Discover a variety of clever closet ideas to suit any size or style space. From storage solutions for small closets to the layout and design for your dream walk-in closet, there are upgrades to make your closet organized, functional, and visually appealing. Whether it’s shelving, racks, rods, wall hooks, shoe storage, lighting, paint, wallpaper, seating, rugs, or decor, these ideas cater to all budgets and styles.
1. Convert a Spare Room: Design by Calimia Home / Photo by Jeanne Canto. Transform a junk room into a walk-in closet by clearing out, donating unworn items, and starting fresh. Calimia Home turned a small pass-through room into a walk-in accessories and shoe closet by hanging simple wall-mounted shelves around the room’s periphery.
Continue to 8 of 45 below. 08 of 45. Remove the Doors. Design by Emily Bowser for Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp. Emily Henderson Design removed the doors from this small walk-in closet to increase storage inside. A three-tiered shoe rack keeps shoes organized and leaves room for dresser drawers to open. The top shelf remains tidy with matching fabric bins.
Continue to 9 of 45 below. 09 of 45. Hang Extra-Wide Shelves. Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Josh Franer. For those in studio apartments or lofts with limited closet space, turn a blank wall into an open closet like a boutique. Leanne Ford Interiors hung extra-wide open shelving for shoes, jeans, and accessories on either side of the hanging rod, with a double row of shoe storage below. Finished with a sparkly crystal chandelier for glam. Continue to 10 of 45 below. 10 of 45. Layer Rugs. Studio Peake. Add carpeting or layered rugs in a small walk-in closet for a soft feel and pattern/color, like this London space from Studio Peake. Continue to 11 of 45 below. 11 of 45. Include a Window Seat. Britt Design Studio. If your closet has a window, add a window seat for a dressing room feel. Britt Design Studio added an upholstered cushion and throw pillows for comfort. Continue to 12 of 45 below. 12 of 45. Add a Sliding Door. Fantastic Frank. Add a glass pane sliding door to a small walk-in closet to define the space and let natural light in. For privacy, swap glass panes for a wood pocket or barn door, like this Scandinavian apartment closet from Fantastic Frank. Continue to 13 of 45 below. 13 of 45. Add a Jewelry Station. Marie Flanigan Interiors. Make your closet more glamorous and practical with a jewelry station. Marie Flanigan Interiors used the top of a chest of built-in drawers between closets for jewelry storage and displaying fresh flowers. A gilded mirror for checking before going out. Continue to 14 of 45 below. 14 of 45. Style Open Shelves. Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Josh Franer. Add narrow vertical shelving outside your closet for extra storage. A large leaning floor mirror gives a boutique feel, like this space from Leanne Ford Interiors. Continue to 15 of 45 below. 15 of 45. Make Every Corner Function. Finding Lovely. Maximize storage in a smaller closet by using every inch. Finding Lovely increased storage with a combination of hanging rods and open/glass-front shelving. Labeled storage baskets hide clutter and make finding things easy. Continue to 16 of 45 below. 16 of 45. Display Your Ties. Marie Flanigan Interiors. Display a rainbow collection of ties on a central rack in an open closet for easier and more fun dressing, like this space from Marie Flanigan Interiors.17 of 45 – Add a Storage Bench Marie Flanigan Interiors. Make your closet more functional and comfortable with a small storage bench that provides seating and a place to store items underneath. Like this bright blue-and-white space from Marie Flanigan Interiors. 18 of 45 – Add a Farmhouse Feel Liz Marie Blog. Style your closet with the same aesthetic as your interior for a cohesive feel. Liz Marie Blog gave her hall linen closet a farmhouse makeover with white paint, storage baskets labeled with chalkboard tags, and hooks. There’s even a hamper on wheels. 19 of 45 – Make It Bespoke Marie Flanigan Interiors. Design your own closet to fit your wardrobe perfectly. Add open and closed storage like this handsome closet from Marie Flanigan Interiors with a mix of dark stained and painted charcoal wood and brass finishes. 20 of 45 – Create a Mini Dressing Room Casa Watkins Living. Turn a small walk-in closet into a mini dressing room with a custom organization system and decor touches like a Persian-style runner, a gold-rimmed mirror, and a rattan chair. 21 of 45 – Try Storage Baskets Marie Flanigan Interiors. Keep clutter at bay with matching natural tone storage baskets. Marie Flanigan Interiors filled open closet cubbies with them. 22 of 45 – Use Freestanding Wardrobes Design by Candace Mary Interiors / Martin Vecchio Photography. Turn a spare room into a walk-in closet with freestanding wardrobes. Candace Mary Interiors painted the walls in forest green. 23 of 45 – Get Creative With Wall Hooks Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona. Make your closet stylish with decorative touches like antique doorknobs repurposed as wall hooks. 24 of 45 – Add Labeled Storage Bins A Beautiful Mess. Keep items neatly arranged with inexpensive matching storage baskets and a label maker. 25 of 45 – Build an Accessories Closet Maite Granda. Save room in your clothes closet by outsourcing accessories and shoes to a smaller space.
Maite Granda, an interior designer, crafted a jewel box accessories closet featuring floor-to-ceiling open shelving and strategic wall mirrors, creating an illuminated boutique display.
