35 Designer-Approved Small Closet Ideas to Squeeze Every Inch Out of Your Space

Intentionality is key when designing a small closet. It should feel like an extension of the room it's attached to. DuVäl carried this studio's wallcovering onto the closet's ceiling and painted the shelving in coordinating Farrow & Ball Sulking Room Pink. A velvet upholstered chair offers a place to sit and put on shoes.

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Get inspired by Tasmin Johnson and install a series of corner shelves to make use of space outside the confines of your small closet. This works for purses, shoes, and other small accessories you want to keep on display.

This artfully curated pet cabinet, designed by Arianne Bellizaire for House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home, displays everything you might need for your furry friend. And because there are no baskets to rifle through, it won't become a tangled mess. Pro tip: This hanging system would also work perfectly for belts, ties, or scarves.

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For those with limited square footage, a separate desk-like vanity might seem like an out-of-reach luxury, but Gail Davis has a solution: Tuck it in a closet. In this bathroom built-in, a vanity setup featuring all of the getting-ready essentials takes the place of shelves. When you're finished, there's no need to reorganize or line up your perfume bottles perfectly. You can simply close the door.

Not every home has space for a full laundry room, but a small closet can be all you need, as Emily Henderson proves here. A ledge on top of the washer and dryer offers ample storage for laundry essentials and baskets, while side shelves keep other cleaning supplies out of reach of curious hands.

For a fashionista, it's almost blasphemous to tuck the season's latest finds away behind closed doors. And sometimes your small closet doesn't have room for them anyway. Rather than shove everything in (or leave them on the chair), opt for a vintage clothing rack as Pam Schneider did here.

Rather than tossing ribbon and wrapping paper in separate bins—where it's all bound to get ripped, tangled, and wrinkled—Claire Staszak of Centered by Design cleverly organized them in this gifting closet on clothing rods. You can use tension rods to make this an easy DIY project for your craft closet at home.

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For hostess with the hostess, transform a boring linen closet into an entertainer's dream as Isabel Ladd did in House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home. Each tablecloth has its own hook in the bottom compartments, while vases, jugs, and serveware are displayed with pride on the upper shelves.

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In designer Ruthie Sommers's own home, closet space is limited, so she used a vintage armoire (painted bright blue, of course) to house her beloved art supplies. Paintbrushes stand ready to use in jars for easy visibility and access without rustling through a drawer.

Designer Alicia Hassen of Brooklinteriors was faced with a rarity when working on this New Jersey Victorian: an unused walk-in closet. Rather than let the space become a junk room or, worse, sit empty, she turned it into a reading nook. The Morris & Co. wallpaper backing the custom shelving gives it even more depth.

If you have a closet in your room, but it feels cramped, consider swapping the door for a pocket door—or removing it altogether. In this bunk room by Dee Murphy, wallpaper and paint make the sleep zone feel distinct from the closet, but going door-free helps open the whole space up.

In a small room, every square foot counts. Instead of writing off a oddly shaped nook as wasted space, put it to work. Here, Gary McBournie made the most of a farmhouse's slanted roof line by installing a simple shelf with a hanging rack.

This small closet by David Kaihoi shares a home with a washer-and-dryer unit, so everything has to be arranged just so. Trays within drawers help keep smaller accessories sorted, while two rows of clothing rods take advantage of all the vertical space.

When you have a small closet—in an even smaller space—there's no ignoring its presence. Instead of playing the shame game and pretending it's not there, let it be a decorative element. In her New York City apartment, Christina Juarez calls attention to her fashion-forward closet by surrounding it with copious artwork and boldly patterned wallpaper.

Shoes take up a lot of room, so they're one of the first things you should consider removing if you want more clothing storage in your closet. They're also the last thing you put on, so it's okay if you need to go to another area, like a hall or bathroom closet, to find them. This ensuite linen closet by Joshua Greene doubles as a shoe cubby, keeping pairs neat, tidy, and off the closet floor.

There's no reason a small closet shouldn't feel as special and considered as a dreamy walk-in. Case in point? This charming kid's room closet by Leanne Ford, which gets a pop of playful energy from a floral mural.

In this bedroom by David Kaihoi, there are several must-steal small closet ideas, starting with placing mirrors on the inside of your closet doors for function and stylish appeal. Mounting hooks on the doors and using canvas bins to stay organized as seen here are two more great small-space solutions.

For anyone whose tiny closet is already packed to the brim (or who doesn't even have a closet to begin with), a freestanding clothing rack is a lifesaver. Besides, since your wardrobe is exposed, it'll force you to keep your clothes nice and organized instead of in an avalanche pile.

When a single closet isn't enough, a wall unit like this one gives you a shelf for accessories and pegs to hang coats and bags. The white Shaker-style peg rail that Tom Scheerer mounted to the wall here aligns with the farmhouse style throughout the home.

For a sleek, streamlined look that exudes a sense of order, design your closet so that it's flush with the surrounding walls. Here, the inset closet doors by Shapeless Studio disappear into the rest of the primary bedroom, providing plenty of clothing storage without infringing on the living space physically or visually.