7 Quick Ways to Organize a Small Walk-in Closet

Is your closet small? Or maybe it’s messy, cluttered, and unorganized? Learn 7 quick ways to organize a small walk-in closet.

I gave my husband’s small crowded closet a complete makeover.

And when I say “I” it really means “we”.

Because I couldn’t have done it without his help.

So thanks, Chris!

The first thing we did was remove the old wire shelving and install a new DIY closet system with parts that we pieced together to create a semi-custom space.

Closet makeovers can be pretty costly.

But not this one!

I shared all the details of his new master bedroom closet in this post!

The best thing about this transformation was the price.

It was less than $250!

Yup…that’s it!!

So, go check it out if you want to replace your builder’s grade closet shelving on the cheap.

Now for the fun part!

Organizing!

Styling Chris’s new closet was so much fun!

I love when everything finally comes together at the end of a DIY project and your vision comes to life.

But first let’s back up and take a look at the closet before we built his new storage system.

Before Closet Makeover

Wow…it really was such a mess before!

But it’s probably a good example of what many of our closets look like, right?

Lots of wasted space…

unorganized..

cluttered!

That sums up my closet right now.

What about yours?

How to Organize a Small Walk-in Closet

The closet is now stylish thanks to the black painted walls and white DIY closet system.

And it’s now super organized!

I just love it.

Doesn’t it look amazing?

It turned out way better than I had imagined.

Now I can’t wait to do mine!!

1. How to Arrange Hanging Clothes

Hanging clothes storage is probaby the number one need in closet organization.

The trick is to create enough space for all of your hanging clothes without it being overcrowded.

Chris likes to hang his t-shirts in addition, to dress shirts, pants, and jackets.

So,, we had to be sure to create enough space for everything he wanted to hang in his new closet.

We included both an upper and lower hanging rod on the back wall to accommodate his t-shirt collection.

On the left side wall, we added another upper hanging rod for dress shirts and suit jackets.

2. Where to Store Folded Clothes

It’s also important when customizing your closet to think about how you like to store your clothing.

Do you hang all of your clothing in your closet or do you need space for folded pieces as well?

Chris was using the top shelves of his old closet for sweatshirts and pants.

Including shelving for those items was at the top of the list when designing his new closet.

Two narrow tall bookcases work perfectly in the space for extra storage.

And since the shelves only allow a certain number of sweatshirts or pants on each, it keeps his folded clothing looking neat & organized.

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3. Easy Shoe Storage System

I found a shoe storage rack that fit perfectly between the two bookcases.

How lucky is that!?

Most of Chris’s everyday shoes and sneakers are kept in the garage, but he needed space for his dress shoes.

The metal and wood style of the shoe rack adds some different texture to the monochromatic closet.

4. How to Use Baskets to Organize a Closet

Baskets are probably one of my favorite ways to organize.

They come in so many pretty shapes and styles.

I use baskets to organize everywhere around my home to help keep me organized!

So, when looking for ways to organize the closet… it was definitely baskets for the win!

And I just love how the color and texture of the baskets really warm up his small walk-in closet.

A small basket on top of the shoe rack is great place for storing items that may easily get misplaced.

This cute wicker and wood basket is perfect for holding a watch, keys, loose change, etc.

This budget-friendly seagrass basket was the absolute perfect size for the bookcase shelves.

It’s almost like it was made for it!

A basket on each bookcase tower visually breaks up the middle of the shelves that store all his folded clothing.

One basket holds dress socks and the other stores belts.

Larger baskets on the top shelf are great for storing things you don’t need to have access to all of the time.

Out of season clothing, extra shoes & hats or even linens can be arranged in large baskets.

5. Where to Contain Dirty Clothes

A wicker hamper fits on the floor on the left side of the closet under the upper hanging clothes rod.

Now, Chris has a stylish place to put his dirty clothes, instead of the ugly mesh pop-up hamper he used to have.

It’s the little things, ya know! LOL

6. Decorative Hanging Coat Racks

Having hooks in a closet is great for organizing clothes, jackets, hats and more.

Chris has quite an impressive collection of baseball caps.

So, hanging a few of his favorite hats on these decorative coat racks not only looks great but also adds functional storage.

The rest of his hats are stored in one of those large baskets on the top shelf.

7. A Small Detail for a Beautifully Displayed Space

One of the easiest things you can do to create a beautifully arranged walk-in closet is to purchase matching hangers.

I found wood and black hangers from Target that coordinate with the new DIY master bedroom closet.

Hanging all your clothes on the same hangers, no matter what kind of hanger you choose, creates a cohesive and organized look in your closet.

Do you have any other ways to organize a small walk-in closet?

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I’d love to hear your ideas just contact me or leave a comment below!

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