There’s probably more storage space hiding in your home than you think.
Unfortunately, some of it may currently be occupied by a vacuum cleaner, a pile of beach towels, three coolers and a collection of reusable bags that somehow keeps multiplying.
Homes along the Gulf Coast come in all kinds of layouts, from newer construction and family homes to waterfront properties and homes designed around open living spaces.
And while open floor plans can look fantastic, they can also create an interesting problem:
Where are you supposed to put everything?
Before assuming you need more square footage, it’s worth looking at the square footage you already have.
Walls, corners, closets, garages and awkward little spaces can provide significantly more storage when they’re designed with an actual purpose.
Here are some of the most commonly wasted spaces in Gulf Coast homes — and how to make them work harder.
1. All That Empty Space Above Your Closet Rod
Start with the closet.
More specifically, look up.
Many basic closet layouts use only a portion of the available height.
There’s a hanging rod, a shelf and then several feet of wall doing absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, shoes are covering the floor and clothes are fighting for hanging space.
A professionally designed custom closet on the Gulf Coast can take advantage of much more of the available height.
Double-hang sections can create additional room for shirts and pants. Upper shelving can handle seasonal items and things you don’t need every day. Drawers can provide organized storage for folded clothes, accessories and smaller belongings.
Dedicated shoe storage can finally get everything off the floor.
And because the closet is custom designed, the layout can be based on what you actually own.
If you have more dresses, you need more long-hang space.
If shoes are the problem, give them their own section.
If your handbag collection has officially become a structural concern, we can work with that too.
2. The Entryway
Entryways attract clutter with impressive efficiency.
Shoes.
Bags.
Keys.
Backpacks.
Dog leashes.
Mail.
Sunglasses.
Whatever someone was carrying when they walked through the door tends to stay there.
A custom entryway or drop zone can give those things designated places.
Hooks can handle bags and jackets.
Drawers can hold smaller items.
Cubbies can provide individual storage for family members.
A bench can offer seating while incorporating shoe storage underneath.
Closed cabinetry can hide the things you don’t necessarily want sitting out when someone walks into the house.
Instead of constantly moving clutter from one surface to another, you actually have somewhere to put it.
3. Beach Gear and Outdoor Stuff
Living near the Gulf Coast comes with some additional storage challenges.
Beach chairs.
Umbrellas.
Coolers.
Towels.
Fishing equipment.
Pool supplies.
Outdoor toys.
All of that stuff needs somewhere to go when you aren’t using it.
And somehow, the answer usually becomes:
The garage floor.
Custom storage can create dedicated areas for recreational and outdoor equipment instead of letting everything become one giant pile.
Garage cabinets and shelving can separate beach gear from tools, household supplies and seasonal items.
Frequently used things can remain easy to reach while less frequently used equipment can move higher.
Then when it’s time to head out, you can grab what you need instead of conducting an archaeological excavation of the garage.
4. The Space Under the Stairs
Under-stair storage is one of the most overlooked opportunities in a home.
The problem is the shape.
Traditional cabinets and furniture are rectangular.
The space underneath a staircase definitely is not.
So people usually put a vacuum underneath it and call the project complete.
But depending on the layout and construction of the home, that area may be suitable for custom drawers, cabinetry, shelving, pantry storage or general household storage.
Because custom storage can be designed around changing heights and unusual angles, the area can become genuinely useful instead of simply being awkward.
5. Blank Walls
A wall doesn’t need to stay empty just because there isn’t a closet there.
Custom built-ins can transform unused wall space into functional storage while still looking like part of the room.
A living room wall can become an entertainment center with closed cabinetry and display shelving.
A dining area can gain storage for dishes, glassware and serving pieces.
A bedroom wall can provide additional wardrobe storage.
A home office can gain cabinets, shelving, drawers and file storage.
This can be especially useful in open-concept homes where there may be plenty of wall space but fewer traditional closets.
Instead of adding another piece of furniture, cabinetry can be designed specifically around the room.
6. The Pantry
The pantry is one of those places where you can have plenty of square footage and somehow still have nowhere to put anything.
Deep shelves are usually part of the problem.
Small items disappear behind larger ones.
Tall shelf openings waste space above shorter containers.
Bags get stacked wherever there’s room.
Then you buy another bottle of ketchup because you couldn’t find the other three.
A custom pantry can divide the available space based on what your household actually stores.
Adjustable shelving can reduce wasted vertical space.
Different sections can be created for snacks, canned goods, baking supplies, breakfast items and bulk purchases.
Small appliances can have designated storage rather than permanently living on the kitchen counter.
