Eight Savvy Storage Solutions For Homes Without Enough Closets

If your home is short on closet space, you could end up with a significant clutter problem if you don’t come up with a plan. Older houses often lack closets, and the ones they do have aren’t usually large. Or maybe you simply have a bunch of stuff and decluttering your home isn’t on your to-do list anytime soon. 

Bookcases converted into wardrobes, sectioned off corners or nooks, or a spare room are all viable closet alternatives. Freestanding wardrobes provide needed storage when you don’t have enough closet space. Also, when you lack closets, it’s even more important to maximize the ones you have by utilizing vertical space and creating effective organizational systems.

Although you may dream about adding a luxury walk-in closet in every room, what if it’s not a feasible option? Perhaps there isn’t enough space (in your room or your budget). That doesn’t mean you can’t create efficient, functional storage solutions in your home.

Eight Ways To Increase Your Home’s Storage Potential

1. Convert A Corner Into A Closet

Depending on how large your room is, or if you feel like you can give up corner floor space, this is a viable option for more storage. Add some corner shelving, then install paneling with door cut-outs across the corner on the diagonal. Finish off the top, bottom, and sides with trim molding to give it a more built-in look.

You can play with different configurations for the doors, such as standard open and close, or a set at the top and a set at the bottom. You could even do a flip-down door in the center to give yourself a fold-out vanity, adding some battery-operated LED lighting and a mirror. If you’re unsure of your DIY skills, this could be worth hiring a handyman to do. Since you aren’t actually breaking down or adding walls and framing, permits aren’t typically needed for this type of project. However, make sure you aren’t covering up things like your thermostat, breaker box, or other systems, unless you ensure they remain easily accessible.

2. Use Bookcases

Bookshelves are a great place to store stuff, and not just books. Put a few bookcases together to create shoe storage, or a place for folded jeans, sweaters, or baskets full of shirts, shorts, undergarments, etc. A simple tension rod and curtain make it easy to hide what’s on the shelves, turning your bookcases into freestanding closets. If you need more hanging space, leave out some of the shelves and install a clothes rod.

Another option is to position a bookcase perpendicular to a wall and another one across from it and facing it. Secure them to the wall with brackets or screws, and mount a clothes rod in between. Depending on the length of your clothes rod, you may also need a center support. This gives you two side shelves for shoes and other items, and a bar for hanging pieces. You can still use the tension rod and curtain idea to keep things hidden. If the backs of the bookcases are exposed to the room, make them pretty with paint or add decorative panels.

3. Take Advantage Of Extra Length

Overly long rooms can sometimes be tricky to design, especially if you feel as if you’re forced to fill the space. If you don’t need the extra room, you can turn it into a walk-in closet. (And you don’t have to add actual walls to do it.) This idea works if you have at least three feet of width to spare. You can section off this end of the room using curtains or screens (more ways to use these later). You could also use the bookshelves, having them double as your temporary wall and more storage in your makeshift closet.

Behind your divider, use standing clothes racks, shelving, or even closet organization systems installed directly on the wall. When you enter the room, the idea is for it to appear like your room ends at this temporary wall or divider, however, there’s a creative closet waiting behind it. 

4. Rethink A Spare Room

If you’re lucky enough to have a spare room that you’re not sure what to do with, why not make it the ultimate closet? Or, do you have a room that you can split between a closet and something else? For example, you don’t need the entire room for your home office, so you use half for the office, and turn the other half into closet space. It’s easy to get stuck thinking we have to use rooms for certain things. However, when it comes to your house, it’s vital to remember that you can configure it in a variety of ways.

Think about what you need most in your home. What will add the most value to your life? What will make things go more smoothly, ease stress, and make your home feel more functional and calm? If it’s turning the guest room you use once a year into a closet, and letting guests crash on the sofa bed, then make it happen. You need to ultimately set your home up for you and the people living in it, not occasional guests or what-if situations.

5. Make Storage Nooks With Curtains Or Standing Screens

This idea was touched on in tip three as an option for sectioning off extra room length. However, you can also use curtains or standing screens to carve out hidden storage space in other places. If you have any nooks or alcoves, such as dormer window areas or angled rooms, turn them into closet zones. Depending on the nook, you may only need a tension rod and a curtain, or you could get ceiling-mounted curtain rods. If you want a more temporary solution, and a tension rod won’t work, consider going with standing screens.

6. Don’t Forget About Freestanding Wardrobes

In older homes, where closets were pretty much non-existent, wardrobes and armoires were the storage go-to in bedrooms. Therefore, don’t discount these faithful stand-bys if you need more storage space. They take up more floor area, but in many cases, the storage they provide is worth it. However, it’s important to make sure you’re not overwhelming your room. Luckily, these pieces come in many sizes and shapes.

There are even some styles that you can open from either side that can double as room dividers. If you think this is an option that could work for you, do your research to find ones that best suit your space. Measure your room carefully so you get something that fits well. If your room has high ceilings, opt for a taller piece to maximize storage and balance well against the scale of the room.

7. Create A Closet Wall

If you have a decent amount of wall space available, mount a closet organization system onto it and turn the wall into a closet. Depending on your design preference, you may like the exposed closet look, but if you don't, you can disguise it with a ceiling-mounted curtain.

8. Maximize Existing Closets By Utilizing All Available Storage Space

Of course, if you lack closet space, you want to maximize any closets that you have. Make the most of vertical space with high shelving, shelves on side walls, and even hanging hooks on the rear wall behind your hanging items. Consider closet systems that offer storage solutions that match your needs. The typical builder-grade single shelf and rod is rarely an ideal setup.

Limited Closet Space? Not A Problem With These Storage Tips

If you have a few thousand dollars and enough square footage to spare, then go ahead and build a closet or two. But if you’re like many homeowners, tackling bigger renovations and expensive upgrades doesn’t fit into your financial plan right now. Or maybe you just don’t want to deal with the hassle. And you don’t have to. These storage solutions provide excellent ways to stay organized and keep your home tidy, even with minimal closet space. Simple freestanding furniture pieces, taking advantage of nooks or corners, and maximizing your existing closets can increase your storage abilities significantly.

Before you start tearing down walls (or adding random ones), give these alternative solutions a try. You’ll undergo a lot less stress and frustration, not to mention expenses, when you keep things simple. It’s all about learning to love the home you’re in by discovering creative ways to make it work for you.

Related Guides:

• The Best (And Worst) Types Of Hangers For Your Closet
• 10 Creative Things To Do With A Spare Closet
• What To Put In A Closet Vs A Dresser