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On paper, the standard reach-in closet averages 24 inches deep and three to six feet wide, which doesn’t seem like a lot of room to do anything in but hang clothes, pile up shoes, and stash spare sheets. But we’ve seen a shallow nook used as so much more: wet bars, sleeping nooks, laundry areas, homework stations. If you have a closet in your home that’s accumulating junk instead of serving as functional storage, consider one of these alternative uses.
A Listening Station
Designer Annie Sullivan Cobb could have called it a day after stocking this closet’s shelves with her husband’s record collection, but instead she made it into a whimsical listening station by adding a soapstone counter for his turntable. The rotating display of vinyl up top doubles as art against Farrow & Ball’s Churlish Green.
A Decked-Out Bar
That’s not the only closet Cobb transformed in her Shelter Island home. Just across from the record set-up is this tucked-away bar that balances practicality (there’s a wine fridge-slash-ice-maker) and party vibes (peep the crystal chandelier).
A Nook for a Crib
Teeny baby clothes don’t require a full closet. If you’re tight on space in the nursery, consider tearing off the doors and making the nook one with the room. A wide opening is the perfect spot for a crib, lending a cocooning feel and a natural place to hang a mobile.
A Reading Nook with a Daybed
Rather than buy a sectional for her Seattle basement, homeowner Kasey Hickey and her designer Heidi Caillier decided to rip out the closet underneath the stairs and build a 38-inch-deep couch into the opening. Hickey’s family of five can comfortably fit on it and they were able to incorporate shelves and a wall sconce despite having to keep the structural beam overhead.
A Laundry “Room”
Another clever replacement for an under-the-stairs closet? Laundry. Joanne Duong Bartels and Luke Bartels painted the inside of theirs a shade of mauve and added basic plywood to function as shelves and a folding surface.
A Spot to Put on Shoes
At the Greensboro Showhouse, designer Marie Cloud of Indigo Pruitt decided to make the upstairs hallway a cool hangout by replacing the linen closet with a bench. And because the main walk-in closet is located directly across from this, it felt fitting to offer the homeowner a place to sit down and finish getting dressed. To ensure ultimate comfort, she covered the interior wall with an upholstered panel.
A Guest Bed
Anastasia Casey, founder of The Interior Collective, took out an old closet in order to make way for a built-in bed (complete with a drawer). The bumped-out headboard works double-duty as a nightstand and there are two outlets where guests can charge their devices while they sleep. Sherwin-Williams’ Agate Green was the cherry on top of the shiplapped walls.