If you reside in an older home without a closet, consider a DIY open closet. A Beautiful Mess suggests using a dresser, hanging rods, and wall-mounted shelving. They installed open closets on either side of a central bedroom window, with upper shelves and white fabric storage bins to hide clutter and blend with the wall color.
For a cozy feel, allocate a section in your closet for small accessories, fragrances, or jewelry. Back it with wallpaper, hang some art, and add an LED lamp in the corner, as showcased by Most Lovely Things.
A Beautiful Mess made simple adjustments to a shared primary bedroom closet by adding a dividing wall in the middle. This not only gives each person their own space but also serves as a support beam for wall-to-wall shelves, maximizing interior space. The inside of the doors are painted in a sunny yellow for a mood-boosting surprise every time you open them.
If space allows, incorporate a dressing room-style three-way mirror to view your outfit from every angle, as demonstrated by Studio KT’s large dressing room closet.
Add a wall of cubbies to your closet for both storage and display space. A Beautiful Mess installed a cubby closet shelving system that keeps items visible and accessible while optimizing vertical space.
Tailor your closet to your wardrobe and personal style. Gray Space Interiors designed a dressing room with a custom-built wall of open shelving to showcase an extensive sneaker collection, including a gold shoebox-shaped bench for putting on and taking off shoes, adding a witty touch.
For shallow closets with extra room inside, consider inexpensive freestanding storage to free up floor space in the bedroom. Emily Henderson Design added freestanding shelving units in varying heights and sizes, with open cubbies for shoes, hyacinth baskets for small accessories, and fabric-covered pull-out drawers and bins.
In a dressing room or open closet, repurpose items you already own for storage solutions, such as a small bookshelf or freestanding cubbies. Leanne Ford Interiors styled a white cubby-style shelving unit with accessories and decor items, and added an ornate gilded mirror above for more decorative flair.
34 of 45 – Paint the Inside by Casa Watkins Living
Paint the inside of your closet for an easy upgrade. Casa Watkins Living added DIY floating shelves inside this peacock blue linen closet to keep towels and toiletries neat and organized. 35 of 45 – Light It Like a Boutique by Alvin Wayne Create a light and airy feel in a windowless or light-challenged closet by backlighting the walls. Interior designer Alvin Wayne lit this large walk-in closet like a boutique, maximizing vertical space and adding extra storage to allow a wardrobe to expand without looking cluttered. Create a similar look with a more modest space and budget using LED strips or adhesive spotlights. 36 of 45 – Hang a Wall-Mounted Mirror by Becca Interiors Hang a large pane of mirrored glass on the wall of your dressing room and finish it with wood trim for a built-in feel. Becca Interiors installed a wall-mounted mirror that provides a view of adjacent rooms to make it feel more spacious. A patterned ottoman provides a place to sit and put on shoes. 37 of 45 – Add Hooks for Bags by Fantastic Frank Reduce clutter in your entryway by adding wall hooks just below the hanging rod to hang up bags, and double rows of shoe storage below, like this space from Fantastic Frank. 38 of 45 – Hang a Statement Chandelier by Marie Flanigan Interiors Add polish and a finishing touch to a spacious walk-in closet with a statement chandelier or pendant. Marie Flanigan Interiors chose an oversized pendant light with a floral motif that complements the illustrated wallpaper. Scale up or down according to your space or budget. 39 of 45 – Use Every Wall by Michelle Berwick Design This u-shaped walk-in closet from Michelle Berwick Design makes use of the long and relatively narrow space with wrap-around shelving that is built up to the ceiling. Wood flooring runs throughout the space to create an uninterrupted flow to and from the bedroom. 40 of 45 – Customize Doors With Trim by A Beautiful Mess Give standard white slatted accordion doors a DIY makeover by swapping them out for flat-panel doors and adding new paint, knobs and trim, like this bedroom closet from A Beautiful Mess. 41 of 45 – Use Neutral Colors by Marie Flanigan Interiors Use light neutral colors in a spacious walk-in dressing room to show off a colorful wardrobe. Mix open and closed storage to keep your prettiest items on display, like this luxurious space from Marie Flanigan Interiors. 42 of 45 – Paint the Floor by Fantastic Frank Add stimulating color to a small, deep walk-in closet by painting the floor. This closet from Fantastic Frank has neon yellow paint on the floor, walls outfitted with hooks and a floor-length mirror, and a wall-mounted shelving and pull-out drawer unit mounted to the back wall. 43 of 45 – Transform Awkward Spaces by Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Max Kim-bee As charming as an attic bedroom with a pitched roof can be, it can result in awkward or unused space due to limited headroom.Leanne Ford Interiors has masterfully transformed an unused space into a functional and stylish open closet. They’ve incorporated a hanging rod and wall hooks to maximize storage, while the wood floors extend into the closet, ensuring a seamless flow throughout the space. For a cohesive look, Fantastic Frank suggests painting walls and shelving in the same dark color. In one of their spaces, charcoal black walls beautifully contrast with a light-colored wardrobe. Gold accents and an Edison bulb pendant light add a modern touch to the room. Leanne Ford Interiors also recommends keeping an open closet feeling light and airy by painting everything white. They’ve installed white hanging rods with white hangers, creating the illusion that a well-edited selection of clothes is floating. Additionally, a set of white drawers along one wall provides closed storage for accessories and folded items, maintaining a minimalist and organized appearance. Continue to 44 of 45 below. Continue to 45 of 45 below.