U-Shaped Closet Ideas, Designs, and Closet System Organizers (2024)

Feeling Cramped in a Typical Great Falls U-Shaped Closet? Maximize Your Space with Custom Design

5 minute read, by Closet America, on Mar 17, 2017

Figuring out the best flow for your space can be tricky with a U-shaped closet, but these suggestions should help you make the most out of a tight fit.

Ever stepped into a walk-in closet and felt strangely confined? If it felt like the long walls were closing in on you from both sides, chances are you were dealing with a closet that was designed in a U-shape. Even with the amount of space that you get with a home in the Great Falls area, many of the closets here seem to be designed in this narrow shape. It doesn’t matter whether you live on a 5-acre wooded lot or are raising kids near Route 7—these closets are everywhere in this serene community.

Aside from feeling oddly claustrophobic, a U-shaped walk-in closet layout can be a challenge when you’re trying to design your own storage—particularly if you’re sharing the space with someone else. Two people just don’t fit well at one time in this type of closet, but with some creativity and a little cooperation, you can make the most of your small, U-shaped closet design. Here’s what we’ve learned in all of our experience working with Fairfax County residents building custom closets.

Create a Symmetrical Closet System

It’s a not-so-well-kept secret that symmetrical design can make a small area feel spacious (just think of the Colvin Run Mill!). Even if your walk-in closet isn’t cluttered, having inconsistent rod placements and shelving heights on both long walls can sometimes create the illusion of clutter—which only serves to make the space feel even more confined. Symmetry combats this by lending your closet a more organized appearance, which, in turn, will make you feel as if you’ve got more room to breathe.

Depending on your storage needs, a symmetrical design may not always work for you, but it’s definitely worth considering. Especially if you are sharing this space with someone else, this closet design strategy can really help maintain balance and order.

U-Shaped Closet Ideas, Designs, and Closet System Organizers (1)

Make the Bottom of The “U” Your Focus

Every room of the house needs a focal point, a place for the eye to rest when you enter. A clear focal point pulls the entire room together and makes you feel pleasantly settled. When you’re hiking River Trail and you finally catch that first glimpse of Mather Gorge—that’s the kind of focus we’re looking for. Unfortunately, in a narrow, U-shaped closet, a focal point is really difficult to discern. Your eyes tend to wander along the walls without a specific direction, making the space feel even more closed-in.

Our solution: make that “bottom” portion of the U-shape your main focus. The skinny wall at the back end of the closet is the perfect spot for showcasing clothing and accessories and will effectively draw the eye away from the seemingly-endless hanging clothes on either side. Typically, we find that a combination of upper shelving and drawer units work really well against this wall at the base of the “U.” We also like to illuminate this wall with LED lights to create a closet spotlight that further attracts your gaze.

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Take Advantage of That Corner Space

U-shaped closets are much narrower than your standard walk-in, so it’s imperative that you utilize every inch of available space for storage. You wouldn’t waste the last few bites of a pint of Coffee Oreo ice cream from Great Falls Creamery just because they were in the corners of the container, would you? We didn’t think so.

If you’re trying to maximize space in a U-shaped closet, we recommend using double rails along each of the side walls that extend the entire length of the closet. This strategy adds storage opportunity to an easily-overlooked area, especially when you take your clothing all the way to the wall and gain more hanging space overall.

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Utilize Closed Cabinets

It’s counterintuitive, but adding closed cabinets actually goes a long way toward making a closet feel more open. Accessories, for instance, can become unruly if left out in plain sight and make a space feel even more cluttered. (I’m picturing your bin of rock-climbing gear for Great Falls Park.) Placing these items behind a closed door gives a smooth façade and helps to conceal the chaos.

However, proceed carefully with this strategy. Since your closet more than likely doesn’t have natural light, we recommend using frosted glass doors on your cabinets. Solid doors may give a heavy or dark feel to a space that’s already tight, but the frosted glass option gives the illusion of transparency (just like reports we keep getting about the supposed widening of Route 7). This way, everything is hidden behind closed doors, but the room ends up feeling larger.

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Be Strategic About Drawer Placement

We love symmetry, but our first suggestion deserves a caveat here. In a confined U-shaped closet, you simply can’t have drawers in the same spot on the two longer walls. From a functional perspective, this just doesn’t work—especially if you and your significant other are both trying to get into drawers at the same time. Drawers tend to be the perfect additions to a closet because they allow you to store smaller items with ease, but this particular room shape requires a little bit of finessing.

