Creative Closet Ideas: DIY

Designing your dream closet can be a lot of fun. You can create space, storage, organization and make it beautiful at the same time. Turning your boring, cluttered closet into a space that you’re proud of can be easier and cheaper than you may have expected.

Start with a little prep work. Remove everything from the closet. A lot of homes have closets with white insides. Chances are your closet interior has dust, scuffs from shoes hitting the wall, and maybe even some cobwebs. Clean the baseboards and any shelves that you plan on saving. Paint the inside with either the same color of the surrounding room or with a contrasting, or accent, color. Some people prefer the inside of the closet to be lighter than the surrounding area to not only draw the eye, but also to create light in an enclosed space.

The biggest problem in most closets is the misuse of available space. If there is a full foot or more of space between your hanging clothes and your shoes, then that is a lot of actual square footage. Imagine what you would do with your closet if you took out the bar and raised the top shelf? You probably do not stack that top shelf to the ceiling. So, if it is only used for storing things like blankets and suitcases, then you can move it up higher and make more space for your everyday use.

Draw some designs that fit your closet and your needs. First, give clothing and shoes to charity if they are the wrong size, just never looked right or that are out of date. Separate winter and summer wardrobes and store out of season clothes in a large container with a lid to keep out dust. Now decide how much space you will need. Shelves are great for folded t-shirts, shorts and pajamas. You can more than double the space in your closet by exchanging that eight foot bar for two four foot ones and adding deep shelves to the empty side of the closet.

Adding a hutch or drawer system to the closet is really popular right now. This will cost a little more money, but can eliminate the need for bulky, dust gathering bedroom furniture. Remember that deep drawers tend to bury clothes and they generally get unfolded when they are rummaged through daily. Try to keep drawers shallow. Use them for things like socks, underwear, ties and belts. Folded t-shirts and jeans on shelves are easy to sort through without unfolding the stack. You can also buy wire baskets that hang from the shelf to store smaller items without investing in drawers.

White or stained shelves will ensure a stark contrast with your wall paint and make your closet look clean and neat. Top it all off with wood hangers, nice baskets for storage and decorative hooks. You will not only love the way that your closet looks, but enjoy the organization and ease of use that you have created to fit your specific needs and tastes.