Tiny Closet Space Transformation
It’s been ages since I’ve shared Live Simply client work around here and this one–this one is deserving.
To describe my client’s space as “small” would be a grotesque understatement of facts. This mini house she inhabits apparently used to belong to the local church, which provided it to the pastor gratis. Suffice it to say that apparently spiritual leadership and the necessity for square footage do not go hand in hand. But the home has a unique charm nonetheless.
The closet, on the other hand, was not cute. For one person it was insulting. For two, which became the number of inhabitants relying upon it when my client’s boyfriend moved in with her, the closet was not working. We’re talking total storage nightmare the kind that keeps you up for weeks.
So she called me in and I saw it and I was all, “OHHHHHHH. YEAH. This is rawl bad. Rawl, ral bad. Okay, we’re going to change your life now.”
Is that the stupidest?
A true closet design fail is what it was. The hanging rod was about a foot in, blocking any and all access to the “wealth of space” behind it; lighting: wretched; shelf space: abominable.
Closet cruelty. Happens every day.
I seriously had to tussle with those hanging garments in order to even catch a glimpse of what was happening behind. It was like a game of Red Rover but without the kids and without the chanting.
I always hated that game.
I couldn’t blame my client one bit for what had developed. Not one bit. Could you?
It was terribly, terribly evident that we would need to remove whatever existing closet elements there were and start from scratch. But figuring out the optimal set up was a puzzle to say the least.
If we did a system along the longer wall she’d lose the benefit of the depth the closet provided. If we added storage along the back and side wall she would hardly have been able to squeeze in. Etc.
It felt clear to me that we should maximize the depth of the closet by making the back wall our main storage situation. But I didn’t want the longer side walls to go to waste either. Back wall pimped out + hanging rack along one side wall would have been ideal, and was entirely implausible. Garments hung sideways would stick out way too far into the space, making getting to the storage at the back of the closet a difficult task. Which would defeat the purpose.
I collaborated with an Elfa designer at The Container Store, meaning the two of us stood there and plotted and discussed and scratched our heads together.
And then all of a sudden it came to me: valet hooks.
Valet hooks hung along one side wall would provide viable and significant hanging space, but unlike a hanging rod would not obstruct the standing room.
Ding ding ding!!!
These particular valet hooks also fold up when not in use and while I seriously doubt they’ll be unused, I figured why not give them the option.
voila:
I’ve still got a bit of work left to do, but suffice it to say this closet got a major upgrade.
17 Comments
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17 Comments
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on July 15, 2014 at 11:01 am
Fantastic fix 🙂
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on August 2, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Thanks Jenn!!
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on July 16, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Beautiful work, dramatically documented! I hope you share the link with your Container Store collaborator, it’ll make their day.
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on July 30, 2014 at 6:52 pm
Nice work. Too bad my closet is even smaller. I think it’s about the same width but doesn’t have the depth. True 1940’s ranch house. Minimal closets.
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Bah! I feel for you Linda!
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on August 21, 2014 at 10:32 am
Do you have a link for that valet rod? I can’t find it on the Container Store website, and my home is in need of several!
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Should be able to find them here: http://bit.ly/1ps6kye
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[…] hook there. Or better yet, if you’ve got the space, put a whole rack of hooks, like Annie of Live Simply by Annie did. This is a great way to reclaim wasted space, and you can use those hooks for practically […]
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on November 8, 2014 at 7:09 am
I didn’t notice the closet dimensions. Can you tell me what they are? I think my closet is similar size but not as deep. This looks like a walk-in compared to mine.