In the case of a U-shaped closet, drawers tend to work best when placed in the bottom of the U against the smallest wall of the closet. Sets of built-in drawers can exist side by side without the handles bumping into each other in the middle of the room. And with our soft-close drawer slides (which cushion drawers from slamming shut), you’re safe from the danger of mashing your fingers while rushing to get ready for your commute to downtown DC in the morning.

Figuring out the best flow for your space can be tricky with a U-shaped closet, but these suggestions should help you make the most out of a tight fit. If you’d like to see how these ideas could play out in your own home, schedule your free design consultation with a Closet America designer. With our 3D modeling software, you can see how your changes will look in real time and get a feel for how much better your U-shaped closet experience could be with a little custom upgrading.

Lead image source: Rob Shenk via Flickr

U-Shaped Closet Ideas, Designs, and Closet System Organizers (2024)

FAQs

How to organize a U-shaped closet? ›

Consider placing hanging rods along the longer sides of the U-shape to maximize hanging space. Use adjustable shelving units and drawers to create separate sections for different categories of clothing, such as tops, bottoms, and accessories. This will help you maintain a well-organized and visually appealing closet.

What are three techniques for organizing closets? ›

A: The most efficient way to organize a closet is to pull everything out; sort items into specific categories; declutter what you don't use, need, or want; and then put everything back in a way that allows you to find what you're looking for quickly and easily.

How do you organize an odd shaped closet? ›

Keep in mind that larger shelves should stay near the bottom with smaller, narrower shelves placed toward the top of the wall. Easily store light items such as necklaces, belts and hats on the top shelves and hefty items like boots and purses at the bottom.

What size is a U shaped closet? ›

For a U-shaped walk-in closet, a dimension of 6.5 feet in width by 6.5 feet in depth is often recommended as a starting point, but it could be larger based on your needs.

How do professionals organize their closet? ›

"The most important principle in closet organizing is to group like things together," says professional organizer Barbara Reich of Resourceful Consultants. "Shirts with shirts, pants with pants." That way, there's no question about where to find those items when you need them.

What are five tips for organizing your closet? ›

How to Organize Your Closet
  • Step 1: Empty Your Closet. ...
  • Step 2: Clean Every Corner. ...
  • Step 3: Declutter and Donate. ...
  • Step 4: Sort Items by Category. ...
  • Step 5: Assess Your Storage System. ...
  • Step 6: Put Everything Away.
Apr 29, 2024

How does Marie Kondou organize her closet? ›

The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.

Should you organize clothes by color or style? ›

There's no right or wrong way to organize your closet, but arranging items by color is by far the most effective method I've tried, not to mention the most beautiful. If you try it for yourself and find it isn't for you, it's still a great excuse to sort through your clothes and find a system you like.

How to declutter a closet fast? ›

8 closet decluttering tips to steal from professionals
  1. Pick your approach – categorize or all-in-one. ...
  2. Use different organizers for different items. ...
  3. Consider the reverse hanger technique. ...
  4. Use the one in one out technique to keep clutter down. ...
  5. Work during the day. ...
  6. Take items out that aren't to do with getting dressed.
Oct 29, 2022

What is a cave closet? ›

Cave Closet: Cave closets are either narrow boxes or sport deep, dark L shapes. Either way, they can make getting ready in the morning feel like a spelunking expedition into crammed-together clothes.

How do I organize my clothes in my closet ADHD? ›

Store things simply by keeping clothing types together.

For example, storing all of your tank tops together, and all of your short sleeve shirts together is better than separating clothing by casual vs. dressy outfits. Storing them by clothing type, (pants, tanks, long sleeve shirts, etc.)

How do you maximize an L shaped closet? ›

Maximizing Space and Organization in L-Shaped Walk-in Closets. Making the most of the vertical storage space is another little L-shaped closet suggestion. Adding shelves, hooks, or hanging rods will accomplish this. This will enable you to maintain organization and make the most of your little closet.

How do I organize my closet with little space? ›

25 Tips for Organizing Small Closets That Will Double Your...
  1. Use Dividers on Shelves. The Container Store Clear Shelf Divider. ...
  2. Use "Floating" Space. ...
  3. Double Up Your Hanging Space. ...
  4. Utilize the Back of Your Door. ...
  5. Stack Your Shoes. ...
  6. Add a Small Dresser. ...
  7. Add Clothing Categorizers. ...
  8. Maximize Hanging Storage.
Feb 9, 2023

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