The best closets have more to offer than their contents. If you ask us, it's the structural decisions and smart organizational tricks that make a truly enviable dressing space. Here are 13 ideas to file away in your mental docket for your next wardrobe overhaul.
Above: Norwegian blogger Nina of Stylizimo used five bathroom towel rods to create an ingenious wall-mounted shoe rack in her closet. For an affordable rail, consider Ikea's steel Bygel Rail; $2.99.
Above: The Corner Hanging Rod from CB2 makes use of an awkward corner space; $39.95.
Above: Michelle McKenna of London's Space & Grace labels her children's chest of drawers with pictographs, so that her kids can get dressed themselves (and maybe even put away their clothes). Photograph by Emma Lee for Remodelista. See the whole house in The Power of Pastels: A London Townhouse Reimagined.
Above: London bespoke furniture specialists Barbara Genda created custom cabinetry in this attic closet, including a pull-down shelf for shoe storage.
Above: Constantly looking for your eyeglasses? Alaa Mendili installed a wall-mounted spec holder. For a similar design, see the Sunglasses Holder by High Tide Woodworks on Etsy; $31. Photograph by Michael A. Muller from Living in an Architectural Landmark, Seattle Edition.
Above: In the small but high-functioning New York City apartment of architects Rosa and Robert Garneau, a swinging towel bar from Häfele makes use of vertical space inside Rosa's closet. Photograph by Ian Allen for Dwell. In Architect Is In: A Tiny Work/Live Loft Made Large, Robert Garneau explains the rest of the apartment.
Above: In the same house, a deep closet features a built-in shoe rack on the back of the door. Photograph by Ian Allen for Dwell.
Above: PR agency owner Silke Neaumann attaches photos of her shoes to their boxes, so she never has to search through the stacks. Photograph by Ailine Liefeld for Freunde von Freunden.
Above: Also from Rosa and Robert Garneau of Studio Garneau: a simple, streamlined closet with a mirror mounted inside each door. Photograph from The Architect Is In: A Tiny Live/Work Loft Made Large.
Above: In need of a custom-shaped clothing rod? A DIY version fashioned from black plumbing pipe does the trick in Steal This Look: A Well-Organized Closet on a Budget.
Above: Henrybuilt of Seattle designs custom closets and closet systems. Here, a laundry hamper is hidden in a double-height drawer, a setup similar to a pullout kitchen waste bin. For more ideas, see 5 Favorites: Closet Storage Systems.
Above: A nice extra: linen hanger covers (see more in DIY: Rustic Linen Hanger Covers at Arts & Science in Paris).
Above: A Barbara Genda pullout rack system slotted under an eave provides extra shoe storage.
For more on closet organization, see Architects' 10 Favorite Closet Picks and Remodeling Project: The Storage Closet Reinvented.
Looking to clear up your kitchen counters? See 15 Life-Changing Storage Ideas for the Kitchen.
This post is an update. It originally ran on October 15, 2014, as part of our Genius Storage Solutions issue.
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