The Most Wasted Spaces in Your Raleigh-Durham Home — And How to Use Them | Clozetivity North Carolina

Your house might have more storage space than you think.

Seriously.

Before blaming the square footage, take a look at how much of that square footage is actually doing anything.

There may be several feet of empty wall above your closet rod. The area underneath the staircase might be serving as permanent housing for a vacuum cleaner. The garage walls may be completely empty while everything you own is stacked on the floor.

And somewhere there's probably a closet with a door everyone closes very quickly.

Homes throughout Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding Triangle come in all kinds of sizes and layouts, but almost all of them have spaces that could work harder.

Sometimes you don't need more space. You need to stop wasting the space you already have.

1. The Empty Space Above Your Closet Rod

Start with your closet.

Open the door and look up.

A lot of standard closets have one hanging rod and one shelf.

Then there's several feet of empty wall.

Meanwhile, clothes are crowded together, shoes are taking over the floor and folded items are stacked wherever they'll fit.

A professionally designed custom closet in Raleigh-Durham can use much more of the available vertical space.

Double-hang sections can increase storage for shirts and pants.

Upper shelving can hold seasonal clothing, luggage and less frequently used belongings.

Drawers can organize folded clothes and accessories.

Dedicated shoe shelving can reclaim the floor.

The biggest difference is that the closet can be designed around what you actually own.

If shoes are the problem, create more shoe storage.

If you need more long-hang space, plan for it.

If you've reached the point where handbags need their own management team, they can have a section too.

2. The Mudroom or Entryway

Entryways collect stuff.

It's basically one of the laws of homeownership.

Shoes.

Backpacks.

Keys.

Jackets.

Sports equipment.

Dog leashes.

Mail.

And whatever someone was holding when they walked inside.

Without designated storage, all of it lands on the nearest chair, countertop or section of floor.

A custom mudroom or entryway system can create specific places for everyday belongings.

Hooks can keep jackets and backpacks off the floor.

Cubbies can give family members their own storage areas.

A bench can provide seating with shoe storage underneath.

Drawers can organize smaller items.

Closed cabinetry can hide things you don't necessarily want greeting everyone who walks through the door.

It's not just about making the entryway look better.

It can make getting everyone out of the house considerably easier.

3. Under the Stairs

The area underneath a staircase is usually one of two things:

Empty.

Or the vacuum's bedroom.

Maybe a broom lives there too.

But depending on the construction and layout of your home, under-stair areas can potentially become custom drawers, cabinetry, shelving, pantry storage or general household storage.

The challenge is the shape.

Standard furniture doesn't work particularly well when the ceiling changes height every few inches.

Custom cabinetry can be designed around those dimensions.

Instead of trying to force something into the space, the storage is created specifically for it.

4. The Pantry

Pantries can be remarkably inefficient.

They can be completely full while simultaneously making you believe you have no food.

Deep shelves hide smaller items.

Tall shelf openings waste vertical space.

Bags get stacked.

Boxes disappear behind other boxes.

Then you buy another jar of pasta sauce because apparently the first three have gone into hiding.

A custom pantry in Raleigh-Durham can organize the available space around the way your household actually shops and cooks.

Adjustable shelving can reduce wasted vertical space.

Frequently used foods can stay accessible.

Bulk purchases can have designated areas.

Small appliances can move off kitchen counters.

Different sections can organize snacks, canned goods, breakfast foods and baking supplies.

The goal isn't necessarily getting more into the pantry.

It's being able to find what's already there.

5. Blank Walls

Sometimes the best storage opportunity isn't hidden at all.

It's an entire blank wall.

Custom built-ins can transform unused wall space into cabinetry and shelving without requiring another closet.

A living room wall can become an entertainment center with closed storage.

A dining room can gain cabinetry for dishes, glassware and serving pieces.

A bedroom can gain additional wardrobe storage.

A home office can gain shelves, drawers, cabinets and filing areas.

Because custom built-ins are designed around the room, they can look intentional rather than like another piece of furniture that happened to fit.

6. The Laundry Room

Laundry rooms often have a huge amount of wasted storage space.

Look above the washer and dryer.

There's usually a wall.

Maybe one shelf.

And that's it.

Custom laundry room cabinetry can turn that vertical space into storage for detergents, cleaning supplies, linens, paper products and household essentials.

Open shelving can keep frequently used items accessible.

Drawers can organize smaller products.

Depending on the available space, pull-out hampers and folding surfaces can also be incorporated.

A larger laundry room may even provide enough additional storage to free up closets elsewhere in the house.

