Just because you have a smaller closet or a smaller home doesn’t mean you can’t increase your storage space.
The thing is, it’s even more important to make the most of your storage space when your living space is fairly limited.
I love doing work in large homes. But I get even more satisfaction, personally, when I give someone living in a more “modest” home the space they didn’t realize they had.
To me, creating a system that makes a reach-in closet more spacious feels good. And those are the clients who are extremely grateful when I’m done.
Here’s a closet I did recently. It’s a basic reach-in closet, but does a lot more than the wire shelf we removed.
Custom closet design for small, reach in closet
One of the most important things to do with a reach-in closet is to avoid the “leaning tower of clothes” which is what you get when there’s one long shelf along the top. By adding vertically-stacked narrower shelves, you end up with your folded clothes at eye-level and you won’t have to reach (and sling) clothes that are 7 feet from the floor.
Plus, you’ll have better, more organized space for smaller piles that won’t tip and fall.
For your hanging clothes, you’ll want to double-up the rods (a top and bottom rod) and use the sides of your reach-in closet for your hanging. (If you have a lot of tall hanging that’s less-used or seasonal, they should go against the far right or left wall — or even use hooks or valet rods if you only have a limited amount of long dresses or coats.)
By keeping the shelves front and center, you’ll have better access. And it’s always easier to reach-in and pull a hanger from a rod than it is to reach into a shelf at an angle.