If your t-shirts are regularly toppling down on you, you may be on the hunt for small bedroom closet ideas. There are plenty of creative ways you can keep everything contained, even in a little room.
We've spoken with design experts who are always redesigning small bedrooms to find out their favorite closet ideas. Over-the-door organizers and LED lighting solutions are just some of the ways they make the most out of this confined space.
When searching for small bedroom ideas, you may have just focused on the bed (it's in the name, we know). But hey, all those clothes you have need to go somewhere.
Small bedroom closet ideas — the solutions experts love
Styling your closet is a fab way to maximize space in your small bedroom, as with the right techniques, you can fit everything needed, and stop stray items cluttering things up.
As well as speaking with experts for their five favorite solutions, we've rounded up some useful buys in case you want to start revamping yours.
The prices below were correct at the time of publishing this article.
1. Use over-the-door organizers
For those who have closets with lots of vertical space but not much width space, you can make the most of this with a clever small bedroom storage idea.
“I like to use over-the-door organizers or vertical organizers to maximize space in the closet,” says Tommy Mello, home improvement expert and founder of A1 Garage Door Service.
Tommy Mello is a a home improvement and DIY expert, and the founder of A1 Garage Door Service, a $100M+ home service business and home service industry leader. As well as garages, he's a pro at renovating different areas of the home, including small bedroom closets.
He adds, “You can store scarves, shoes, or hats in them.”
As well as this, you could also use them to pair up different accessories for outfits for the week, making them easy to grab when you’re getting ready in the morning.
26 pockets
Size (in.): H67 x W22 x D6
Made from: Fabric
Price: $26
Amazon's choice
Size (in.): H35 x W16.5 x D1
Made from: Polyvinyl chloride, plastic
Price: $9.99
Slip-resistant bars
Size (in.): H71 x W22.5 x D7.4
Made from: Plastic
Price: $29.99
2. Choose glass-fronted doors
Being able to see everything inside your wardrobe will prove especially useful when working out what to wear.
“Go for glass-fronted doors instead of solid ones, if you want to make your closet look more spacious and airy,” says Kanika Khurana, principal interior designer and founder of Kanika Design.
Kanika Khurana is the principal interior designer and founder of Kanika Design, a full-service interior design firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She styles many different rooms, including small bedrooms with closets.
She loves this idea as these doors will reflect the light, which is a clever way to make a small bedroom appear bigger.
“Just make sure to keep your closet tidy and organized, or use curtains or baskets to hide any mess,” Kanika explains.
If you have an existing wardrobe you’re happy to upcycle, you could always cut out the front panels and add glass ones instead.
For those who are cringing at the idea of seeing everything in their wardrobe, going for a wardrobe with a mirror door will still brighten up your small bedroom without putting all your things on show.
3. Play with LED lighting
Give your bedroom the A-lister treatment by illuminating your clothes as a small bedroom closet idea.
Kanika says, “One of the easiest ways to improve your small closet is to add some LED lighting. You can use strips, pucks, or rods to illuminate your clothes and accessories, and make your closet more attractive and convenient.”
You can also choose lights with dimmers or sensors to control the brightness and save energy. For example, we love these RXWLKJ under cabinet lights, which are Amazon's choice.
“LED lighting can also create a dramatic and theatrical effect, especially if you use wallpaper or paint to decorate the inside of your closet,” Kanika adds.
By doing this, you can finally live out your rom-com film dress-up scene fantasy — come on, we know we aren’t the only ones who have imagined this.
4. Place clothes rods inside
For those with teeny closets with just one place to hang shirts, you don’t need to limit yourself to what the closet has come with.
Tommy says, “Adding more bars or clothing rod extenders to the closet will help you stack things better.”
You can go for a practical, purpose-made one (we like this Brightroom closet rod from Target) or even make your own.
“If you have any spare curtain rods, you could cut these down to size to fit inside your closet,” says Artem Kropovinsky, interior designer and founder of Arsight.
Artem Kropovinsky is an interior design expert and founder of Arsight, an award-winning interior design studio based in New York. He's an expert in designing new and existing homes, and is used to styling spaces such as small bedrooms with closets.
Don't have any spare? Get down to a secondhand furniture store, as you may be able to find some there at a low price.
5. Use clothing racks as alternative closets
When you think of a traditional closet, you might be picturing a bulky unit. This doesn’t always work in a small bedroom, though.
Tommy explains, “You can save a lot of money by investing in clothing racks, which are great for renters who don't want to buy a big, bulky piece of storage furniture.”
He adds, “Not only do they give you more space to store things and hang clothes, but they can also look seriously stylish.”
We also recommend this idea for small guest bedrooms, as this gives people an inviting place to hang up coats and garments without taking up too much floor space.
360° wheels
Size (in.): H59.62 x W28.5 x D16.25
Made from: Metal
Price: $59.51
Natural material
Size (in.): H60.2 x W35.4 x D17.1
Made from: Bamboo
Price: $48.99
Extendable
Size (in.): H66 x W19 x D35
Made from: Metal
Price: $42.99
With just a few smart style tips and storage ideas, you can make your small bedroom closet look neat and tidy, making it so much easier to use. If you still need more space for all your outfits, learning how to store clothes in a small bedroom may be beneficial.
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Hi there! I’m the former content editor at Real Homes and I'm now a freelance journalist.. I've been a lifestyle journalist for over five years, previously working as an editor across regional magazines. Before this, I graduated from Nottingham Trent University a degree in journalism, along with an NCTJ gold diploma. For Real Homes, I specialized in interior design, trends and finding the best viral buys.