Will the cabinets actually do the laundry?

Unfortunately, no.

We checked the warranty.

7. Corners in Walk-In Closets

A large walk-in closet can still be poorly designed.

Corners are one of the biggest reasons.

Hanging sections overlap.

Shelves become too deep.

Some areas are difficult to reach.

Others become completely wasted space.

A properly designed custom walk-in closet can account for those transitions.

Shelving can wrap around corners where appropriate.

Hanging areas can be positioned so they don't interfere with each other.

Cabinet depths can change depending on accessibility.

The closet doesn't become larger.

It simply becomes better at being a closet.

8. The Garage Walls

Garages have a lot of square footage.

Unfortunately, most of the stuff usually ends up on the floor.

Bicycles.

Tools.

Sports equipment.

Lawn supplies.

Coolers.

Holiday decorations.

Camping gear.

Boxes.

Eventually, the garage contains everything except the vehicles it was designed to hold.

But the walls may still be largely unused.

Custom garage cabinetry and shelving can move storage vertically.

Frequently used tools can remain accessible.

Seasonal items can move higher.

Sports and outdoor equipment can have dedicated areas.

Household overflow can move into cabinets instead of cardboard boxes.

And eventually, you may accomplish something remarkable.

Parking in the garage.

9. The Guest Room Closet

Guest room closets always start with good intentions.

“This will stay empty for guests.”

Absolutely.

Until you put a suitcase in there.

Then extra bedding.

Then seasonal clothing.

Then holiday decorations.

Eventually your guests receive two hangers and a motivational speech about packing light.

A custom reach-in closet can divide the available space between household storage and guest use.

Upper shelving can hold less frequently used items.

Drawers can organize smaller belongings.

A dedicated hanging area can remain available for visitors.

One closet can do both jobs without turning into a storage unit.

10. The Home Office

Home offices have somehow remained very good at collecting physical stuff despite everything becoming digital.

Printers.

Paperwork.

Chargers.

Files.

Notebooks.

Office supplies.

And an impressive collection of cables nobody can identify.

Without dedicated storage, everything eventually takes over the desk.

Custom home office cabinetry can provide organized storage around the workspace.

Files can stay accessible.

Equipment can be concealed.

Drawers can contain smaller supplies.

Shelving can provide room for books and display pieces.

The desk can finally return to being somewhere you work rather than somewhere you store everything associated with work.

11. Hall and Utility Closets

Most homes have at least one closet with no clearly defined purpose.

It just contains:

Everything.

Cleaning supplies.

Paper towels.

Batteries.

Tools.

Extra towels.

Pet supplies.

Board games.

Light bulbs.

And at least one thing nobody remembers buying.

The closet itself may have plenty of room.

The problem is usually how the shelving is configured.

Adjustable shelving can create separate areas for different categories.

Frequently used items can stay at comfortable heights.

Bulk supplies can move higher.

Smaller items can stop disappearing behind larger ones.

The closet doesn't need to become bigger.

It needs an actual plan.

12. Awkward Nooks and Corners

Homes often have little areas that don't seem useful.

A small alcove.

An awkward corner.

A short wall.

An angled area near a staircase.

Standard furniture may not fit, so the space stays empty.

Depending on the dimensions, custom cabinetry or shelving can potentially turn those areas into useful storage.

An alcove can become shelves.

A short wall can become cabinetry.

An awkward bedroom area can provide additional wardrobe storage.

Instead of trying to make standard furniture fit the home, the storage can be designed to fit the home.

Your Raleigh-Durham Home May Already Have the Space You Need

When a home starts feeling crowded, it's natural to think you need more room.

But look around before reaching that conclusion.

Look above your closet rods.

Look underneath the staircase.

Look inside the pantry.

Look at the garage walls.

Look at the blank wall you've walked past every day for five years.

There may already be a surprising amount of usable storage space inside your home.

Good storage design isn't about covering every wall with cabinetry.

It's about identifying spaces that can solve actual problems and designing them around your belongings and the way your household lives.

Custom Storage Solutions in Raleigh-Durham, NC

Clozetivity of Raleigh-Durham designs custom storage solutions for homeowners throughout Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and surrounding Triangle communities.

That includes custom closets, walk-in closets, reach-in closets, custom pantries, mudrooms, laundry rooms, home offices, garage storage and custom built-ins designed around the individual home.

Whether you're trying to maximize a smaller closet, organize your pantry, create a better entryway, reclaim the garage or transform an unused wall into functional storage, custom design can help you get more from the square footage you already own.

You might already have all the space you need.

It just needs to start pulling its weight.

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