25 Ways to Maximize Storage in Your Walk-In Closet

It doesn't take much for closets to turn into cluttered chaos. Keep your clothes, shoes and accessories in check with our best organization tips and storage system ideas for your walk-in.

March 02, 2021

By: Kayla Kitts and Katie Friedman

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Splurge on a Closet System

Imagine walking into your closet and seeing all of your shoes, clothes and accessories laid out neatly before you. Everything has its place, making it easier to find what you need and put it away later. That is the beauty of a closet system, a pre-fabricated unit of shelves, clothing rods and drawers that you can easily install and use to organize your wardrobe. By adding a closet system to the walk-in above, designer Brian Patrick Flynn gave each of his clients their own side and an easy way to stay organized.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Add Hooks for Your OOTD

Here's an idea that we love for an empty stretch of wall: Use hooks to lay out your outfit of the day, the night before. This way, you can grab what you need and go in the morning, without having to step all the way into your walk-in. (And put outfits together without actually having to try them on over and over again.)

Equip Your Drawers With Cellarets

If you thought shoes caused closet chaos, imagine a heap of tangled ties and belts. Luckily, there's an easy solution: cellarets, or built-in drawer inserts. You can add these to your dresser at any time and use them to keep socks, ties and other delicate items organized. Photo courtesy of Studio Becker.

Take a Corner Carousel for a Spin

Though corners are often treated like "dead space," they can be used in surprising ways to free up shelves and compartments. For example, Lisa Adams, CEO and designer of LA Closet Design, suggests incorporating a corner carousel into your closet design to add some functionality to that overlooked area. She says, "The carousel rotates 360 degrees and allows for hanging all the way around. Rather than voiding out the corner or doing an awkward reach-in cabinet, a corner carousel is a great solution for capitalizing on storage space." Photo courtesy of LA Closet Design.

Opt for Wall-to-Wall Cubbies

Cubby-style shelving units are the perfect storage solution for pants, sweaters, shoes, hats and other accessories that can be neatly folded and displayed. The shelves can even be adjusted to offer flexibility for boots and higher stacks of clothing. The unit keeps everything nice and tidy but also in plain sight for those who like to have all their options laid out right in front of them. Photo courtesy of California Closets.

Plan for Those Hard-to-Reach Spots

Say goodbye to all that dead closet space once and for all. Innovative closet systems allow you to use hard-to-reach spots while still being able to access everything with ease. For example, this pull-down clothing rod keeps dresses up and out of the way when not in use, but the hydraulic rod folds out in a snap when it's time to get ready. Photo courtesy of LA Closet Design.

From: Lisa Adams

Organize by Color and Occasion

Now this is one organized closet. If you look closely, you'll see that the owner has actually arranged his clothes by color and occasion — the top rod features his work/business shirts, while the bottom one holds more casual button-downs, long-sleeves and even a few quarter-zip pullovers. This layout makes it incredibly easy to get dressed in the morning. Best of all, a Murphy ironing board on the wall allows him to press stubborn collars and sleeves without going all the way to the laundry room.

From: Dave Stimmel

Display Your Shoes on Shelves

It's no secret that shoes are often the main source of closet clutter. The good news? All you need are some shelves to keep your kicks neat and tidy, and off the floor. In this boutique-style walk-in closet designed by Lisa Adams, the entire back wall is devoted to the homeowner's vibrant tennis shoe collection. Effective lighting furthers the high-end feel and ensures every pair is visible.

From: Lisa Adams

Take Your Laundry to New Heights

A hamper or basket tucked into the corner will still take up precious floor space in your closet. So, we suggest building your laundry into the closet system itself, by way of sliding canvas bins stacked on top of each other, like this. The high fabric walls will keep your unmentionables out of sight and make it easy to sort your clothes ahead of the washer/dryer.

Embrace Floor-to-Ceiling Shelves

In this glamorous walk-in closet, the homeowner took advantage of the vaulted ceilings by expanding the built-ins and making them even higher. This doubled her storage space all the way around the room. After that, she added a custom rolling ladder in the same shade as the built-ins to make those top shelves easily accessible.

Indulge in a Custom Island

If you're lucky enough to have a lot of floor space, why not upgrade your walk-in with a custom island? In this generous closet, the island boasts a marble-topped island for folding clothes, 16 extra drawers for shirts, sweaters and accessories, and a built-in bench where the owners can lace up their shoes. A chandelier completes the space and combines with the island to make the closet look more like a boutique.

From: Residential Properties Ltd.

Make the Most of Adjustable Shelves

One of the easiest ways to increase your closet storage space is to install a shelving unit with adjustable compartments. You can use the shelves to hold shirts, sweaters, jeans, shoes and purses. Plus, you can always move the shelves and completely customize your space as needed. Photo courtesy of California Closets.

Pull In Fabric Baskets

Cut down on visual clutter and corral loose items by outfitting any large compartments or open shelves with matching baskets. Instead of wire or natural fiber, you'll want to use fabric baskets so your clothes can't snag on any sharp corners. You'll also want to also adjust your shelves so the baskets fit within each section and have a little room on top so you can see what's inside each one.

From: DMAR Interiors

Consider Clear Plastic Containers

Clear plastic storage containers are great for corralling clutter in your closet while still keeping everything close at hand and easy to find. In this space from Dresner Design, the team used clear plastic containers in two spots: under the side shelves as a place for shirts and sweaters and in the center of the room as a makeshift island, with a flat surface on top where the owners can fold their clothes.

