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Today’s guest post offers some great strategies on how to make the most of closet corners complete with diagrams. I love diagrams. I wish I had a diagram for everything in life. It would make things so much easier wouldn’t it? 🙂 There is no affiliation here, I just thought it was interesting info that might be helpful to some of you.
There are hundreds, possibly thousands of ways you can customize a closet for better organization and use of storage space. Closet accessories, closet organizers and custom closet systems are just a few, but what do you do about those tricky closet corners? This is a problem for many households, so we’ve put together a list of easy do-it-yourself solutions to maximize space in closet corners.
Fix Overlapping Closet Rods
Overlapping hanging rods in closets create a square shaped space in the corner where nothing fits and it’s impossible to see or access your clothes.
For a quick fix, shorten one of the closet rods by at least 24” and then reinforce the hanging rod with a closet support bracket if needed. One closet rod will stop short of the adjacent wall, creating not only more hanging space but also making it easier to see and access clothes on both sides.
Closet Rod Height Variation
For further closet corner accessibility, adjust the closet rod heights when shortening closet rods or fixing overlapping poles. When closet rods of the same height meet in the corner of a closet, although functional from a storage standpoint, it’s challenging to access clothes or hangers that are located towards the far corner.
In this example, one wall has only a single long hanging closet rod at 70″ high; while the adjoining wall includes a double hanging section where the closet rods are 80-84” high and 38-42” high.
Add Corner Shelving
Much like kitchen cabinetry, some shelving units are made specifically for corner spaces. They can be “L” shaped or angled; either configuration can maximize storage in closet corners by adding space for folded clothing, boxes, shoes and linens. This is a great solution for those who have more shelving items than hanging clothes or if the closet dimensions present design challenges to incorporate storage goals.
Proper Spacing of Closet Organizers
If you want to maximize space throughout your entire closet with closet organizers, proper closet section spacing should be utilized in all corners.
A general rule of thumb is to leave 12″ of empty wall space between closet sections in a corner. (24” from the adjacent wall to a closet section… assuming shelving is 12” deep.) This allows full access to clothing hung in the corner space.
In this example, the left wall includes a shelving section and stops short 24” from the corner. The adjoining wall can then accommodate the hanging sections beginning from the corner. Hanging clothes in the corner are accessible by the 12” spacing between the adjacent sections.
If possible, avoid placing hanging sections on both sides of the corner, but if you must, vary the heights of the adjacent closet rods; this will create a design that allows for better garment accessibility.
Whether you opt for simple closet rod adjustments or DIY closet organizers, either route you choose will result in added space and less clutter!
Tabitha Kokoska has years of experience in the closet organizer and design industries. As Creative Director for ClosetPages.com, she manages the website’s closet organizers blog and contributes to the monthly newsletter.