I need to see how it relates to the room and where is your actual clothes closet ? Some clue as to your style would also help. So pics of the whole room with your furniture if possible and make sure the pics show this space in the room.

What are you thinking of putting in there? If you have another usable closet for hanging clothes and a shoe fetish it would make a great shoe closet. :-) If you're a DIYer, look at the Closet Maid components at HD and build something in without hanging bars - some combination of shelves and drawers that will be suitable for what you have to put in there. Whether you put doors on it after fitting it out is up to you. If this is a guest room and this is the only closet then just put hooks in across the back wall, spaced so you can put a hanger on each hook. Unless you have long-term guests frequently they will probably only want to hang a couple items.

If that's at the entry to the room, can you remove it? That would give you more space in the room.

Thank you for the questions and suggestions so far! This is good stuff for me to think about! I've included more photos in the original post as well.

I assume you also have a second closet with a rod for hangers. This shallow closet could be retrofitted with shelves to use for purses, shoes, sweaters, hats, luggage on the floor under the bottom shelf. I would definitely use either sliding doors or bifold doors (two sets). No mirror doors.

some ideas to get you thinking...

if you need more closet space:

a quick stop on way out and in for jewelry, watches, phones, wallets etc..

just display it:

another office spot?

total makeover:

Bibliophile: