How to Store Your Clothes If You Don't Have a Closet

We all wish we had ample closet space to organize our clothes regardless of season and style. But the reality is that many people live in small apartments or older houses where clothes storage space is at a premium. In these cases, there may be a single closet for an entire apartment or no closet space at all. With clothes and outerwear to store, this is problematic at best. How do we keep our clothes stored neatly and in wearable condition without a place to hang them?

The answer is finding non-closet spaces to store and, yes, hang our clothes. That doesn’t mean in piles on a chair, either. There are plenty of effective clothing storage solutions experts love for spaces with limited or zero closets, and these methods are surprisingly easy to implement in our own lives.

"In Europe, old homes don’t have closets, so they use beautiful wardrobes where people store their clothes and shoes," says Ami McKay, creator of PURE Design. It’s a handy way to put everything away. "I love an older wardrobe or armoire for the charm these pieces of furniture bring to a room," she says. Other ideas include items such as rolling racks or shelving. "Clothing boutiques and European hotels have come up with many innovative and inspiring ways to display clothing that can be incorporated at home," says McKay.

Use a Dresser for Foldable Items

Dressers can serve the same function as a closet for any item that is not large or bulky and is foldable. This can help avoid clutter and leave other spaces around the room for things that need to be hung, such as coats and dresses. "Foldable and smaller items can go in a dresser or even on shelving with baskets (a bookshelf will do!), but keep it tidy," says McKay.

Utilize a Storage Bench for Your Shoes

It’s always fun to reimagine visiting an elegant shoe boutique when configuring shoe storage ideas for your own space. "Shoes can be lined up if you like to look at them or stored in a trunk or storage bench," McKay says.

Add Wall Hooks

Small-space living is all about making use of the space that’s there instead of focusing on the space that is not available. Just about any wall space is ripe for adding some hooks, which are great for hanging everything from coats to belts and accessories. "Hooks are also very handy for handbags or jackets," says McKay.

Bring Racks Into the Space

Rolling racks can be used anywhere. "To make it fun, dedicate a corner of your room as a mini fashion runway. Arrange your clothes on a rolling rack and imagine yourself strutting your stuff before selecting the perfect outfit," says Jane Stoller, a productivity and organizing expert and the author of Decluttering for Dummies.

Try Magazine Racks for Handbag Storage

You can use magazine racks to store and display your handbags. "It's like having a handbag collection right at your fingertips," says Stoller.

Employ an Armoire

Vintage or new, an armoire is a wonderful solution for closed clothing storage. "The great thing about this option is you don’t necessarily have to have the armoire in your bedroom if you simply don’t have the space. This is something that can sit in a hallway, a spare room, or even an entryway," says Erika Ross, certified interior decorator with PDR Interiors in Lexington, Kentucky.

Reimagine Book Shelves

We all know that a bookshelf is an asset for storing books and knick-knacks, but it’s also clothing storage waiting to be discovered. "In my apartment, I use bookshelves for additional clothing storage. Pairs of pants and sweaters folded neatly can appear like books on a shelf," says Rudy Saunders, design director of Dorothy Draper & Co. "Style it more like a clothing store and mix clothing in with your books and other objects for an interesting, eclectic look," says Saunders.

Look Up to Your Ceiling Fixtures

Many of us have fixtures in our homes, but we probably think they are only there for lighting or perhaps an overhead fan. But these actually have another fantastic purpose. "I have used silver candelabras for tie racks in the past, it became part of the décor. This could also work well with jewelry," says Saunders. 

Organize Your Clothing Into Seasonal Capsules

Organize your clothes into seasonal "capsules" and give each one a theme or color scheme. "Sometimes, you may need to invest in an off-site storage unit. If this is the case, you do not need to get a big one if you organize your clothes by season and swap them in and out of your space as the weather changes," Stoller says.

Hide Clothes in Under-Bed Storage Containers

Store off-season clothes in large plastic boxes with lids. "Make sure your garments are clean when you store them. Dry-clean sweaters and other wooly garments before putting them away, and place cedar blocks or lavender and cedar sachets among the folded garments. Moths and their larvae, which like to eat dark colors and natural fibers like cashmere and wool, hate the smell of cedar and lavender," says Nicole Gabai, founder of B. Organized, and the author of The Art of Organizing: An Artful Guide to an Organized Life.

Slide the boxes under your bed or store them out of the way somewhere else. "Do not store clothing in cardboard boxes because, over time, the boxes can transfer the smell of cardboard and glue onto your clothes, and this smell is very difficult to remove," says Gabai. 

Take Advantage of Vertical Space

Make sure you are using all your vertical space, as well. "You can place push pins in a staggered pattern along a wall or on an attractive bulletin board and hang your necklaces and bracelets," says Gabai.

Add Hanging Rods

Try one or several hanging rods. "You can secure a hanging rod to your wall or even hang it from the ceiling," says Ross. This will allow you to create a "closet area" without needing to have that dedicated space. 

Get Creative With Hangers

Opt for creative hanging solutions like hangers that can hold multiple items. "You want to maximize your space as much as possible so using these types of hangers will make sure you aren’t wasting even one inch of available space," says Ross.

Reuse Old Steamer Trunks

Old steamer trunks or storage ottomans are also great for bulkier items, such as sweaters and blankets. Or, go for a modern look with steel cubes. "Stackable galvanized steel cubes with doors or painted storage cubes with leather handles are a chic way to store belts, seasonal accessories, workout clothes and socks," said Saunders. 

Add Bookends to Your Clothing Stacks

Bookends are not just for books. They are also fabulous for keeping your stacked garments on a shelf from tipping over. "This way, you can stack a little taller, as tall as your bookend, and when you remove one t-shirt from the middle of the stack, they won't all topple over! This is great for sweaters, scarves, leggings, workout clothes, T-shirts, sweatshirts, and even jeans. They are very inexpensive and incredibly useful," says Gabai.

Place Drawer Dividers In Your Drawers

Drawer dividers are a revelation and so easy to install. "These are spring-loaded (or snap into place) and divide your drawer into two or three sections, allowing you to store everything from socks, underwear, swimsuits, sleepwear, to bras without having these items become a jumbled mess. They will store neatly in your drawer, and you won't have to 'dig' through the drawer to find what you need,” says Gabai. The best part is when it’s time to move or reorganize, they snap right back out.