Bringing the closet out of the closet. Lately we're seeing more open-space closets around the web. Although it's not for everyone, there are a few advantages to this look: it works well for small apartments that don't have a lot of closet space, you have to edit your clothes to keep the look clean, and you're not likely to display a wardrobe unless you really love it. Click below for more anti-closets...
The Bergen Rail Shelf from West Elm (top photo) is a pretty affordable "closet" at $99. Pair this with a case of drawers for socks, underwear, and folded items.
Tom Dixon's Wire Coatrack at Design Within Reach isn't cheap at $330 per unit, but the squared-off sections are easier on clothes than a traditional hook, and each unit interlocks with the next, making it extendable across a wall or around a corner.
Sculptural hooks like Erich Ginder's Ghost Antler Coat Rack double as an art installation and wall of storage. These racks are $230 each at Design Public.
These Timber Hooks from Live Wire Farm are a more rustic take on the sculptural hook.
Sectioning off a wall with an accent color or wallpaper helps to define it as a separate, functional space. The wallpaper is the focal point, and clothes become accessories. This photo shows Cherry Tree Wallpaper from Ferm Living.
In this image from California Closets, an oddly shaped landing space is sectioned off into a closet without doors.
Since most of these options provide limited storage space, they would have to be supplemented with other small storage to really fulfill the needs of a closet. For more ideas on how to combine open and closed storage, click here.
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You'd have to REALLY edit...like the bottom photo. 4 pairs of pants. I'd never be able to do this. Never. Not that I'm a clothes horse, but I can't even manage to keep my closet neat.
view Christine (the one in DC)'s profile
Ummm, I hate to say this, but for at least 80% of the population, this is a really ridiculous and impractical idea. Very few people have that few clothes. And for those who do have such a scant wardrobe, they probably do not care how their wardrobe looks like. Also, for those who care about how they look, they buy clothes that look good on themselves, not whether it complements the rest of the their wardrobe. Of course, there are exceptions, but they come in really small numbers.
view siongchinchan's profile
I think the first concept pictured would be a good way to lay out one's clothes for a week of work to save time in the morning, but it is definitely impractical for an entire wardrobe. I would love to do this if I didn't have cat's with claws that would see it as something to climb.
view saradanger's profile
the tom dixon on looks amazing... but that's 990 pre-tax/shipping dollars worth of bent metal on that wall.
view eightdouble's profile
I agree with the above... impractical for the majority of peoples' wardrobes. There's also something about me that would feel a little uncomfortable "exposing" my clothes (other than coats) like that...
view spaceagemouse's profile
Not impractical at all!
I just bought a rolling clothes rack -- the kind they use on 7th Avenue to tote samples around. I use it for all my family's bulky coats. When guests come over, they think the coat rack just there for them. (I used to live in apartment building that would lend you a clothes rack to put in the hall when you had a party -- that's where I got the idea.)
Without any puffy coats clogging our closets, there's plenty of room for everything else. Then, in summer, we'll simply dismantle the rack and store it with our winter coats.
view Lisa Hunter's profile
Where can I find the cool shoe rack that is bolted to the wall in the DWR coat rack photo?
view ValHalla's profile
I use this to store a lot of my in season clothes. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39825963
I find that this is one of ikea's better items. It is up there in their top ten designs.
Just rememeber that you need nice hangers if you are going to store your clothes out in the open (and keep them colour cordinated as well). Ikea has cheap wooden or metal hangers for that too. I'm not sure how sustainable they are though.
view BrookeinBoston's profile
I've got a simple version of this in my entryway to hang coats and scarves. Don't think I could do this for my whole wardrobe, but a great way to keep coats handy and build in extra space for guests. I just mouted 9 of these simple hooks from ikea on the wall. (Have the same in my bath for towels/robes)
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30061247
With the money I saved there (total cost ~ $10!) I might be able to afford the cool shoe rack from the pic above (found it on DWR)
http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=8976
view tommymiller50's profile
i like the wallpaper concept... but i can't really tell what's going on in terms of what the clothes are hanging on: are those long loops of cord that the hangers are hanging from?... or very narrow hooks?...
view chilene's profile
Valhalla/tommymiller50--I remember seeing someone do a diy version of that shoe rack a long time ago...I think on AT.
view Christine (the one in DC)'s profile
I really like the wire coat rack's visual interest. I think making storage and organizational pieces like this visible and apart of your decor is a great way to keep your home interesting and offers an easier way to stay organized.
For me anyway, it's always easier for me to through my coat on a coat rack rather than opening the closet, pulling out the hanger and putting it back in. Call me lazy!
view All Coat Racks's profile