Different Types Of Closets Revealed

Closets are having a moment. What began as a simple space to store clothes, shoes, and other clutter is now a social media star. Pinterest inspiration and popular shows like Get Organized with The Home Edit encourage many to revamp their closet spaces. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, DIY renovations and home improvement projects, including closet updates and upgrades, became a necessity. According to Realtor.com, an added benefit is that a great closet will help you sell your home.

Each closet serves a different purpose, but no one is more or less important than the others. The size and style you need depend on your lifestyle and the items you will store. Do you have an extensive shoe collection? Or are you an avid baker with tons of tools and supplies? Use the items you have and the things you love most to guide your decision for a closet makeover. However, before you choose the closet you need (or learn how to optimize an existing closet space), let's review all of the different types of closets that are out there.

Walk-in closets are considered top of the line. Essentially a smaller room off the bedroom, walk-in closets supply ample storage space for all of your prized possessions. According to Closet & Beyond, walk-in closets start around 6½ feet deep and can be as large as you want. In addition to storing clothes, bags, and shoes, walk-in closets have enough space to make your life easier.

Imagine you're hosting guests for a Sunday brunch. After running around the house, tidying the living room, washing dishes, and wrestling your toddlers to put their shoes on, it's finally your turn to get dressed. You may need to try on a few outfits before choosing one, causing the room to look like a clothes tornado. If you have a walk-in closet, you can do all of the dressing inside, shut the door, and deal with the mess later. Walk-in closets also offer enough space for two people, making them a popular choice for primary bedrooms.

Reach-in closets are the most common type of closet. They are often in older homes and apartments that lack the space for a walk-in. A standard reach-in closet features a single clothing rod and shelf. Reach-in closets don't get the same attention as walk-ins because they typically have less space. However, the simplicity of the reach-in closet makes it great for adapting to your needs.

According to Carolina Closets, adding adjustable shelves, built-in drawers, and accessory trays is a great way to optimize your reach-in closet space. You can move adjustable shelves according to what you are storing at the moment, and you can add more to contain your ever-expanding wardrobe. Built-in drawers can serve as a dresser if you're tight on bedroom space or want to keep all of your clothes in one place. Accessory trays provide a convenient area to store jewelry, belts, ties, sunglasses, and other small trinkets.

Armoires date back to medieval times, but they are still widely used in homes today. According to Living Spaces, the armoire actually began as a place to store weapons and tools. However, as the years went by and our expanding wardrobes demanded more space than our weapons, the armoire became a creative place to store clothing. People of nobility used the armoire to hold their gowns and extravagant clothes. Today, the armoire is ideal for those who do not have a traditional closet, need additional space for their overflowing wardrobe, or appreciate an elegant, timeless furniture piece. Armoires look like large cupboards and typically feature drawers, shelves, and hanging space for clothes.

In addition to housing your wardrobe, use an armoire to store items throughout the whole house. Some creative ideas include converting the armoire into a workspace or bar and storing glassware, kitchen items, and cleaning tools (via Better Homes & Gardens).

Love modern design and want to find elegant and functional storage? The Italian closet is perfect for you. This closet style is not as popular as the walk-in or reach-in closet, but it offers functionality and a streamlined design ideal for most homes and apartments. To decide if the Italian style is a good choice for your home, you should first review its unique and appealing features.

According to Linea Studio, the first key feature of this style is a clean, refined look. An Italian closet will continue one texture and color throughout the piece, similar to modern kitchens and homes. Italian closets also feature shelving and cabinets in droves, providing plenty of storage space for your accessories, shoes, and other personal belongings. Staying organized is a breeze with this style. The best feature of the Italian closet is that all of this storage space is discrete and hidden behind beautiful, seamless cabinetry.

As reported by Adera, the 2018 Canadian Home Builders' Association Homebuyer Preference Study found that linen closets were one of the top must-haves for homebuyers. About 89 percent of respondents said that the presence of a linen closet is an essential home feature. The linen closet is for storing bedding, towels, table cloths, and placemats — basically all of the linens in your home. Those without a linen closet or one stuffed with clutter have to store their bedding and other linens in their bedroom or closets. Even though the linen closet may feel like an unnecessary space, it still serves an essential purpose.

While most people consider a linen closet a necessity, they still struggle to keep the space focused and organized. One tip is to go through the contents of your linen closet to determine what you are still using and what can be donated or thrown away (via Organized Interiors). Then, create storage zones to keep different linens organized. You can also maximize your storage space by adding pullout shelves or drawers.

The utility closet and the linen closet go hand-in-hand. Often under-appreciated and under-utilized, the utility closet provides a home for cleaning products, tools, and other household essentials. According to Reader's Digest, the utility closet is also known as a cleaning closet because it holds cleaning supplies. If you don't have enough products to fill an entire closet, it may be tempting to use this space as a catch-all for other items. Creative organizing solutions will help you make the most of this space.

You can eliminate clutter from your utility closet in many different ways (via HGTV). For example, you can store your broom, mop, and cleaning supplies in a mobile cart to make them easily accessible and portable around the house. You can also consolidate paint into airtight containers that fit perfectly in your utility closet. Think about adding document holders, door shoe hangers, and other tools to organize your utility closet. Make sure you give this valuable space the attention it deserves!

Coat closets are typically a place to store coats and winter jackets for you and your guests. While this dedicated space is an essential home feature in places with cold climates, other areas don't necessarily need it. Since most homes feature coat closets, the coat closet is an underutilized space in warm-weather locations. However, a few creative heroes are turning the closet of misfit items into really cool spaces that fit their needs.

One functional yet fashionable option is to convert the coat closet into a mudroom. According to HomeServe, the mudroom is an informal entrance to the home and is often used to store shoes, backpacks, sports equipment, and anything else you drop at the door when coming inside. To transform your coat closet and build a mudroom with a DIY project, remove the existing wire shelves and add a floating shelf, some hooks, and a bench (via YouTube).

The closet under a staircase, known by Harry Potter fans as a "Harry Potter Closet," is an ambiguous space with no set purpose. While Harry Potter used this closet as his bedroom while living with the Dursleys, its use isn't as clear outside the novels. The triangular closet space can store wrapping paper, luggage, spare pillows, and children's toys. However, many people have converted their Harry Potter closets for more magical purposes. According to Buzzfeed, a librarian in Pennsylvania transformed the cupboard under her stairs into a Harry Potter-themed space to reflect her love for the wizarding world.

There are many creative uses for the closet under the stairs (via Bob Vila). You can transform this area into a children's play space and reading nook or create a home office or doggy den. You can also repurpose a closet into DIY extra bookshelves. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you can even turn the closet space into a magic-themed room, complete with spellbooks, potions, and other enchanting decorations. This tip is just one of the ways to decorate your home like Harry Potter. The closet space under the stairs contains boundless possibilities.

Some may not consider a pantry to be a closet. However, it's still one of the primary storage spaces in the home. We visit this space multiple times a day to grab food, drinks, and other essentials. While the pantry has humble beginnings as a spot for food storage, many people harness this space and make it functional and beautiful.

According to Forbes, walk-in and cabinet are the two main pantry types. Walk-in pantries are the clear favorite because they have more storage capacity. In addition to food, you can also store small appliances and back stock of your everyday essentials. If you love cooking at home and entertaining, this is an ideal option for your needs. Since you have so much extra space, you have more options for organizational features. However, some may find the sheer volume of space overwhelming because it can take longer to find the things you need, and the organization requires more upkeep.

Cabinet pantries are a favorite for those trying to avoid the overflowing messes that walk-in pantries can become. While the storage space in a cabinet pantry is more compact, it requires less effort in the organization to make the space functional. According to HGTV, the primary feature is sliding shelves that allow you to reach items in the back of the cabinet. Other organization tools such as a Lazy Susan or internal drawers will help you find everything you need with ease, despite the limited space.

If you're a home chef or love trying out new recipes for friends, a cabinet pantry can help you step up your cooking game. You can store a wide range of objects in a cabinet pantry, including dry food, pasta, rice, tea, unopened jars and cans, and spices. Install your cabinet pantry in a corner to make the most of your space.

Celebrities ... they're just like us! Except their closets are the size of most people's living rooms, and they have a team of professionals organize them for them. While it may be easy to feel bummed out by celebrities' inaccessibly perfect closets, there is still much to be admired.

Khloe Kardashian, who has a YouTube series called Khlo-C-D, shared details about her fitness closet, including her organization system. She groups her shirts and leggings by length and color. The self-aware Kardashian sister recognizes that most people do not have a fitness closet. Another celebrity closet belongs to The Real Housewives of Orange Country star Heather Dubrow. Dubrow showed off her iconic 500-square-foot closet, which features Chanel bags, a crystal chandelier, silk carpet, and over 200 pairs of shoes (via Insider). The most notable feature of her closet is the champagne doorbell, which rings in her kitchen when she wants a glass of champagne. Relatable.

An increasing number of work-from-home jobs and unaffordable real estate prices have driven many homeowners to make the most of the space in their homes. As Mary Maydan of Maydan Architects said to The Washington Post, "All of a sudden, with people being at home all the time, our houses were faced with so many needs and were being stretched. People needed more spaces to work and speak quietly and be able to close the door." And so the cloffice was born!

Your cloffice design can be as simple as putting a desk against the wall or as intricate as new shelving, lighting fixtures, and some fun wallpaper. You can add shelving and drawers for storage, find appropriate lighting (something that won't cause a glare during your Zoom calls), and source furnishings that are comfortable, cool, and match your style. While it may seem like you need a huge walk-in closet to make a cloffice work, the cloffice's best feature is that it can work in any space.

If you feel your closet space does not fit your needs, a closet upgrade or remodel could be the answer. A closet renovation may seem like a large project to tackle, but completing this remodel could actually improve your quality of life. Plus, you won't have to move to get more space.

According to the National Association of Realtors, 72 percent of people who undergo a closet renovation have a greater desire to be home. About 59 percent express an increase in enjoyment when home and 68 percent feel a sense of accomplishment after completing their closet remodel. Beyond the emotional benefits, upgrading your closets can help you increase your home value. The same report estimates that homeowners recover around 40 percent of the total cost to build a closet. However, your renovations won't make as much of an impact if you don't have a great organization system in place.

It doesn't matter how big your closet is. If it's an unorganized mess, the space will not function. Whether it is a closet for linens, cleaning products, food, or clothes, organized space will save you the time and stress you'd experience while looking for the things you need. Netflix's The Home Edit, a Nashville-based organizing company for the stars, has closet organization down to a science with a few steps. Start by editing your closet by removing clutter and items you don't need. Then, categorize and put jeans, sweaters, and shoes together. The final step is to contain. This step is most impactful when organizing a pantry, but it can also work in other closets. Keep items in stackable, aesthetically pleasing containers that match your space.

The amount of space you have may be out of your control, but you can choose how to use the area most effectively. By keeping your closets organized, you can appreciate your items and save time and stress in the long run.