The Closet Under the Stairs: Ideas for Organizing Small Hall Closets

These five simple ideas for organizing your closet under the stairs will help make home entertaining easier than ever.

Entertaining for the holidays can be a real hassle when your necessary decorations, clothing, and accessories are scattered all over your house. Planning a peaceful family event or gathering with friends can be more meaningful if you create one convenient place to keep all of your seasonal, holiday, and party planning items.

One effective way to achieve this—especially if you feel like you’ve got too much stuff and too little room to store it—involves utilizing your under-the-stairs storage space to organize all your seasonal and special event materials. You can store party decor and exclusive holiday and occasion apparel in a single, functional place to access whenever you need them. Consider these five simple custom closet under the stairs ideas for your home entertaining.

Ideas for Using Your Under-the-Stairs Closet Space Effectively

While easy to overlook, the closet under the stairs could be your secret weapon when taming household clutter and seasonal decorations. To make the most of this pre-holiday organization ace-in-the-hole, try the following under the stairs closet storage plans and ideas on for size:

Incorporate seasonal and holiday décor and storage under the stairs.

You can get a lot of storage out of a small closet space, particularly next to the wall and in the back of the closet, where you can make room for items only accessed a few times a year. Seasonal decorations, holiday specialty goods, Christmas ornaments, and event-specific items will fit nicely on carefully-arranged shelves and in designated bins. A quick-grab basket will assist with those social events that seem to sneak up unexpectedly (even after they’ve been on the calendar for months).

• Store bins by holiday and event type. Organize your seasonal and party items by holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, exclusive dinners, and family traditions.

• Organize less frequently used items on high shelves. Store holiday décor and event-related items less needed on upper-level shelves. This will free up convenient space for regularly-utilized materials.

• Include a chrome basket inside your closet for party items. This bin is your “party in progress” grab-and-go basket for current events that require your attention. Just place inside of the closet, next to the wall, for ready access.

Arrange holiday, seasonal, and event clothing by color and occasion type.

Use a simple clothing rod and sturdy components for hanging dress shirts and slacks needed for company events and special gatherings. This will keep formal attire neat and wrinkle-free for your use.

• Group like colors and items together. Placing similarly-colored and type pieces in the same area will help you match the perfect attire for your significant event.

• Use this space for your holiday wardrobe. Storing seasonal or holiday apparel in your regular walk-in closet can cause your wardrobe to become crowded and make specific items more difficult to find. Keep both your everyday and special occasion clothing wrinkle- and hassle-free by storing special items separately in the closet under the stairs.

• Hang cherished garments on cedar hangers. Cedar hangers will help protect from moths, and wood hangers will ensure fabric keeps its shape.

Make use of adjustable shelves and dividers for jewelry and other small accessories.

Shelves, dividers, and other custom closet system accessories are great for seasonal handbags, scarves, belts, socks, hats, jewelry, and socks. Use adjustable shelving to fit items perfectly.

• Adjustable chrome-accent shelves offer a single neat space for accessories. Shelves are built to last and beautifully finished with a thermo-fused laminate.

• Accompany shelving with dividers. Add dividers or bins for better organization of those loose items you have multiples of. This may include scarves, belts, socks, and hats that can be readily in sight when divided into their own special place on a shelf.

• Shoes should be accessible and stored together in pairs. Place them in neatly-lined rows or on dedicated shoe shelves within a shelving unit.

Create a hook and rack space for seasonal jackets and conversational ties.

If you only need a dinner jacket or holiday sports coat on occasion, prepare a durable, chrome hook space just inside and to the left wall of your small closet area. A slide-out tie rack, meanwhile, is perfect for keeping holiday ties organized by season and purpose.

• Hook your dinner jackets, sports coats, and dress coats on a special hook display. Place these items so they are easy to reach, but also organized by occasion with the most frequently worn jackets closest to the door of the closet.

• Use a slide-out tie rack for conversational ties. Ties can be neatly organized by color, style, or type. This will help you to visualize the best tie for your event.

• Consider slide-out racks for organizing your belts. Belts of various colors can be simply sorted and kept on slide-out racks for the perfect occasion.

Incorporate hidden, soft-close drawers for gifts for upcoming events.

Sliding soft-close drawers offer a simple way to extend space and to keep your special holiday and anniversary gifts tucked away where no one will be able to sneak a peek.

• Choose a custom organizer to design and build your secret drawer. You’ll appreciate a hideaway place to store your special gifts for each and every holiday and unique occasion.

• Use this area for surprise toys and games. Stow Christmas toys and games for children or family members out of sight until needed.

• Store treasured gifts. Safely put away treasured gifts for your loved ones for important anniversaries, birthdays, or graduations.

Customizing Your Closet Under the Stairs

Whether you’re thinking about making a few adjustments or completely renovating your closet under the stairs, custom closet design could be the key to getting the most out of your space. While DIY and out-of-the-box systems are two possible options, consider the benefits of a custom, professional solution.

A free design consultation with knowledgeable, experienced closet designers will help you more clearly identify what you need, and visualize what you want, from your closet space. Once fully designed (with your seal of approval), your closet will be crafted and tailored to your exact specifications, using only the highest quality materials to ensure optimal durability, functionality, and visual appeal.

Note that some closet companies manufacture the equipment for closets but leave you to do all the labor yourself. When selecting a provider, it’s more effective and convenient to choose one that offers both custom closet design and installation. Professional installers can have your closet quickly and cleanly installed with no muss and no fuss—often in just one day.

You’ll host events in style easily accessing all of your needs from one impressive closet area. If you’re ready to organize your holiday and special events closet under the stairs, don’t wait—contact Closet America today!