Make your small closet do big things by implementing the right ideas for a tiny space. The trouble with most closet designs is the lack of organization, so your beloved clothes and shoes end up in piles too daunting to sort through. However, before you can get to organizing, the first and most helpful thing you can do is pair down your belongings. It’s hard, but with less stuff to organize you’ll actually end up wearing everything more often. Next, slap a fresh coat of bright white paint to make it appear roomier and more inviting to look at. The next few steps are dependant on the size of your space and what you need to store, so read further for more small closet ideas that will make you excited to pick out your outfit each morning.

Look High and Low

Small closet organization requires you to get creative. You’ll need to look high, low and side to side to find every inch of usable space. Down low, put drawers and open shelves beneath your hanging items, and invest in a shoe organizer so each pair has a home (this will make you less likely to toss them into a jumbled mess at the end of each day). If you can, move your clothes rod up a few inches higher to give yourself more room down below. Every inch counts for proper small closet solutions! Up above your hanging area, add a shelf if you don’t already have one. Then put up some dividers and stow your larger sweaters and bags up there.

On the side walls of your little closet, it’s likely that you have a few inches that would make excellent spots to put up a hook or two to easily hang something you use often, like your favorite hoodie. Likewise, make use of the back of the door if you have one, with hooks and small hanging organizers. For your main hanging area, try to use hangers that accommodate multiple garments, and look for the slim profile ones so you don’t waste valuable space with bulky hangers.

Stash the Small Stuff

It may feel like you only have room to keep larger items in your current closet, but once you start organizing you’ll soon realize you have space for the little guys. Shelf dividers or mail organizers make perfect vertical slots for clutches and such. If you can find a few extra inches of hanging space after you’ve purged unnecessary items (you can do it!), a slim hanging shoe organizer will help keep things off the ground and even works well for stashing scarves, hats and belts. Look to the corners to create tiny triangular shelves, perfect for little accessories like jewelry or even perfume. Coral loose things like socks and undergarments in bins and baskets and label them for easy access. Now that you know how to organize a small closet, go turn yours into the well-oiled machine that you’ve always dreamed of!

Whether you want inspiration for planning a small closet renovation or are building a designer closet from scratch, Houzz has 3,814 images from the best designers, decorators, and architects in the country, including Spazio Closet & Custom Cabinetry and Deborah Broockerd/DkB Design Services. Look through closet pictures in different colors and styles and when you find a small closet design that inspires you, save it to an Ideabook or contact the Pro who made it happen to see what kind of design ideas they have for your home. Explore the beautiful small closet photo gallery and find out exactly why Houzz is the best experience for home renovation and design.