Good Questions: A Long, Narrow and Awkward Closet

Hi AT,

My bedroom closet takes "long, narrow, and awkward" to a whole new level. The closet is 12 feet long by 2 feet wide, with a 3 foot wide door halfway along it's length. I've installed three short curtain rods (two deep on one end of the closet, one deep on the other). I also have a shelf on each end, sitting on the shelf rail. Lastly, I installed about three linear feet of hooks on the shelf rail right in the middle, so that they are the first thing you see when you enter the closet.

I like to keep my dirty clothes hampers out of site in the closet, but that means I have to reach over them to get to my hanging clothes. I also can't help but feel like I'm wasting a whole lot of vertical space.

It's a rental that I'm not sure I'll be in for more than a few years, so I don't want to do any custom closet installations. Any tips for maximizing this space?

Thanks! Holly

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Anyone with help for Holly? (Note that Holly took this picture standing inside the closet. To the right is the door to the room. Behind her is more closet.)

Comments (2)

I have a closet very similar to this and was hoping to get some input. I have rolling racks from a previous apartment I was in which would have been a good idea but the problem is this closet it about 2 feet off the ground so wheeling something in and out it not an option. The other difference is that I have a rod that runs vertically through the closet, meaning all my closthes hang in front of eachother and it is impossible to see what is in the back. Again, it is a renting situation so I can't go ripping things out and I don't want to put a lot of money into it. Any suggestions?

How about a having a large, wheeled enclosure that'll slide all the way out?
A really interesting closet challenge, we would love to help you solve as part of our Dream Closet project. If you can post you question as well as a few photos of your closet on our blog, we'll love to come up with some concept solutions for you.
Here's our blog:
http://www.ezarchitecture.com/blog/episode-12-of-ezarchitecture-podcast-the-dream-closet-project-4/