Thinking Outside the Closet (Clothing Storage Ideas for Small Closet Owners)

You know my  master closet is on the small side.

                            

In addition, I'm married to a man that loves clothes and shoes as much and maybe even more than I do. He's a very well dressed man.  Plus, living in the Southeast we enjoy all 4 seasons and the clothing changes that come with them.  We are constantly editing, pulling out those articles of clothing that we aren't really wearing any longer.  We're also really choosy about the new items we bring home.  In some ways having a small closet has caused us to be better shoppers.  I can honestly say that every piece of clothing I currently own not only fits but is something I really love.  But no matter how smart I shop or how well I edit my wardrobe there is just no way on God's green Earth that all of my clothing will fit into this small-ish, shared closet space.   

So, here's how we make it work.  We maximize our storage options outside the closet. 

Okay, so I don't use any of those under the bed storage containers, but I do keep my vacuum under the right side of the bed.  ;)

One of the smartest furniture purchases we've ever made was to buy a double chest of drawers rather than a dresser for our master bedroom.  It doesn't make a larger footprint, but it has more vertical storage than a dresser does.  This is where we keep socks, pajamas, work out wear, and casual knit shirts.

The vintage trunk at the end of the bed holds a TON!  It stores all of our heavy winter sweaters and then when it's time to make a seasonal switch we'll use it for shorts, sundresses, linen pants - etc.

it's not super organized in there - but it works

You've seen this little nook before, but did you know that thrifted picnic basket turned side table is where I keep seasonal pajamas?

This frees up drawer space.  When the cooler temps are here to stay I'll replace these fleece jammies with my summer knits.

And the armoire beside it holds all of the hubs jeans, sweats, pajamas,  - it's basically his for the taking. Again the beauty of a large vertical piece is that it doesn't use up a lot of floor space but totally maximizes the vertical space.  And an armoire is especially great for manly (i.e. bulky) sweaters and sweatshirts - no more stuffing them into a drawer.

And directly on top of that armoire, is a pair of vintage suitcases..........

that I filled with winter hats, scarves, and gloves and very soon I'll be switching them out for bathing suits, cover-ups, and flip flops.

These are just a few of the ways we've learned to maximize our clothing storage.  Do you have any tips for finding storage outside of the closet?  I mean we'd all love to have a great big, organized, beautiful walk-in closet, but sometimes reality falls short of the dream just a little huh?  No matter - where there's a will there's always a way - right?!

Want to know how I keep our closet organized?  Check here!

Interested in stylish shoe storage?  Check here!  Here's a peak: 

Looking for an inexpensive, easy diy shoe storage idea?  Check here!

Need some help figuring out how to keep your wardrobe well edited?  Check out this series on wardrobe essentials!




Take a tour of our master bedroom here!

For more organization ideas and projects - check here.