Ditch Your Basic Closet Shelves For An Alternative That Gives You Way More Storage

A custom closet can help your home stand out from the competition when you put it on the market, and it's also a great way to maximize your storage and organize your clothes more efficiently. There are many ways to give your closet an upgrade, but at an average cost of over $2,000, many homeowners can't justify the expense of a fully custom design. The good news is you can get the functionality of such an arrangement at a DIY price. How? By ditching the dismal wire shelves and heading to the store (or the internet) to get everything you need for a TikTok-inspired upgrade using an off-the-shelf ClosetMaid system.

TikTokker Creatively Crisp shows how you can combine different ClosetMaid systems and pieces to customize a solution for your specific needs. We're speaking from experience when we say these systems are an easy and inexpensive way to bring efficient storage to your lackluster closet. But there are a lot of options to choose from, so let's get down to sorting through the best and outlining where they are most likely to be useful.

This BrightWood tower closet system is the foundation you will need to build out your own solution. This kit comes in two different sizes, the 4-to-9-feet wide option and the 5-to-10-feet wide option. At $119.98 and $139.98 respectively, the main difference between the two (other than the sizing) is the width of the center shelving unit. The deciding factor may be how much space you want for folded clothes, hanging space, drawers, shoe racks, or other add-ons. Before making a final call on which model you need, free up closet space with this special folding method.

There's another important dimension to keep in mind. Both systems are 6.85 feet tall, so be sure you measure the height of your closet. While the BrightWood kits will work fine for most people, you might run into issues if you have sloped ceilings in your closet. You can even combine the different sizes in a variety of ways to reach the length you need. Reviewers for both products think they're good quality for the price, though many people who have them delivered seem to be concerned with damage during shipping. If you can go to the store and buy yours in person, we recommend doing so. Also bear in mind that these systems are affordable because they're primarily made from composite wood, and some reviewers warn to take care during installation, especially when screwing into the units.

If you're lucky enough to have a walk-in closet, a BrightWood corner shelf might help you literally turn the corner. Or, if your closet isn't quite big enough to warrant more than one kit but bigger than either of the kits can handle on their own, the corner shelf may be able to help you bridge the gap. At $98.48, you'll need two of these units if you want to be able to connect them to the tower system. They are stackable, though, and they each come with two fixed shelves and one adjustable model, allowing you some flexibility.

Some reviewers say you need to take extra care when building these units and pay attention to the instructions for the particular orientation you need in your closet (and some seem to have all but given up on getting it right). Others feel it's a good solution, especially for L-shaped closets. Many of the same concerns about damage to the product are brought up in reviews, so be aware that shipping could be an issue.

ClosetMaid's BrightWood system includes a number of accessories that can easily be added to its base system. For instance, you can buy soft-close drawers of different depths, including a 25-by-10-by-13-inch design for $59.98. Whatever size you choose, take care during installation as some reviewers say that the alignment can be off, while others have warned the soft-close sometimes does not work. You can also buy extra rods and shelves to build out the solution of your dreams on a budget.

A shoe organizer may also be on your wishlist, and the BrightWood system offers two angled shelves that will fit into the wider tower for $35.98. Though the angle is adjustable, one reviewer found that their shoes tended to slide down, and their soft suede shoes were even damaged. So take care when deciding when and how to use these shelves. Don't stop your closet customizations there, though. There are many multiuse closet organizing tools out there that can be used instead of or combined with the ClosetMaid system to keep delivering on the closet of your dreams.