Reach-in closets and wardrobes are increasingly popular in bedrooms or other living spaces that cannot accommodate a larger walk-in closet. How they are arrayed and placed can vary depending on the characteristics of the room, as well as the user’s needs.

Placement And Dimensions

Reach-in closets can either be built into a wall or protrude as a wardrobe closet. If the particular room doesn’t have any existing closet space or the wall spacing between each room is narrow, a wardrobe that extends from the wall may be needed. In rooms where there is sufficient depth, a recessed reach-in closet is typically the more popular option.

Décor And Discretion

For some people, a reach-in closet is a place to proudly display some of their favorite garments and accessories. Yet others prefer not to have their clothing items exposed for everyone to see.

There are several ways to tastefully disguise the outward appearance of a reach-in closet. This includes things like:

  • Floor-length curtains that match existing window dressings, essentially disguise the reach-in closet area as if it was just another window in the room.
  • Sliding barn doors that match the trim and other styling cues of the room let you shut the closet away when you aren’t using it.
  • An elegant dressing screen helps define the space, while also giving you privacy for the times when you want to change clothing or get dressed for the day.

Tasteful Hanger Space

Hanger space is often a critical component of a fully functional reach-in closet. Hangers need to be balanced with the depth of the closet and the wall behind them. This gives you a place to hang things like suit coats, sweaters, button-up shirts, and other clothing items that will wrinkle if folded.

Many custom hanger spaces include accent lighting to help colors pop while making it easier to pick out the garments you want.

Organized Drawers And Cabinets

Effective storage space for smaller items helps keeps them easy to find, without having them constantly on displace.

Built-In Drawer Systems

Drawers are a very popular place to keep loose articles, jewelry items, and other important accessories, that you don’t want out for the world to see. Many people who use them in this way, also appreciate adjustable dividers. This gives you the option of keeping accessory items separate, while also being easy to find.
Lower drawers can also be prone to shadow problems, depending on the room’s ambient lighting. In a case like this, you might want to include drawer lights. They are set up on special switches that turn them on when the drawer is opened yet turns them off again when the drawer is closed. This is great storage solutions for socks, underwear, lingerie, pajamas, and bathing suits for examples.

Cabinets And Built-In Storage Benches

Cabinets and benches give you a place to tuck away larger items that you don’t want to always have out. In some iterations, a cabinet serves as a jewelry box with drawers and other display items. It might also be a cabinet door that opens to reveal staggered drawers or hangers.

A storage bench is also very popular for clothing items that don’t need to be hung up. This could be as simple as folded sweaters, or it could be a pull-out drawer filled with footwear items. A sturdy bench space can also double as a place to sit when you tie your shoes.

Innovative Basket Systems

Wire and cloth baskets have become incredibly popular as ways to store loose, and lightweight items. Cloth baskets can be placed in cubbies or on shelves in situations where the reach-in closet simply can’t accommodate a dresser.

Wire basket systems can also be installed under shelves. Many use special sliders that allow you to see what’s in each unit, and you can pull them out just like a dresser drawer. This is a great way to maximize lesser-used vertical space.

Adjustable Shelving Systems

Shelves are a popular way to store bulky and asymmetrical items. One of the problems with static shelves is that you often run into times when you are simply wasting precious vertical space. This is even more likely to be a problem at the change of seasons when items are cycled in and out of storage.

Adjustable shelving systems allow you to easily alter the height of each shelf. Some areas simple as pre-drilled holes with removable dowels. Others consist of metal rails with hardware components that easily click into place.

If you have an existing wardrobe or out of date reach-in closet that needs to be upgraded, there are several ways to tastefully install adjustable shelving into a unit that might have originally been built with static shelves.

Innovative Shoe Storage

Closets are a popular place to store footwear. Being able to keep your high-value shoes in your reach-in closet can spare them the accidental wear and tear that can impact the daily-wear shoes in your foyer.

Unfortunately, shoes also have an abnormal shape that tends to eat up a lot of space. One way to lessen their presence is to stack them in shoe boxes. Yet it doesn’t really allow you to keep them easily on display. You end up sorting through boxes and lids to find the footwear you need.

Fortunately, there are a plethora of shoe organization systems that are designed to address this issue. This might be shoe holsters hanging on doors, shoe cubby systems, built-in shoe racks, or pull out shoe drawers. The system that is best for you will be based on the available space in your reach-in closet, as well as your personal preference.

Some people like to display prized items of footwear with accent lighting while keeping more utility footwear stored away inside a bench or in a cubby.

Built Security Features

A reach-in closet in the master bedroom can also be an ideal spot to keep a safe or other security measures for high-value items. This might be exotic pieces of jewelry, important papers, firearms, and art objects. A safe can be tastefully disguised behind hung clothes, inside a cabinet, or behind a pull-out door.