17 Clothing Storage Solutions Compared

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Where should you store all of those clothes? There are numerous storage solutions to choose from. This post compares 17 different places to store your clothes to help you find the best options. 

Walk-in wardrobe

Got a huge collection of clothes? Why not dedicate an entire room to them? Walk-in wardrobes are the dream solution for many of us. It’s a dream solution that can be made into a reality for those with a spare bedroom. This post explains how to convert a spare room in a luxury walk in wardrobe. Just remember that while a walk-in wardrobe may free up huge amounts of space for clothes storage, it isn’t an excuse to hoard clothes, and you should still exercise discipline. 

Fitted wardrobe

Fitted wardrobes are wardrobes that are custom-built to fit the dimensions of a room. They are often built against a single wall in a bedroom. Such wardrobes are ideal for maximising storage space in bedrooms with alcoves, sloped ceiling or columns which could make it difficult to fit a traditional wardrobe in. They can be a fairly expensive option and you can’t take them to your next home if you decide to move. The biggest benefit is that you get to design them to fit your needs – you can dedicate as much room to clothing rails, drawers or shelves as you desire. 

Traditional wardrobe

Traditional wardrobes are freestanding storage units dedicated to clothes that come in select sizes and designs. The great thing about traditional wardrobes is that there are so many different designs on the market that you’ll often be able to find something catered to your personal wants and needs. Wardrobes can be made out of wood or metal, can have various different door opening mechanisms (including swing doors and sliding doors), and they can come pre-assembled or flat-pack. Some even have mirrored doors to double up as a mirror.

Glass wardrobe

Glass wardrobes have a glass door that keeps all of your clothing on display. This can encourage you or organise it neatly, while also encouraging you to pick out clothes without having to open the door and rummage through.

Open clothing rail

Want to maintain a very minimal wardrobe? A clothing rail instead of a wardrobe is one way to encourage this. Not only do these storage solutions put all your clothing on display, but they prevent you from piling clothes at the bottom of a wardrobe or on top. Clothing rails are also a very affordable option and can give your room a chic fashion store feel. Of course, not everyone is able to deal with this minimal option.

Chest of drawers

Chests of drawers are traditional options that are often used alongside a wardrobe (some wardrobes may have drawers built into them). Drawers allow you to fit more clothes into a smaller space, but you need to be careful how you fold them in order to stop clothes creasing. They are also great for storing loose items. Chests of drawers can be any height, but are often fairly low so that you can use the top surface as a dresser (a popular place for placing a mirror, jewellery and make-up).

Cube storage

Drawers have the potential to break when overloaded with clothes. Cube storage can be a more reliable option in this respect – it consists of cube shaped shelves into which cube-shaped baskets are placed. You can fit lots of cubes into a single unit, allowing you to divide clothes into lots of different categories. Cube storage often doesn’t have the sophisticated look of drawers, but can often allow you to store more clothes into a smaller space.

Display case

Display cases are glass cabinets for storing special clothing. They tend to be more favoured by the rich for displaying rare and expensive designer clothing, but you can use them to display any kind of clothing. You can buy display cases with multiple shelves, which could be fun for showing off a collection of designer shoes or handbags.

Shelves

Shelving is one of the simplest clothing storage options. It includes freestanding shelving units or shelving installed onto a wall. You can cheaply add shelves to pretty much any exposed wall to help provide some extra clothing storage. Just make sure that shelves are installed correctly and avoid piling too much clothing on them (otherwise clothing could fall off/the shelf could break).

Wall niche storage

This form of storage involves creating an indent in a brick wall to use for shelving or a wardrobe. By using the space between the studs in your wall, you can create a storage solution that does not protrude into the room (ideal for small bedrooms). Of course, this is only an option for homeowners and you’re best hiring a masonry expert to do it in order to maintain the wall’s structural integrity and make the niche look tidy. 

Shoe rack

Most of us have shoe racks by our front door for storing shoes. However, you can also place shoe racks in bedrooms for storing slippers or special shoes that you may want to keep separate. Shoe racks come in several different designs including wooden shelving and metal racks. They can take the form of freestanding units or they can be installed on a wall. 

Coat stand

Coat stands are also typically located by a front door in a hallway. They’re a simple solution for hanging up scarves, jackets and hats. They do however take up quite a bit of room and may not be suitable for all hallways. You can also place coat stands in other rooms such as a bedroom if you desire. 

Hat tree

Love collecting hats? A hat tree could be what you need. These are fairly specialist storage solutions that look like coat stands but with lots of different hooks at different heights for storing an array of hats. You can also buy smaller ‘trees’ for storing things like rings and necklaces.

Clothing hooks

Hooks, like shelves, are an ideal storage solution that you can install on almost any free wall. The most common place to hang hooks is in a hallway by the front door (often as an alternative to a coat stand). Hooks can also be installed on the back of doors. A hook on the back of a bedroom door is typically used for storing a nightgown or robe. A hook on the back of a kitchen door can meanwhile be used for hanging up an apron. 

Storage bed

A great solution for maximising storage space in a bedroom is a storage bed. These are beds with enclosed storage space underneath – which can be used for clothing, bedding or any other items that you may have. Some storage beds allow you to open up the top layer like a chest, while others have drawers underneath that you can pull out.

Overhead cabinets

Cabinets can also be hung over the top of a headboard on a bed for storing clothing. Such cabinets are often used in caravans and boats, but can also be a handy storage solution for a small bedroom. Just make sure to leave yourself enough headroom when sat in bed!

Suitcase

Some of us live out of suitcases when travelling. But suitcases can also be used as an extra clothing storage solution at home if you’ve run out of space. This prevents your empty suitcase taking up space. You could even keep seasonal holiday clothing in here – saving you time when packing for a holiday. 

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