome. I am a creature of habit so I don’t usually change mine up but there are definitely different ways to organize.

  4. This is great! We have a tiny, I mean TINY, closet in our master bedroom. It’s smaller than our entry way coat closet. I never even thought about doing a closet system and splitting it into an upper and lower level until reading this post. Thanks for a great a-ha moment!

  5. I like the wood closet system, I am going to show this to my husband (who is also a handy man, win!) to see if we could do this in our small closet. We are renting, I hope we can do it.

  6. I have wire closet systems in our bedroom and in the boys bedroom. Ours work fabulous for us but the boys closet just seems to always be in a disarray. Do you have any suggestions for kid friendly organization?

    1. I think the cube storage probably works best for kids. It’s easy for them to take the storage cube out and if the clothes are perfectly folded, no one will see them anyways 🙂 Also, you can find cubes that fit your child’s personality.

  7. An organized closet makes it so much easier to find all my clothes! I have the wooden system in mine and I love it. For my kids rooms I have the cube organizers and put the cloth bins in them. My toddler thinks it’s a game to fill them up with his clothes!

    1. I agree, not only are the clothes easier to find but it stays cleaner because you aren’t pulling at clothes trying to find certain ones. I love that your toddler thinks it is a game 🙂

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