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on November 20, 2014 at 12:43 pm
You just helped me solve a big problem I’m having in a small closet I’m about to re-do for our last baby. Because you need to use the 16inch shelves from Elfa to get a good hanging distance from the wall, we lost the ability to put shelving on a 24 inch wall that we had in the closet (it’s only 32 inches deep, so we end up only having about 7-8 inches leftover after installing the shelves along the longest wall). Upside is that install will be easier on one wall versus two, but I’ve been trying to brainstorm ideas on how to add storage to that smaller wall. I was thinking regular hooks (like the ones you put on the back of bathroom doors), but I love this idea because it can be used for more than one item. It’s slowly becoming a baby room and full length things (like a dress or a bathrobe) won’t fit with how we designed things to hang. The room will still serve as a guest room when family visits (we’ll be keeping a twin mattress set in the garage when not needed), which means I need to be able to have a space for adult clothing items to keep people from having to live out of a suitcase all while not sacrificing space for the baby’s things. I don’t put anything but socks (and since this one is our first girl, we’ll also have hair things galore, I’m sure) in drawers because their clothes are so small, I forget what we already own and end up forgetting to put them in special occasion outfits because I don’t find them until after the event or holiday. Making EVERYTHING hang in such a small closet and still allow for adult clothing seemed nearly impossible, but having these will be awesome. When family isn’t here, I can use the gap for storing a hamper or something and just relocate it during visits and get more functionality out of the closet. Thank you!!! 🙂
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on April 13, 2015 at 6:13 am
What is the organizer on the small wall called? (That has the 5 shelves) Or in other words could you possibly attach a link to it? Thanks!
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[…] Source […]
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[…] how they organize this itty bitty closet here. They can also fold up against the wall. You can get similar ones for $29.99 each […]
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[…] livesimplybyannie.com […]
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on April 8, 2016 at 3:45 am
Wonderful!! Thank you!!
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on January 6, 2017 at 12:17 pm
Where did you get the shelves from on the right side of the closet?
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[…] Getting Creative with Living Simply By Annie […]
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Fantastic fix 🙂
Thanks Jenn!!
Beautiful work, dramatically documented! I hope you share the link with your Container Store collaborator, it’ll make their day.
Nice work. Too bad my closet is even smaller. I think it’s about the same width but doesn’t have the depth. True 1940’s ranch house. Minimal closets.
Bah! I feel for you Linda!
Do you have a link for that valet rod? I can’t find it on the Container Store website, and my home is in need of several!
Should be able to find them here: http://bit.ly/1ps6kye
[…] hook there. Or better yet, if you’ve got the space, put a whole rack of hooks, like Annie of Live Simply by Annie did. This is a great way to reclaim wasted space, and you can use those hooks for practically […]
I didn’t notice the closet dimensions. Can you tell me what they are? I think my closet is similar size but not as deep. This looks like a walk-in compared to mine.
You just helped me solve a big problem I’m having in a small closet I’m about to re-do for our last baby. Because you need to use the 16inch shelves from Elfa to get a good hanging distance from the wall, we lost the ability to put shelving on a 24 inch wall that we had in the closet (it’s only 32 inches deep, so we end up only having about 7-8 inches leftover after installing the shelves along the longest wall). Upside is that install will be easier on one wall versus two, but I’ve been trying to brainstorm ideas on how to add storage to that smaller wall. I was thinking regular hooks (like the ones you put on the back of bathroom doors), but I love this idea because it can be used for more than one item. It’s slowly becoming a baby room and full length things (like a dress or a bathrobe) won’t fit with how we designed things to hang. The room will still serve as a guest room when family visits (we’ll be keeping a twin mattress set in the garage when not needed), which means I need to be able to have a space for adult clothing items to keep people from having to live out of a suitcase all while not sacrificing space for the baby’s things. I don’t put anything but socks (and since this one is our first girl, we’ll also have hair things galore, I’m sure) in drawers because their clothes are so small, I forget what we already own and end up forgetting to put them in special occasion outfits because I don’t find them until after the event or holiday. Making EVERYTHING hang in such a small closet and still allow for adult clothing seemed nearly impossible, but having these will be awesome. When family isn’t here, I can use the gap for storing a hamper or something and just relocate it during visits and get more functionality out of the closet. Thank you!!! 🙂
What is the organizer on the small wall called? (That has the 5 shelves) Or in other words could you possibly attach a link to it? Thanks!
[…] Source […]
[…] how they organize this itty bitty closet here. They can also fold up against the wall. You can get similar ones for $29.99 each […]
[…] livesimplybyannie.com […]
Wonderful!! Thank you!!
Where did you get the shelves from on the right side of the closet?
[…] Getting Creative with Living Simply By Annie […]