“I wish my closet was smaller,” said no one ever! But the fact is, some of us do have really tiny three-foot closets to work with, so we may as well make the best of them. And if you can think of organizing your little closet space as a fun problem-solving challenge, like a Rubik’s Cube, or a game of Tetris, then you might even enjoy the process. Tap into some of these Design Ideas for 3-Foot Closets to help you get the job done.
1. More is More
Finding ways to create more spots for things is your number one job. One of the best ways to achieve this is by adding a second closet rod. Purchase a standard dowel from your local hardware store, have it cut to length and pick up some hanging hardware. Install one rod well above eye height and the second rod about three feet off the floor. Congratulations, you have now doubled the amount of items you can hang.
No space for a second rod? Double your hanging capacity by purchasing hanger doublers – they slip over your existing hangers and allow you to hang a second hanger from the first. Think of it as your “poor man’s” second closet rod.
2. Hang On!
Now that you’ve got that extra rod space, maximize your ability to hang. A hanging boot rack will allow you to store multiple pairs of boots in a slim vertical space, freeing up floor space and keeping your boots protected for wear and tear. Hanging cubbies will add a tier of cubicles for things like sweaters, T-shirts or shoes. Strategically hanging these cubbies in the middle of your rod will allow you to create zones inside your closet, for example, work wear on one side and club wear on the other. Other specialized hangers will allow you to pair pants with tops to create one stop outfit shopping or hang multiple belts or scarves on a single divided hanger.
3. Going Up?
Don’t let the space at the top of your closet go unused. Make sure you have an overhead shelf above your closet rod. If you don’t, install one and you will be surprised by all the additional storage you have created. Add some zippered or lidded storage bins to hold lesser-used items like extra lines and seasonal clothes. Label your bins with a pic of what’s inside or choose clear tubs so you can always see what each bin contains. If you aren’t using this upper-level space because it’s hard to reach, keep a small stepladder or decorative crate nearby to get yourself quickly and easily up there.
4. Master Your Shelf
For closets that don’t need to include hanging storage, consider floor to ceiling shelves. Grab an easy modular hanging solution from a hardware or storage store and then have your local hardware cut a stack of shelves to size. Imagine opening your closet door to row upon row of glorious shelves.
Alternately, consider lowering your hanging rod to the lower half of your closet, about three-feet off the floor, then fill the rest with shelves from the three-foot mark right on up to the ceiling. Pick up some shelf dividers to keep you stacks of T-shirts and sweaters neat and at your fingertips right at eye height.
5. Behind Door Number One
People often forget that the back of the closet door can hold tons of stuff! There are about five inches of space between the doorframe and the rest of the functioning closet. Don’t think five inches is much? Tell that to all the belts you have hanging back there below the decorative mirror, robe hook and set of slim-line baskets full of all your accessories.