From: Dresner Design

Put Seasonal Items in Glass-Front Drawers

Keep seasonal clothing, like tank tops or sweaters, accessible but out of the way by storing them in glass-fronted drawers. This arrangement will ensure that your essentials are front and center on your clothing rods or open shelves, but that those lighter or heavier layers are still visible and in reach when you need them. (Plus, glass-fronted drawers are so much sleeker than plastic tubs.)

From: Lisa Adams

Corral Sunglasses in an Acrylic Tray

If you have a bad habit of losing your sunglasses, snag a sleek, acrylic tray like this and give your shades a special place on top of your dresser or island. The clear, two-tiered unit will help corral your frames (without clashing with your wardrobe) and allow you to see every pair inside.

Sneak In a Sloped Shelf or Shoe Rack

Take advantage of the space underneath your floating dresser or clothing rods with a sloped shelf (or shoe rack) for your shoes and boots. We love how designer Lisa Adams organized this walk-in closet so intuitively, with sun hats on the highest shelf, clothes at eye level and boots down below. Not an inch of space is wasted, and each item is available in the order that her client gets dressed.

From: Lisa Adams

Create a Custom Spot for Your Handbags

Show off your handbag collection and find your favorite purses with ease by storing them in individual cubbies. To achieve this impressive, floor-to-ceiling display in her client's closet, designer Lisa Adams simply outfitted pre-existing shelves with glass dividers. This approach is a lot easier (and cheaper) than building brand-new shelves and allows you to customize the size of the cubbies as well.

From: Lisa Adams

Outfit a Wall With Double Clothing Rods

If you prefer to hang your clothes, devote an entire wall to long, stacked clothing rods. This will free up space on your shelves and in your drawers and allow you to see most — if not all — of your wardrobe. In this walk-in, a majority of the owners' clothes are neatly hung on the back wall, while folded pants, sweaters and shoes are housed on shelves along the side.

Take Advantage of Empty Spaces

Fill an empty space between two floor-to-ceiling shelving units with a custom cabinet. In this elegant walk-in closet, the creatives at Rethink Design Studio stopped midway and topped the cabinet with a mirror and flat top to give the homeowners a built-in vanity right in their closet. Now the lady of the house has extra storage for her jewelry and makeup.

From: Rethink Design Studio

Fit Twice as Many Shoes on One Shelf

Get twice as much mileage out of a cubby or shelf by outfitting the space with a two-tiered shoe rack. We love how Katie Riley implemented this idea in her own closet and used the shoe rack to store her collection of pumps and wedges right below her purses. Now, with all of her formal wear in one place, she can grab a dress from the clothing rod to the right, pair it with a cute clutch, slip on her heels and head to an event.

Store Flats in a Slide-Out Drawer

Speaking of shoe storage, a pull-out drawer like this could be the perfect solution for your ballet flats, sandals and loafers. You could arrange each pair side by side or stack the shoes gently on top of each other to fit a few more in the drawer.

Eliminate a Spare Shelf or Clothing Rod

On the other hand, sometimes eliminating a shelf or two can increase your storage space as well. In this walk-in closet designed by Mary Anne Smiley, for example, there's plenty of room for three clothing rods — but, by removing one and raising the other two, Smiley carved out some extra space for her client's cowboy boots.

From: Mary Anne Smiley

Hang Your Pants Side By Side

Instead of folding, then stuffing your jeans in a drawer, try hanging them neatly side by side, like so. You'll be able to squeeze more pairs together and free up valuable space in your dresser. You could use a slide-out rack like this or hang your pants on the lower rod in a double-rod closet.

From: Tiffany Brooks

Stash Workout Gear in a Storage Ottoman

It's always nice to have somewhere to sit while you slip on your leggings or lace up your tennis shoes. But if your closet just isn't large enough for a bench, consider opting for a round storage ottoman. The circular shape will take up less floor space while giving you a seat and a hidden spot for your workout clothes, equipment and accessories.

From: Amy Zolin

Photo By: Robert Peterson, Rustic White Photography

Photo By: Jeff Mindell Photography

Photo By: LA Closet Design

Photo By: Jeff Mindell Photography

Photo By: Residential Properties Ltd., a member of Luxury Portfolio International

Photo By: Bethany Nauert

Photo By: Jim Tschetter, IC36O Images

Photo By: Courtesy of LA Closet Design

Photo By: Jeff Mindell Photography

Photo By: Lisa Adams

Photo By: Rethink Design Studio

Photo By: Danny Piassick

Photo By: Tomas Espinoza

Photo By: Chi Chi Eubaina

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25 Ways to Maximize Storage in Your Walk-In Closet

Related To:

Splurge on a Closet System

Add Hooks for Your OOTD

Equip Your Drawers With Cellarets

Take a Corner Carousel for a Spin

Opt for Wall-to-Wall Cubbies

Plan for Those Hard-to-Reach Spots

Organize by Color and Occasion

Display Your Shoes on Shelves

Take Your Laundry to New Heights

Embrace Floor-to-Ceiling Shelves

Indulge in a Custom Island

Make the Most of Adjustable Shelves

Pull In Fabric Baskets

Consider Clear Plastic Containers

Put Seasonal Items in Glass-Front Drawers

Corral Sunglasses in an Acrylic Tray

Sneak In a Sloped Shelf or Shoe Rack

Create a Custom Spot for Your Handbags

Outfit a Wall With Double Clothing Rods

Take Advantage of Empty Spaces

Fit Twice as Many Shoes on One Shelf

Store Flats in a Slide-Out Drawer

Eliminate a Spare Shelf or Clothing Rod

Hang Your Pants Side By Side

Stash Workout Gear in a Storage Ottoman

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