How to Expand the Storage in Your Closet Without a Major Renovation

Don’t want to get rid of your stuff? Then it’s time to expand your closet storage. There’s no need for a renovation. Changing your hangers, adding rods, and maximizing every nook and cranny will give you so much more room. 

Key takeaways 

• Add a second clothing rod to use empty space below shorter garments. 
• Use high shelves for seasonal and rarely used belongings. 
• Add shelf dividers, risers, and bins to make existing shelves more useful. 
• Put closet doors and empty wall space to work with hooks and hanging organizers. 
• Use slim hangers to reduce the amount of rod space clothing takes up. 
• Store shoes vertically instead of spreading them across the closet floor. 
• Use containers under hanging clothes to use empty floor space. 

Change your hangers 

An easy way to give yourself more space in your closet is by switching up your hangers. Wooden and plastic hangers take up a lot of room. Amazingly, velvet hangers are half the thickness. You can gain feet of hanging space by just using only velvet hangers. 

An added bonus is that velvet hangers grip onto your clothes so they don’t slip off.  

Add a hanging rod 

Adding a hanging rod below your shirts is fairly easy and gives you a lot more hanging space. Be sure to measure the length you’ll need before you go to the home improvement store.  

To get the job done, you’ll need a drill, a rod, and two closet rod hangers. Even if you’re not handy with tools, adding a rod should only take around 30 minutes. 

If that sounds like just too much work, there are rods that can be hung on the existing rod with hooks and chains.  

Grab muti-clip hangers 

This may be the cheapest and easiest way to give you more room in your closet. A hanger with 10 to 12 clips on the bottom (often called a pants hanger) can give you tons of room because you use one hanger for multiple items. You can use these hangers for your pants, skirts, and accessories.  

Fill space 

If you have any empty space in your closet, fill it. Short, wide bookshelves can be put under clothing that doesn’t reach the floor. Place narrow bookshelves on bare walls and between hanging rods. Don’t forget to secure the bookshelf to the wall to prevent it from falling over or scooting around.  

Add hooks to empty spots on the wall, on the ends of shelves, and next to the closet door. Hooks can hold: 

• Belts 
• Scarves 
• Hats 
• Handbags 
• Robes 
• Jewelry 
• Frequently worn clothing 

Finally, put door organizers on both sides of the door. You can use shoe organizers with multiple pockets, hat organizers, and organizers made to hold rolled T-shirts that hang on a door.  

Expand your shelves 

If you have just one shelf above your hanging rod, you can easily expand that space vertically. Add stacking organizing cubes on top of the shelf to go as high as you can. Put items you don’t use often in the top cubes so they’re out of the way.  

Shelf risers create another level for folded clothing, handbags, shoes, hats, or storage containers. For example, you could put jeans underneath a riser and sweaters on top instead of stacking everything into one tall pile. 

Before buying risers, measure the shelf’s width, depth, and height. Closet organizers aren’t very helpful when they don’t actually fit your closet. 

Divide your shelves 

Tall piles of sweaters and jeans have a habit of leaning into one another. Shelf dividers can separate stacks and keep categories from spreading across the entire shelf. 

You might create individual sections for: 

• Jeans 
• Sweaters 
• Sweatshirts 
• Handbags 
• Hats 
• Towels 
• Extra bedding 

Keeping categories separated also makes it easier to see when you have more of something than the space you’ve assigned to it. 

Use bins and baskets 

Bins and baskets can turn deep or awkward shelves into more useful storage. Instead of reaching behind a stack of clothing to find something at the back, pull out an entire container. 

Use them for smaller or less frequently used items such as: 

• Scarves 
• Gloves 
• Hats 
• Swimsuits 
• Belts 
• Small handbags 
• Seasonal accessories 
• Extra toiletries 

Don’t ignore the closet floor 

If your closet floor currently holds a random pile of shoes and dropped clothing, you’re losing storage space. Look at how much room exists between the floor and your shortest hanging garments. 

Depending on the height, you may be able to add: 

• A small drawer unit 
• Shoe shelves 
• Stackable cubbies 
• Baskets 
• Storage bins 
• A low dresser 

This is a good place for clothing and accessories you use regularly because you can reach them without a stool. Measure the height of your hanging clothes before buying furniture or organizers for this area. 

Store shoes vertically 

A long row of shoes can take up most of a closet floor. Try going up instead of across. Use stackable shoe shelves, cubbies, hanging shoe organizers, or an over-the-door shoe organizer. 

If you have high heels, boots, sneakers, and flats, you may need more than one type of shoe storage. 

Put your most-worn shoes where they’re easiest to grab. Special-occasion and out-of-season shoes can go higher or farther back. 

Before giving closet space to shoes you rarely wear, try them on. Shoes can change while sitting unused, and your feet can change, too. 

Add hanging organizers 

A fabric organizer that hangs from the clothing rod can instantly create shelves without installing anything. Hanging organizers are particularly useful when your closet has plenty of rod space but very little shelving. 

Use one for: 

• Sweaters 
• Jeans 
• T-shirts 
• Handbags 
• Shoes 
• Hats 
• Workout clothes 

There’s a trade-off, though. Every hanging organizer takes away some clothing rod space. Use one when shelves are more valuable to you than another section of hanging storage. 

Closet storage FAQ 

How can I add more storage to my closet without remodeling?

Add a second clothing rod, shelf risers, freestanding drawers, hooks, hanging organizers, bins, or over-the-door storage. These options use existing space without requiring a complete closet renovation. 

How do I double the hanging space in my closet?

If you mostly hang shorter garments, adding a second clothing rod below the existing one can create two levels of hanging space. Leave part of the closet at full height for dresses, coats, jumpsuits, and other long clothing. 

How can I use the top of my closet better?

Use high shelves for lightweight items you don’t need regularly, such as seasonal clothing, extra bedding, sentimental items, or special-occasion accessories. Bins can keep smaller items together and make them easier to bring down. 

What should I put on the floor of my closet?

Use the floor for shoe racks, low drawer units, cubbies, baskets, or storage bins. Choose storage that’s short enough to fit underneath your hanging clothes without crushing them. 

How can I store more shoes in a small closet?

Use vertical shoe storage such as stackable shelves, cubbies, hanging organizers, or over-the-door organizers. Keep everyday shoes accessible and move seasonal or special-occasion shoes to less convenient spaces. 

Are slim hangers worth it for a small closet?

Slim hangers take up less rod space than many bulky hangers, which can help you fit more clothing on the same rod. Don’t pack garments so tightly, though, that they’re difficult to see or remove. 

How do I organize a closet with deep shelves?

To organize your closet shelves, use bins or baskets that you can pull out like drawers. This makes items at the back easier to reach and reduces the chance that belongings will be forgotten behind other things. 

What should I do if my closet is still too small?

Declutter first, then move seasonal, sentimental, and rarely used belongings out of your everyday closet. Use under-bed storage, another area of your home, or a storage unit for things you want to keep but don’t need regularly.