Rental Friendly Closet Hack | Getting my Sh*t Together in my New Closet

I’m kinda hyped for this blog because I’m excited to share my closet hack on how I took my blah plain-Jane walk-in-closet and transformed it into a lovely “built-in” looking space. Not only does it house all my sh*t but NOW it’s a highly functional area with plenty of storage. 

I just recently moved into a rented townhouse and let me tell you the most important thing for me to feel at home is having a proper place for all my s*hit!! LOL!! Can you darlings relate??  Like organization is my comfort word!! If you’re new here you may not recall,  but I personally designed my walk-in closet in my previous home (see my closet reveal).  She was PURTY!! I literally created precise areas for each garment, shoe, handbag and belt to live. My new walk-in-closet, while a lot smaller, had the potential to have the same “built-in/custom” feel.  All your girl had to do was add extra poles for hanging clothes and a few shelving units. 

I am not not one to shy away from a design challenge but I was having a major tissy when I first moved in. Having to downsize my closet felt like a huge battle. How in the world was I gonna squeeze all my clothes, shoes, bags etc. into my new closet which is easily ⅔ smaller than my old one?? I looked at dressers. I considered those hanging poles (which btw had horrible reviews across the board). I was whining everyday about the chaos, which in hindsight seems silly but at the time all I I wanted was to see my belongings in a proper place. I mean babes, my clothes were spilling out and falling everywhere!!  

My Closet Hack | How I created a custom built-in feel in my plain-Jane closet.

Step 1: Add 1 lower pole to create extra hanging space for skirts and pants. This was an easy DIY. You can purchase a closet pole and sockets from Home Depot. This simple addition added so much extra hanging space in my closet!

Step 2: Add cabinets to function as a dresser / storage area. For this, I repurposed my old beauty cabinets from IKEA that were in my nook (see nook update). The size of this cabinet is perfect if you are working in a narrow space like mine. 

Step 3: Add cubby shelving above the existing shelf to store shoes and a few clothes items. Check out the before photos below. As you can see, I was seriously lacking organization and was not maximizing all that space above.

To be fair it was my bestie Carol’s idea to use bookcases or something like it above the clothes. All we did was turn them on their side, and VOILA, a ready made “built-in” looking closet. After doing a bit of measuring and searching websites for either small children bookcases and shoe racks, I found I could get multiple units to fit.  Once I sorted out the configuration that would maximize the space all that was left was to place the order!!  Luckily I pulled it off for about $300! 

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Step 4: Stand back and be amazed at the final product :))

More Closet Necessities

Pop over to Amazon and grab these necessities to maximize your poles.

Slim hangers:

• Pant Hangers
• Slim Velvet Hangers
• Space Saving Hangers – My daughter Xia loves these to save space in her dorm

Storage bins that don’t break the bank:

• Storage boxes – set of 6 (made from recycled polyester!) 
• Fabric Shoe Boxes – 2 pack (made from 90% recycled polyester!)

I’m super delighted with all the extra space I gained with these budget friendly add-ons. I know that making design investments in a home you’re renting can be tricky. Whether renting or owning, I personally think it’s super important to love the space you live in which is why I loved working on this organization project so much.  Hope you enjoyed my rental friendly closet hack 🙂