Maximizing Your Closet Space

I can't stand the way my closets are laid out. How am I supposed to fit all of my junk in there? And even if I did, will I still be able to easily access it? The Organization Gods say it's definitely time for a closet overhaul...

I failed to take a before picture, but I wrote this blog after the closet was done, so I forgive myself. If you want to imagine what it looked like before, just consider most basic closets with the one long hanging rod and shallow shelf above it.

I got this picture from http://www.niceandneatorganizing.com/ as an example of the

guts of the closet before it was revamped:

The shelf space is seems like it's never enough in your generic closet, and the overlap between hanger space and floor space is ridiculous--dresses and robes attacking shoes for their right to exist, and vice versa. It's pure carnage.

The following is what I did for my daughter's bedroom closet...

First, with a wave of my wand--the completed project:

(forgive the shoddy organization--this was taken a day after the build... and yes, that's a printer.)

Step 1--The Plan and Design
This closet has two bi-fold doors instead of the two large, solid sliding doors, so I didn't need to worry about centering anything to allow access. You'll see that the basket shelves I created are roughly in the center of the closet. Pulling these out would have been impossible had the closet used regular doors instead of bi-fold doors.

Shelf space--We like bins. Well, my wife likes them, and they're growing on me. I measured the left side of the closet to be able to fit two of these bins side-by-side on one shelf. There are several types and sizes of bins, and we actually have four or five different types ourselves. I measured based on the largest ones we have, to ensure we could fit them all.

Hanger space--I love options, and when I get to build my own stuff, I can do whatever I want. There are four places in this closet to hang a rod. The top one (at about 87" from the floor up to the center of the rod), and three others down below (29", 43.5", and 58"). The two options are three rods--
87" (=29" x 3)
58" (=29" x 2)
29"

and two rods--

87" (=43.5" x 2)
43.5"

Kids clothes fit just fine with less space between rods, so the option of three is perfect for us at this point. When she gets a little older, two rods will fit her clothes better--although about three feet of hanging space will be lost. I hope she still loves me when that happens.

Drawer space--Baskets. Here is an option that few consider. It's easier, cheaper, and faster than building custom drawers... and it looks pretty darn cool. If you want lots of easily accessible storage then this might be a great option for your closet insert. Three of the baskets shown in the picture are hanging on angle-aluminum strips, and three of them are resting on either the plywood shelves or the floor. I got the idea from one of my favorite bloggers/creators, Ana White--Click Here to view her page on the baskets.

In general, a closet is a waste of space if you can't put everything you need into it to minimize clutter in the rest of your room.

Step 2--The Tools and Materials

1. Tape measure
2. Pencil
3. Level
4. Bar clamps
5. Sawhorses
6. Circular saw or worm drive (the difference? Read this for an explanation of the difference.)
7. Jigsaw
8. Metal hand-saw
9. Drill
10. Drill bits (1/4",3/16")
11. Screwdriver
12. Iron
13. Compass (the architect kind... and this tool isn't vital)
14. 2 sheets of 3/4" white melamine particle board ($35 each)
15. 2 packs of 3/4" white melamine iron-on edge banding ($5 each)
16. L-shaped shelf pins
17. Angle aluminum
18. Closet rod flange set
19. 12' (144") Wooden dowel
20. Screws (1/2" washer-head, and 2.5" wood)

STEP 3--Building It

It seems a bit much to explain the dimensions exactly, since closets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. So I'll go over some of my creative ideas for working with my own closet and let you run with them.

A. BASKET SHELVES

Materials needed:

1. Angle aluminum
2. Washer head screws
3. Metal hand saw
4. Drill and 3/16" drill bit

Here is a closer look at the basket-shelves. Look at all of that storage! We win!

The angle aluminum I bought were 4' long. I cut each one into 4 pieces: 2 x 1", and 2 x 23". First, I cut each one in half (2 at a time actually), and then I cut an inch off of each end. The 1" pieces became the shelf supports for the three melamine board shelves above each pair of baskets, and the 23" strips became the basket supports for the 2nd, 4th, and 6th baskets (from bottom to top). You get a decent view of the setup on the top-most basket and shelf in the above picture.

I drilled starter holes for the washer head screws so there would be little chance of chipping from the melamine board. In my experience, particle board likes to chip off in chunks of all sizes.

B. STORAGE SHELVES

Materials needed:

1. Melamine Board
2. Melamine Tape
3. L-shaped supports
4. 1/4" drill bit
5. 2.5" wood screws
6. Level
7. Compass/Pencils
8. Iron

I made deep shelves (16", 18", 20", and 22") and spaced them to fit exactly two of our biggest storage bins. I also made a little arch on the left side of each shelf to curve out and meet the front wall and give each shelf a more customized feel.

I wanted a customized feel, and as much shelf space as possible, so I curved the shelves outward to meet the front wall. To do this, I drew my lines and used a compass to create my curved line. For the cut, I used a jigsaw.

On the edges, I advise measuring your available space (length and width), then reducing each measurment by about 1/2" when cutting your shelf. This ensures you'll be able to wiggle your shelf into position when it's time to put it in the closet.

For the supports, use scraps from the melamine board. Cut or crop the scraps into nice, long rectangles at least 17.5" long, so they can reach from stud to stud (16" from center to center).

For the melamine tape, I was advised to steam-iron them on from someone at Lowe's who had used the stuff. I don't know if it makes a difference or not. One idea in hindsight would be to blue-tape the edges off after the melamine tape is on, and put a thin line of caulking on to hide any imperfections or noticeable dings on the edges caused by the saw blade. This may also help protect the melamine tape from breaking off.

For the L-shaped supports, draw your lines and make sure they're level with the rest of the supports. I advise mounting the scrap pieces into the back/side/front walls first, and doing the L-shaped supporst last. Since walls and floors aren't always plumb or level, working from back to front is generally easier to make sure your closet will be plumb and level.

3. HANGING RODS

Materials needed:

1. Wooden dowel
2. Closet rod flange sets
3. Scrap board
4. 2.5" wood screws
5. 3/16" drill bit

There isn't really very much to putting in hanging rods, other than making sure your supports are firmly mounted.

Again, make sure your scrap pieces are at least 17.5" so they'll reach from stud to stud (plus a little extra so you'll have room for the screws). Once they're on there, I suggest centering the rod on each end so that it's halfway from the back wall to the front wall.

The quirk I added to my daughter's closet is that I have three rods. This actually gives me more hanging space than I had with just the original one-rod setup. Once her clothes outgrow the space between, I'll switch to two rods. I have four flange sets in the closet currently. The measurements for each are stated above in the Plan and Design.

Sure my daughter can't reach the top rung, but she can't really dress herself yet and it's a small price to pay for more hanger space. I even set it up to adjust to two rods that would fit adult clothes.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and tips for your own closets! I still have one more closet insert to build in our house, and hope to add any elements of simple, creative, genius that I can glean from others.

Happy building!