The Best Accessories for Small Closets

If you have a small hall closet or linen closet, you might feel as though it’s hardly worth the space it takes up. After all, if you have towels or coats or shoes spilling out of it, it’s hardly optimized for maximum storage! Closet accessories can make all the difference in this case. Here are some accessories to consider for your small closet:

• Double Clothing Rod
  If you are hanging jackets in a hall closet, a double hanging rod will allow you to hang double the items! One rod will go at the traditional height, and one will go 30 to 36 inches below the first. You can now spread out your coats, hanging the adults’ jackets on the top rod and the kids’ on the bottom. As a bonus, you will also now have room to hang bags containing each person’s gloves, hats and other wintertime accessories. One caveat: If your jackets are long, this might not work well, unless you can hang the lower rod front-to-back (perpendicular to the top rod) and use the other half of the closet to hold your full-length coats.
• Shoe Rack
  If your front closet floor is littered with shoes, a shoe rack can get them under control. You can go with a standard rack, which sits on the floor and holds your shoes neatly paired up, or you can choose an over-the-door shoe rack, which will utilize your vertical space and leave the floor available for things like umbrellas or, if necessary, the vacuum cleaner.

• Pull-Out Shelving
  Is your linen closet unwieldy and difficult to manage? Pull-out shelves in the linen closet can make a big difference. Instead of teetering piles of towels, you can utilize the entire depth of the closet and still reach everything easily. You can also store bins of toiletries on lower shelves and reach them without having to maneuver yourself uncomfortably. As an aside, pull-out shelving can make your under-sink cabinets much easier to access, as well.

• Hooks and Brackets on the Wall
  When you have a small closet, you need to make use of your vertical space whenever possible. Installing hooks and brackets on the walls can allow you to hang hats, belts, ties and other small items without taking up valuable shelf or clothing rod space. In a small hall closet, placing hooks at your kids’ eye levels can allow them to hang up jackets or sweatshirts without dealing with hangers. They can also hang backpacks and lunch bags from similar hooks.

Working with a small closet space can be a challenge, but finding workable solutions will be worth the time and effort necessary. A small reach-in closet can be overwhelmed easily by clutter, so finding ways to eliminate and contain your clutter will make a world of difference.