33 Narrow Closet Design Ideas And 6 Useful Tips - Shelterness (2024)

If you happen to have a walk-in closet, this is great! And if it’s big, it’s even better. But most of us have small and sometimes also narrow closets that are pretty hard to design and even harder to organize as the space is very limited. We’ve prepared some tips and tricks to make most of such a closet, take a look!

Arrange Your Closet Single-Sided

If you have a long narrow closet in a small size, avoid installing your closet around, and a space with single-sided closet will allow you to move around comfortably. It will also make reaching things convenient and storage spaces will be easy to access.

a contemporary narrow closet with stained wood drawers, cabinets and shelves and some railings for clothes plus a window for natural light

a long and narrow walk-in closet in white, with lots of shoe shelves, open storage and just some boxes on top plus hat holders

a minimalist white closet with shelves and open storage compartments, with a lit up mirror and lit up shelves is cool and features a lot of space

a mint green closet with shelves and drawers and built-in lights is a stylish idea with a soft touch of color

a mint green narrow closet with lots of drawers and open storage compartments, with lit up shelves and a chandelier

a narrow blue closet with open storage compartments, drawers and railings, a mirror and a black leather stool

Customize Fitted Closet Or Rack System

A fitted closet and hanging rack system are capable to increase the depth, expand the inside space of the closet and take full advantage of the dead corner on the upper ceiling. Leave the top of your custom fitted closet about 30mm apart from the ceiling to make your space look airier.

a narrow closet done with open shelves, railings, a shelf that is a desk, a chair, a basket with a lid and some lights

a narrow walk-in closet with glass doors, with open cabinets and shelves, with mirror drawers is a glam and refined idea

a narrow walk-in closet with open storage compartments and drawers is a lovely space with built-in lights

Direct The Rack And Shelves On The Wall

Similar to the design of reduction on the inside closet doors, the back panel occupies at least 2cm in depth. If your chosen hanging rack system is the same or similar color scheme as your wall, to save space for moving around, it is possible to direct the timber or rack system on the wall.

a narrow walk-in closet with white airy shelves and baskets for storage, railing and drawers, a mirror and a potted cactus

a narrow white closet with lit up open storage compartments, railing and a built-in dresser is a stylish and cool space

a narrow white walk-in closet with railing, open storage compartments, drawers and some clothes and shoes

a narrow white walk-in closet with shelves, open storage compartments, railings, lights and lit up shelves

a neutral and warm-colored narrow closet with open storage compartments, drawers and shelves plus some railings and a large mirror

Make Use Of Awkward Corners

The corner is a place that is easily ignored in most long narrow closets. To make good use of the corner, it is highly recommended to turn the corner into a corner cabinet or shelving space.

a neutral narrow closet with open storage lit up shelves, clothes hanging, drawers and shelves is a lovely space with great organization

a neutral walk-in closet with open storage compartments, drawers and shelves plus railings is a cool space to store your shoes and clothes

a rich-stained narrow closet with open shelves and drawers, some lights over the space is a well-organized and cool space

a small and lovely walk-in closet with botanical wallpaper, a white storage unit and railings for hanging clothes and steps

Increase The Number Of Open Cubbies, Drawers And Shelves

If you want to expand the usable space of a long narrow closet, or want more space to move around in depth, try open cubbies, which will perform a marvelous result. Replace your hanging space with drawers in your small and long narrow closet. It is tested that the storage space of drawers is 2 to 2.5 times more than that of the hanging area. That is to say, you can stock 2 to 2.5 more clothes into drawers than you can hang. Besides that, drawers can be a great asset to store your jewelry, eyeglasses, belts, ties, scarves and hats without damage.

Shelves can be stacked layer by layer to the ceiling, making full use of the vertical space. The orderly shelves create a clean and tidy effect, while also visually creating a sense of spaciousness.

a small and narrow closet in white, with open shelves and railing, shoe shelves attached to the wall is a lovely idea for a small home

a small and narrow closet with a bit of open storage space and metal shelving, some clothes hangers on the wall is well-organized

a small and narrow minimalist closet with open storage units, lit up shelves and some boxes on top doesn't look cluttered and is well-organized

a small and narrow walk-in closet with light-stained drawers, open storage compartments and railings, a black vintage chair

a small and narrow walk-in closet with open shelving and storage compartments, drawers and an artwork is a great space

Arrange More Shoe Shelves

Arranging a shoe shelf in your long narrow closet is an urgent thing to do if you are in favor of collecting shoes. But you should reject cubbies as your shoe storage shelves. Before building the shoe shelves, you should know: for men, you should set the shelves at a minimum of 14 inches or 35.6 cm in depth. For women, at a minimum of 12 inches or 30.5 cm in depth. If you want more flexibility, it is suggested to change the fixed shelves with adjustable ones, so you are free of making your shelves move with your shoes and boots.

a small and narrow yet well-organized closet with light-stained furniture with open storage, drawers and shelves plus a black chair

a small minimalist closet with lots of open storage space, dome drawers and holders for hangers, a creative stool and a glass sliding door

a small neutral closet with an L-shaped shelf for boxes and a rack under it to hang stuff, a couple of IKEA dressers

a small Nordic closet with open shelves, holders for clothes hangers and some built-in drawers is a cool idea

a small stylish closet done in light stained wood, with holders for clothes hangers, some open shelves, built-in drawers and a black chair

