10 Storage Solutions for Wardrobes

Are you at the stage where it takes you ten minutes to find something in your wardrobe, or do you try to pull out one piece of clothing and three more come out with it? In 2021, it was found that out of all our clothes, we are only wearing 55% regularly. It might be time to organise - we have ten great storage solutions for wardrobes that will work for even the smallest of dressers.

But First…

There are three things we need to do before we start implementing any wardrobe storage ideas. And the first is the least fun:

1. Purge Your Wardrobe

We know we know, getting rid of your clothes is never nice. But all good cleaning sessions start with deciding what you no longer need, whether it be in your garage, kitchen or office - and the wardrobe is no exception.

Go through all of your clothes, shoes and accessories and seriously think of whether you will wear them again, and if you think someone else would get more use out of them. Clothes that you no longer wear and are in good condition can be donated to charity (did you know that 86% of the clothes we donate are resold, recycled or given as welfare?) or given to a friend or family member, while your old favourites with rips, tears and immovable stains should be thrown out or be stashed away for a future sewing project if you're feeling creative!

Once you have gotten rid of clothes you no longer wear, we can further separate them in another handy way.

2. Rotate Seasonally

Separate your clothes by suitability for Summer or Winter. You should also divide your formalwear that you rarely use (but is too good to get rid of) from your everyday clothing.

Once you have your categories, keep your everyday wear and the current seasonal clothing in your bedroom, and move the formalwear and off-season clothing to either a spare room's storage or somewhere safe and dry where they can be hung on a clothing rack.

3. Organise by Type

The final step before we begin is to organise your clothing by type. Large coats, jumpers, pants, shirts, t-shirts, shoes, dresses, singlets and pyjamas should all be separated - this is so we can place them in their ideal spots easily.

Ten Wardrobe Storage Ideas To Get You Organised

Now let's get down to the wardrobe storage ideas to get you sorted! These ten storage solutions for wardrobes are all suitable for small wardrobes and rooms, and are sure to free up some space in your closet. 

Here are our ten wardrobe storage ideas:

1. Install an extra clothing rod
2. Choose slim, fabric coat hangers
3. Double up on your coat hangers
4. Invest in a coat rack
5. Roll your clothes
6. Separate your clothes with shelf dividers
7. Shoe storage boxes for easy organisation
8. Use baskets and bins to declutter
9. Hooks are a great way to hang bits and pieces
10. Modular shelving for wardrobes of all sizes

Read more below to get the full details on how to achieve a neat and organised wardrobe with these ten ideas. 

1. Install an extra clothing rod

Most wardrobes come with a single clothing rod, but if your wardrobe is tall enough you may be able to fit in a second. You may need to move your current clothing rod up or down to make space for a second - if you are handy with your tools you can do this yourself, otherwise it's a simple task for any tradie.

When hanging your second rod, make sure your bottom rod is far enough from the ground that your clothes can hang without touching the floor, and the clothes from your upper rod won't bunch up on the lower one.

2. Choose slim, fabric coat hangers

While chunky novelty coat hangers are fun for a while, you will soon notice they take up a lot of space on your clothing rod. A great choice for hanging your clothes on are slim fabric clothes hangers, as they allow you to hang heaps of clothing side by side while also preventing your clothes from slipping off the hanger.

Velvet coat hangers are popular, as their soft and smooth touch holds clothes firmly but won't rough them up. Skirts, suits and other specific clothes may require their own special clothes hangers.

3. Double up on your coat hangers

Now that you have your lovely, soft coat hangers you can start deciding what to hang on them. Thin singlets and pants are all candidates for double up hanging, where you hang two items of clothing on one hanger. While this isn't suitable for all clothing types, fabric that doesn't wrinkle easily can safely be hung up, which will save you heaps of space in the long run. Simply unhook the top you want to wear or slide off the pants you are after when you want to wear one of the items. You can even choose a multi tier clothes hanger perfect for skirts, shorts and tops. 

4. Invest in a coat rack

Thick and stylish Winter coats are fabulous to own, but one coat can take up as much space in your wardrobe as three or four tops. When you have multiple, keeping them all in your closet won't leave much room for anything else.

A free-standing or wall-attached clothes rack is a fashionable bedroom accessory that doubles as storage and is the perfect place to hang your coats and hats. It can even be kept in the hallway near your front door as an easy place to hang your coat when you get home.

5. Roll your clothes

Everyone is taught to fold their clothes when growing up, but there is another way to store your clothes while keeping them crease-free - rolling! Rolling your clothes up into a neat cylinder is a handy wardrobe storage idea that actually looks neat and makes storing them a breeze. A tightly-rolled t-shirt takes up almost no space and will allow you to fit many more clothes on a shelf or in a bag than you otherwise would if you were folding them - it's one of our especially handy small walk-in wardrobe ideas!

Keep in mind that not all clothes are suitable for folding - jumpers can get quite big when rolling, and button-downs can crease if you're not careful when rolling them up.

6. Separate your clothes with shelf dividers

Shelf dividers might not seem like much, and while they don't technically increase your wardrobe storage space they can be really helpful in keeping your clothes neat and tidy. Most are adjustable, simple to attach and are great for keeping your clothing piles (like a bunch of folded sweaters or shirts) stable.

7. Shoe storage boxes for easy organisation

You can never have too many shoes… until you do. Never fear, there are plenty of clever ways to organise your shoes that will keep them clean and in their pairs. Collapsible shoe storage boxes can be stacked easily and will keep your shoes clean, while a shoe shelf on the floor will give you an extra layer of storage for your sandals and runners.

8. Use baskets and bins to declutter

A woven or fabric storage basket is a neat and surprisingly stylish way to store your clothes and accessories. Place baskets along the floor of your wardrobe or on a high shelf, and fill them with bathers, pyjamas, hats and other pieces that don't need any special treatment.

If your basket is up high, you might want to label it so you know what's inside without having to pull it down. Storage baskets are a great space saving storage solution for small wardrobes, you can also stash storage baskets under the bed, in a spare cupboard or in another room. 

9. Hooks are a great way to hang bits and pieces

Hooks can be used to store lots of kinds of clothing, as well as shoes. You can hang hats, belts, chunky jewellery, coats and hoodies from storage hooks, which are great for placing on the back of your bedroom or wardrobe door. Storage hooks will get your clothes off the ground and out of the way. Shoes can also be hung on hooks by the heel.

10. Modular shelving for wardrobes of all sizes

Modular shelving can be assembled and disassembled easily, making it great as an emergency storage choice. It comes in a variety of materials and is a great choice for holding 'display' items (nice handbags, a fancy pair of shoes) or pieces that you use frequently. As far as small wardrobe ideas go, this is one that is useful for when you have a small closet but plenty of open space for other storage. If you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in wardrobe, modular shelving can help you divide up the space and make things more visible. 

Discover Great Wardrobe Storage Ideas and Products at Spotlight

Utilising some of the above storage solutions for wardrobes will help declutter your bedroom and give you more space for things like photos, books and other wonderful things you might want in your space. Try to organise your wardrobe once or twice a year (spring cleaning!) to keep things fresh and flush out any old clothes that might be hiding away. Having an organised wardrobe will help you save time and feel at ease when picking your next outfit. 

At Spotlight we are all about helping you make your home the best it can be. Get inspired with more tips and articles on improving your home and discover  our home decor projects and create something special!

Check out Spotlight's expansive range of bedroom storage solutions online, or head to your nearest Spotlight store and have a chat with our friendly staff to find out which of these wardrobe storage ideas you can implement in your own home.