When we moved into our new home many of the closets in the house just had your typical closet rod inside without even a shelf on top. What’s with that! Not very effective by any means. One of those closets is a storage closet in my laundry room. This is where I store winter coats and luggage. So while normally I would recommend a closet organizer to maximize storage, this time all I needed was a shelf to hold some bigger tote bags used for travel. Travel bags that I was tripping over on the floor. Blech.
Look at all this wasted space. It’s wrong I tell you, just wrong! I’ve since found out that this is a pretty common problem. Closets everywhere are missing a shelf. Poor naked closets.
One shelf added = happy happy storage and happy happy me!
I use those larger bags to store all of our travel bags and backpacks.
We choose to simply add a wire shelf even though as you know I’m not a huge fan of them. In this case though I just needed a shelf and the wire ones were on sale.
In our old house we had one shelf above the rod in my husband’s closet and then my husband went and added a SECOND shelf for even more storage. It melted my heart and made me love him even more 🙂
Found storage is such a beautiful thing!
Now go check your closets….anyone short a shelf?
Lawanna says
Well…I need to do this in my pantry. Shelves are too far apart. You’ve given me the umph to just get it done. Thanks.
Laura says
You can do it girl!
Staci says
I added a second shelf in my closets and some below. Check it out here:
http://designingandmotherhood.blogspot.com/2009/02/january-favorite-past-time-organizing.html
Staci
Laura says
Yay, maximizing storage is the way to go!
Linda Nicka says
Dining room is off the kitchen. DR had a re gular closet with rod, and 1 shelf. I took out rod and shelf and added all wire shelves from floor to ceiling. A perfect pantry type closet Who needs a closet in a DR to hang clothes?—no one. Who needs an extra pantry closet in the DR?—Everyone.
Laura says
Terrific solution, love it!
Alexia says
I could use some shelves in my closet. A rod would be nice too LOL
Betsy says
Lived in this house 18 years with only one shelf in our hall closet, and have always wanted more. This might just be the incentive I need to add more. Our pantry was all wire shelves in our kitchen. Son-in-law and I redesigned it and he built a beauty three years ago. Four upper full shelves, three large wire baskets from Lowes, and then three cubbies on each side. WONDERFUL!!!
Laura says
Sounds amazing Betsy!
Betsy says
Laura, one of these days, when I have it “picture -ready,” I’d love to share it with you and the other readers of your blog. He used white MDF so it looks like a professional remake from some closet company.
Laura says
I would LOVE to see it Betsy, send me an email when you have it ready 🙂
Laura K says
Your blog is so cute and so organized! This is the first time I have come across it in my mad hunt to figure out where to store all of our stuff when we move to a smaller place! (4 bedroom, to a 2 bedroom! This house is already FULL of our stuff, I cant imagine stuffing it all in a 2 bedroom place.) I love all of the tips and organizing of the dinner menu each week!
Have you done a blog about organizing while moving? I didn’t see anything in your archive, but I did come across some great packing tips: http://www.youtube.com/user/barrettmoving#p/u/1/3xV-qBwiwn4
Please let me know if you have, or will be doing a blog on this topic!!
Thanks for all of your tips!
Laura says
Hi there, here are a couple of posts I’ve done on moving. Such a big job!
https://orgjunkie.com/category/moving
Laura K says
Thanks!!
Living the Balanced Life says
Laura,
The wire shelving is a fairly inexpensive way to add extra storage in any closet, as well as pantry. We invested in the standards (the strips that screw into the wall) and a probably 30 or 40 feet of shelving. We have used it well, moved it around as our needs changed through the years.
Bernice
http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2010/whatever-is-is/
Katie B. says
I am DYING to add shelfs to our closets in the kid’s rooms and in the hall closet. We bought our house in April, and I can’t believe this house has so many closets (really.. it’s awesome) but so unorganized! I’m going to try to convince my hubby to do this for me!
Petula says
Storage! Such a beautiful thing.
Debbie Francis says
My shelves in my linen closet were too far apart with lots of unused and awkward tall spaces, and who wants a stack of towels or bedsheets two feet high anyway? I’m not a fan of wire shelving as have had many collapse in time, so put wood shelves between the existing ones in that linen closet by simply nailing 1×2 the depth of the closet to each end (and a small piece midway at the back wall) and simply laying the wood board I’d painted white like the closet on top of the 1×2 braces I’d put in. The boards were narrower than the existing shelves, but I found I liked that for ease of access. (If you are doing a full length closet shelf, though, I recommend a full length piece across the back to distribute the weight.) Since I bought the really inexpensive boards at Home Depot, they cut them to measure for me so I didn’t even have to do that. Only painted and nailed. I have used this similar technique in a kitchen cabinet also (Stacks of spices always topple.–You can also do a VERY small shelf AROUND the inside space for spices.–Did that one once, too.), and under a bathroom sink that had only one large undivided space and no drawers. For that I added a small side shelf on each side of the undersink plumbing and put small items in small baskets I can slide in and out.
office storage boxes says
Shelves are great clutter solution especially for clothes and stuffs that can be either hanged or stacked. But these are only best for keeping home and personal stuffs. I’m quite not sure if it can be used for office purposes. Well, I’m looking forward to reading stuffs like this from you and hope you would discuss office boxes too.