Install Sliding Doors If Required

Imagine you have to unfold a hinged closest door in a narrow space. Where should you stand? Will the doors hit your shoulder or body? Is it convenient to take out the garments and close the cabinet door? In this case you need a horizontal sliding cabinet door which will spare much more space for the passway. These are all the tips about long and narrow closets, we hope they were useful for you!

a stained narrow walk-in closet with lots of shelves, drawers and even steps to reach all the necessary things

a tall and narrow white closet with lots of shelves, open storage compartments, railings for clothes and built-in lights

a tiny narrow closet with open lit up shelves, drawers and open storage units is a lovely space to be in

an ultra-minimalist black and graphite grey closet with lots of shoe shelves and some drawers plus holders for hangers

33 Narrow Closet Design Ideas And 6 Useful Tips - Shelterness (2024)

FAQs

How to design a narrow closet? ›

DO plan your design like you would your kitchen and counter cabinets. From the waist down should be your deeper storage and the narrow storage should be from the waist up. DON'T pack your belongings under hanging bars.

What is the most efficient closet setup? ›

Divide items by type: Jeans, sweaters, dresses, etc. Arrange items based on length and bulkiness: Tops go on lower racks or shorter shelves, pants go on a hook rack or mid-level shelf, and long dresses and bulky coats go on higher racks and spacious shelves.

What are five tips for organizing your closet? ›

5 Tips for Organizing Your Closet
  • Store seasonally. ...
  • Practice safe storage. ...
  • Edit as you go. ...
  • Make your closet look like a fancy department store designed just for you. ...
  • Don't forget about the small stuff.
Oct 4, 2023

How wide does a narrow walk-in closet need to be? ›

Typically, the smallest size for a functional walk-in closet is 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep. This size offers just enough space for hanging clothes and some storage options. However, if you want to hang clothes on both sides of the closet or include built-ins, the width should be at least 6 to 7 feet.

What is the narrowest a closet can be? ›

Standard Walk-in Closet Sizes

Although there's no limit to how big your walk-in closet can be, these measurements are a good place to start: Standard walk-in closet width: 4-5 feet for single, 6-8 feet for double-sided. Minimum walk-in closet size: 5 x 5 feet (just enough room to turn around).

How to organize narrow deep closets? ›

16 Ways to Squeeze Extra Storage Out of a Small Closet
  1. Hang drawers if you don't have a bureau. ...
  2. Hang your leggings. ...
  3. Use a flat storage option. ...
  4. Store small items together. ...
  5. Invest in a basic closet system. ...
  6. Organize accessories on a single hanger. ...
  7. Use an extender rod to double your available hanging space.
Sep 28, 2023

What are three techniques for organizing closets? ›

Try starting here:
  • Step 1 – Remove and Organize: It may sound like a hassle, but for step one of organizing your closet, we're starting from scratch. ...
  • Step 2 – Bag Up Old Items: Step two is an essential (and perhaps slightly painful) part of how to organize your closet. ...
  • Step 3 – Strategize & Place Items Back In:
Mar 13, 2023

What colors to organize your closet? ›

Group “types” of clothing together (ie. dresses, blouses, jackets, etc.) Within each group of clothing type, create color blocks. Use the rainbow (ROY G BIV) to color coordinate: White, tan, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, brown, grey, black.

Is 3 ft wide enough for a walk-in closet? ›

Minimum. Small walk-in closet sizes can be, at the absolute minimum, 4 x 4 feet or 16 square feet total. This leaves room for the 24 inches needed to hang clothes as well as the standard 24 inches of clear walkway for people to be able to step inside of the space.

Is 6 feet wide enough for walk-in closet? ›

No, 6 feet wide is not wide enough to hang clothes on each side. You'll need 7 feet. You need a minimum 24" for clothes on hangers and a minimum of 36" for a walkway (36" is optimal to not brush against clothes). So, you're going to need another foot to have a bare minimum dimension.

What is the minimum depth for a closet for hanging clothes? ›

Some Important Numbers to Keep in Mind

A clothes closet should have a minimum depth of at least 24 inches deep, so the clothes can clear the back wall. Shelves for women's shoes should be spaced about 6 to 7 inches apart.

How do you maximize a narrow walk-in closet? ›

Hang hooks on the walls to store hats, purses, or jewelry, and use baskets and bins for smaller items like socks and undergarments. You can also add a full-length mirror to create the illusion of a bigger space. With these ideas, your small walk-in closet will become a chic and organized haven.

What is the minimum size for a built in closet? ›

A standard full-size walk-in closet for two people should measure a minimum of 7 by 10 feet. It should preferably have an area of 100 sq. ft as this allows you to have storage units on all three walls with even a sitting area in the middle. In case you want a smaller one, small walk-ins can be built in as low as 25 sq.

What is the minimum depth of a wardrobe closet? ›

The comfortable recommended depth of a closet is 24” (61 cm), but closet depths as narrow as 20” (50.8 cm) can be used if desired. Shelf depths of 12” (30.5 cm) should be used for shoes and smaller clothing elements.

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