Good pantry organization isn’t necessarily about buying more containers and labeling everything.
It’s about making the actual space easier to use.
7. The Laundry Room
Laundry rooms can have an incredible amount of wasted wall space.
The washer and dryer sit on the floor.
Then there’s usually a shelf.
And apparently the design process ends there.
Custom laundry room storage can add cabinetry above and around the appliances for detergent, cleaning products, linens and household supplies.
Depending on the size of the room, the design may also incorporate shelving, drawers, pull-out hampers or a folding surface.
The laundry room can become useful household storage instead of simply being the room where everyone avoids the basket of clean clothes for three days.
8. Corners in Walk-In Closets
Walk-in closets can waste space too.
A large closet doesn’t automatically mean a well-designed closet.
Corners are often where the trouble starts.
Hanging areas can overlap.
Deep shelving can become difficult to reach.
Poorly positioned cabinetry can leave entire sections underused.
A custom walk-in closet design considers those transitions from the beginning.
Shelving can wrap around corners.
Hanging areas can be positioned so they don’t interfere with one another.
Cabinet depths can be adjusted based on accessibility.
A few smart design decisions can create considerably more usable storage without adding a single square foot.
9. The Guest Room Closet
Guest room closets have a habit of becoming household storage units.
At first, there’s plenty of room.
Then you add suitcases.
Extra bedding.
Seasonal clothes.
Holiday decorations.
And suddenly your guests are being offered two hangers and a sincere apology.
A custom reach-in closet can divide the space more effectively.
Upper shelving can handle household overflow while part of the hanging area remains available for visitors.
Drawers and adjustable shelving can provide additional storage without consuming the entire closet.
One closet can do both jobs.
10. The Home Office
Home offices accumulate more stuff than anyone expects.
Even when most work happens digitally, there are still printers, chargers, files, notebooks, supplies and paperwork.
Without proper storage, everything ends up on the desk.
Then the desk becomes unusable.
Custom office cabinetry can create dedicated areas for equipment and supplies while keeping the workspace clear.
Files can stay hidden.
Shelving can provide room for books and display items.
Drawers can organize smaller supplies.
A home office works considerably better when you can actually see the desk.
11. The Garage Walls
Garages have enormous storage potential.
They also have enormous clutter potential.
Tools, beach equipment, bicycles, sports gear, holiday decorations, lawn supplies and boxes tend to spread across the floor.
Meanwhile, entire walls remain empty.
Custom garage storage can move many of those belongings vertically through cabinets and shelving.
Frequently used equipment can stay within reach.
Seasonal items can move higher.
Tools and household supplies can have designated sections.
And eventually you may uncover enough floor space for something truly revolutionary:
The car.
You Probably Don’t Need to Fill Every Inch
Good storage design doesn’t mean covering every available wall with cabinets.
Sometimes empty space is good.
The goal is figuring out which spaces aren’t being used effectively and deciding whether they could solve an actual storage problem.
Look above the closet rod.
Look underneath the stairs.
Look at the empty wall.
Look inside the pantry.
And definitely look at the garage.
There may already be plenty of space in your home.
It just needs a better job.
Custom Storage Solutions for Gulf Coast Homes
Clozetivity of the Gulf Coast designs custom storage solutions around the individual home and the people who live there.
That can include custom closets, walk-in closets, reach-in closets, custom pantries, laundry rooms, entryway storage, home offices, garage storage and custom built-ins.
Instead of trying to make a premade system work in a space it wasn’t designed for, custom storage can be created around the actual dimensions of the room and what you need to store.
Whether you’re trying to organize a closet, reclaim the garage, improve your pantry or turn a completely unused wall into functional storage, the goal is simple:
Get more from the home you already have.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Garage cabinetry, shelving, entryway storage and other custom solutions can create designated areas for beach equipment, coolers, towels, outdoor supplies and recreational gear.
Absolutely. Smaller closets can benefit significantly from better use of vertical space, double hanging areas, adjustable shelving, drawers and dedicated shoe storage.
Yes. Custom storage can be designed for pantries, laundry rooms, garages, home offices, entryways, living areas and other spaces throughout the home.
Yes. A custom pantry layout can use appropriately spaced shelving and other storage features to improve accessibility and visibility, especially in deeper areas.
Depending on the dimensions and construction, custom cabinetry and shelving can often be designed around corners, angled ceilings, under-stair areas and other spaces where standard storage products may not fit efficiently.
Yes. In addition to custom closets, storage solutions can include pantries, laundry rooms, garages, home offices, entryway storage and custom built-ins.
Written by
Clozetivity Florida