Between Dream Closets and Dead Air

After I did my closet cleaning out post yesterday, I got a lot of posts and feedback that people just don't feel like it is possible to clean out their closet.  Here is all you have to do, spend a couple hours watching some episodes of Clean House or Hoarders.  I remember thinking forever that I had to be one of the messiest people ever until I watched those shows and realized that I was OK!  Of course, if you watch those shows and it looks like they could be filming in your house then perhaps it is time to get more professional help from a cleaning crew or apply for the show!

One of my favorite quotes is "Rich people aren't cleaner - they just have more storage."  And its true!  It is so much easier to keep your house clean when you have a place for everything. Unfortuntaly, most traditional closet designs are riddled with tons of dead space. Space that could be holding your stuff is instead, just holding air.

For me, I want to clean out my closet and "create" space when I see closets that inspire me to make my closet "be all it can be".  Obviously, I will never own a closet like this one below, but a girl can dream right.

(image via Hooked on Houses - read her full post on the fab real estate from SATC movie)

Here are some great closet spaces for you to drool over and get some storage ideas to implement in your life. 

Ok, so this space is fantastic because it was built by a closet design company.  But look at what types of storage "ideas" they used.  Alternating shelfing with hanging rods with the use of boxes and racks.  And note - they use all the space up to the ceiling and down to the floor. 

contemporary home design by Container Store

Here is another example of how to take your storage ALL the way up and down.  Purses on the tippy top shelf is a great idea since you may not use them all the time.

eclectic home design via Domino Magazine

Nicole over at Making It Lovely has this beautiful closet space.  I love her ideas for organizing accessories.  Speaking of which - if you missed it this week Lindsay at Living with Lindsay featured a great tutorial on how to make your own Jewelry Tree Organizer, kinda like the one shown below.

home design by makingitlovely.com

Love the shoe storage space here - note that all the vertical space is used and it is tight.  The shoe shelves aren't any taller than they need to be so there is no wasted space in any shelf.

home design by dc metro interior designer Neat Chic

Love this idea for a kids closet.  Kids clothes are small so normally in a regular closet you have a lot of dead space that could be used to organize toys and books.  Brilliant!

traditional kids design by boston interior designer Stylish Spaces

All vertical space is used here - even if it just to squeeze in a hat!  The canvas bins and sliding wire baskets are also fantastic!  They even built it around the radiator.  That is using ALL your available space.

home design by dc metro interior designer Neat Chic

Ok - for my thrifters out there - how adorable are these!  Those bracelet holders are old doorknobs!  This is giving me so many ideas on what to do above and around the wall space around the light switch.

eclectic bedroom design by philadelphia interior designer Designs by Shoshana

I hope this post has inspired you to think about the space you have differently and come up with some innovative storage ideas!  What is something you could do to add more usable storage to your closets?

P.S. I am linking this up to Melissa's Inspired By Party over at the Inspired Room!