9 Genius Ways to Double Closet Storage Space and Get Ready Faster

Turn Towel Bars Into Scarf Storage

When her collection of colorful scarves grew, Jennifer Bridgman, the blogger behind The Chronicles of Home, had to devise a new system to contain it. Her DIY solution: repurpose a wooden towel bar as a scarf holder. Once the bar was attached to a small blank closet wall, each scarf was looped on. To get the look in your closet, pair a blank wall with an affordable towel bar.

CB2 24” Brass Towel Bar
If you’re looking for an organizer as stylish as the scarves it holds, opt for this chic brass bar. Add a couple of matching brass hooks for totes and handbags.
To buy: $37, cb2.com.

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Divide and Conquer Drawers

If drawers aren’t equipped with dividers, they easily become a mishmash of belts, socks, and undergarments to hunt through every morning. “When everything has its place, you’ll spend less time pawing through your clothes and accessories looking for what you want. An organized closet makes getting dressed and packing for trips a breeze!” says designer Annie Selke.

Invest time to get closet clutter under control, and you’ll save minutes every morning. The first step: Take inventory of what you own. “Be honest about the number of items you want to store,” recommends Selke, then plan your storage system accordingly. Once these organizers are in place, you can kiss the formerly messy sock drawer adieu.

Slotted Interlocking Drawer Organizers
Annie Selke is a fan of this customizable interlocking system. “Each square gets a single item, so everything is separated—perfect for socks and undergarments,” she explains.
To buy: $8, containerstore.com.

Boobie Trap Bra Organizer
To keep bras lined up neatly (and help them keep their shape), opt for this divider. Not only will this organizer extend the life of your bras, but you’ll also be able to easily spot the one you’re looking for.
To buy: $35, containerstore.com.

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Keep Off-Season Clothing Out of Sight

When Joy Cho of Oh Joy! asked the organizing gurus at Bneato Bar for help wrangling her closet, she learned a valuable lesson: Don’t display out-of-season clothing. Instead, she used storage boxes to hide seasonal gear that could be stashed out of the way. While this wouldn’t be a smart spot to store items you use every day, it’s an ideal place to tuck clothing you won’t wear for several months. Label each bin with a word, number, or color to help you remember what’s stored inside.

Bigso Grey Woodgrain Storage Boxes
A woodgrain finish and genuine leather handles make these storage boxes undeniably luxe.
To buy: $25-50, containerstore.com.

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Put Jewelry On Display

When Brighton Keller of Brighton the Day designed her dream walk-in closet, she decided to leave nothing to the imagination. “It was really important to me that I be able to see everything that I have. That way, it would be easier to put together outfits,” she explains. To make sure jewelry was easily accessible, Keller put a small blank wall to use. Once a couple of transparent organizers were installed, she draped them with statement necklaces. Rather than take up valuable drawer space, these pretty accessories are now on display, where they double as décor.

11-Peg Acrylic Necklace Rack
Keller appreciates that this clear acrylic rack doesn’t distract from the jewelry it holds. Outfitted with 11 pegs, each organizer can accommodate dozens of necklaces.
To buy: $15, containerstore.com.

Aimee Jewelry Storage Hanging Mirror
Part mirror, part necklace holder, this on-the-wall storage system adds some glam to your get-ready station. The ten hooks offer plenty of spots to store necklaces, bracelets, or hoops.
To buy: $29, urbanoutfitters.com.

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Hang Pants Single File

If you typically fold pants over the bar of a shirt hanger or place them inside a drawer, then you’re not storing them in the most space-efficient way possible. Instead, Stephanie Mark, one of the co-founders of Coveteur, recommends hanging pants on ultra-thin skirt hangers. When folded over a shirt hanger, pants are bulkier; when clipped at the top, you can store twice as many on the same bar. Most importantly, this storage method fits with Mark’s motto: “If you can’t see it, you won’t wear it.” When organized single file, each pair is easily found, shaving minutes off your morning routine.

Chrome Metal Add-On Skirt/Pant Hangers
Not only are these metal clip hangers incredibly thin, but the add-on style lets you hang several pairs of pants from a single spot.
To buy: $9 for 4, containerstore.com.

Natural Wood Skirt Hangers
Wooden hangers are guaranteed to give a closet a polished look. For less than $10, this chic addition will make your closet look like a million bucks.
To buy: $9 for 4, bedbathandbeyond.com.

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Give Every Purse a Place

If your purse collection rivals your shoe collection, you may want to take a tip from Melissa George of Polished Habitat and buy or DIY some purse dividers. She crafted her wall-hanging acrylic clutch holders (find the full how-to here) over a few afternoons. She also inserted custom-cut acrylic sheets into one closet compartment to give a separate slot for each purse. “Acrylic was the perfect material to keep things tidy but still visible,” George explains. To get the look in your own closet, you can DIY acrylic dividers or keep an eye out for transparent organizers, like our pick below.

Clear Shelf Divider
See-through dividers keep purses, sweaters, or pants in place. The transparent design lets you glimpse at what’s in each pile so you can find items faster.
To buy: $14, containerstore.com.

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Raise the Bar(s)

When Victoria Smith, editor of the interior design blog sf girl by bay, finally got the walk-in closet of her dreams, she realized the space-saving potential of a two-tier design. By raising the top closet bar near the ceiling, Smith was able to fit a second row of hanging clothes below, doubling the space’s storage potential. Another bar attached to the wall holds bags, scarves, and necklaces suspended from s-hooks. To implement this system in your closet, install an extra closet rod or a sturdy tension rod, then use a towel bar to hang accessories.

InterDesign Cameo Tension Rod
If you don’t want to install a permanent closet rod, use this bronze tension rod to store lightweight tops or skirts.
To buy: $17, amazon.com.

VOXNAN Towel Rail
This minimalist towel bar is just what you need for stashing accessories out in the open. Add a set of stainless steel s-hooks to your order, and your complete organizing system is ready to go.
To buy: $15, ikea.com.

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Don’t Forget the Back of the Door

The back of your closet door is a wide-open surface, waiting to be put to work storing shoes or sorting scarves. Attach the right organizer and you’ll feel like you gained a few extra feet of closet space. This vinyl, over-the-door rack not only holds up to 12 pairs of shoes, but the transparent design makes each one easy to locate. Now all you have to figure out is what to do with that open floor space that once held your shoe collection.

Over the Door Vinyl Shoe Rack
To buy: $9, amazon.com.

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Buy an Under-Shelf Basket

Below each shelf in your closet, there’s likely a few inches of unused space. To put that underutilized area to work, Melissa George of Polished Habitat decided to hang a couple of under-shelf baskets. These shallow wire containers clip onto the edge of a standard shelf—without screws or hardware—and can hold everything from socks to spare toiletries. Once you add a couple of these floating containers to your closet, you’ll wonder why you ever let this area sit unused.

Under Shelf Baskets
A simple wire basket will blend into the rest of your closet, while an open wire frame lets you peek at what’s stored inside. For less than $15, this affordable option is a small investment to make for a more functional closet.
To buy: $13, containerstore.com.

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