Many wonder how Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw managed when it came to organizing her small closet in her New York City apartment. Throw in your statement pieces, shoe collections, handbags, and everyday basics and it's near impossible to keep everything intact in a tiny closet. Organization only gets more challenging if your closet’s storage system isn’t curated to assist you with keeping tabs on what you have and where it was placed.
When it comes to closets, storage space is key. If your closet is small, calculating what’s going into it is a must-do before the organization process. With this stated, there are so many ideas you can play with when organizing a small closet. Organization and cleaning expert Hailey Becnel provided us with her top organizing tips that will assist you with making room for all of your favorite closet items.
How to organize a small closet
Photography: Vivian Johnson for Shira Gill
Wondering how to organize a tiny closet in an apartment? Becnel has you covered with must-know pointers along with some of the products she utilizes to make this process easier.
Decluttering the space. Are there clothes you no longer wear or shoes that are damaged beyond repair? If so, Becnel believes these items should be donated or thrown in the trash. (And don't convince yourself you still need those things if it's been a year or more since you've worn them!)
Get creative. Utilize every inch of your closet. Becnel loves a good over-the-door hanging organizer. These are perfect for holding smaller items, such as scarves, belts, undergarments, socks, or small purses. Another suggestion is to invest in velvet, multi-tier hangers. Instead of hanging one pair of jeans, you'll have the ability to hang multiple. Finally, if you have wall space in your small closet, buy some inexpensive hooks for hanging up bulky items or bags.
Buy a mini dresser or inexpensive stackable drawers. The possibilities are endless here. Becnel mentioned her daughter's closet is very small and bought a small dresser from a thrift store to use in her closet. The extra drawer space has been a lifesaver.
Invest in vacuum storage bags. Becnel says storage bags are amazing for putting away clothing you may not wear very often, especially seasonal items like puffer coats or your giant collection of summer dresses. These items can be stacked like books and will save your small closet more space by doing so. They're also ideal for storing away extra bedding and blankets.
Add an extra rod. Becnel suggests adding an extra rod to your closet. These are game-changers and can give you extra space for new clothing — a win-win in our book.
A professional organizer's small closet must-haves
Below, you’ll find items chosen by Becnel for decluttering closet space. This is proof that you can have both: personal style and an organized wardrobe.
Clean up your closet space with these pant hangers. You can hang up your sleek work pants, jeans, skirts, scarves, and more. Because of their stacked design, you have more room for new finds and extra shopping trips.
These multi-purpose clothes hangers majorly save on closet space. You can hang purses, coats, shirts, and dresses horizontally and then flip them to hang vertically when you need more room. Genius.
This door-hanging organizer provides you with loads of storage room and is great for organizing. It arrives in an elegant and simple decorative design and is a useful choice for any small closet. Fill it with small accessories, jewelry, or socks and create extra room for your 'fits.
Maximize your use of vertical storage space in your small closet by stacking these shelves. The grooves on the top of the plastic bins secure multiple drawer units to help you save floor or shelf space in your closet.
These vacuum storage bags come in a variety of sizes. Space-saver containers like these are perfect for organizing your small closet. They're ideal for keeping seasonal clothing out of the way or even extra bedding and blankets.
These hooks can fit in with any decor style from modern to cottagecore to Scandinavian. They are versatile enough to use in your small closet or use them outside of the space to hang your coats and outerwear.