What the Pros Know

"The one concept that will add the most space to your closet is double-hanging."
—Mark Remmers, ClosetMaid

Height: "If you're between five feet two inches and six feet tall, the lowest rail should be 42 inches from the floor," says Brooke Newton of the Container Store. "Anything lower is awkward to get to, and your clothes may drag on the ground." The top rod should be hung 36 to 42 inches above the lower rod. Alternatively, measure your longest item of clothing for each rod and add about two inches.

Depth: When installing a rod, make sure you allow enough space at the back of the closet; there should be at least three inches beyond the ends of your hangers.

Flow: Metal rods are preferable to wooden ones because they won't warp, swell, or bend. Rub rods with wax paper, advises Kay Wade, head designer for the Closet Factory. The wax will help the hangers move more easily and will remove any black residue that can transfer to clothes.

Corners: If you have hanging rods on two perpendicular walls, use wraparound corner hardware, such as ClosetMaid's kits ($14 to $20, www.closetmaid.com). "If you don't, you lose a foot of space on both sides, and you wouldn't believe how many people do that," says Remmers.

Organization: To find things easily, keep like with like: Put all your tops (shirts, jackets) in one section, all your bottoms (pants, skirts) in another.