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Collection by Jacqueline Leahy

Clever and Unconventional Closets

With storage space in constant short supply, smart closet design is essential. See how eight inventive homeowners carve out their closet spaces.

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The limited space means that every purchase has to be a rational one. So each sock, shirt, and shoe has to have a place, otherwise something else has to make way for it. Not ideal for those who enjoy Sunday-morning flea markets, but it certainly enforces a high degree of tidiness.
The limited space means that every purchase has to be a rational one. So each sock, shirt, and shoe has to have a place, otherwise something else has to make way for it. Not ideal for those who enjoy Sunday-morning flea markets, but it certainly enforces a high degree of tidiness.
The stairway to the sleeping loft is a riff on a ship's ladder: "We spent a lot of time figuring out how much space we need to maneuver," says David. "It allowed us to make it as small and perfect as we wanted to." Instead of a handrail, sail cleats are bolted to the walls as hand-holds.
The stairway to the sleeping loft is a riff on a ship's ladder: "We spent a lot of time figuring out how much space we need to maneuver," says David. "It allowed us to make it as small and perfect as we wanted to." Instead of a handrail, sail cleats are bolted to the walls as hand-holds.
Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasler
Barbara Hill's Dancehall/House in Marfa, Texas September 14, 2010 Misty Keasler
Pelayo forewent closets in the master bedroom in favor of exposed plumbing-pipes-as-racks.
Pelayo forewent closets in the master bedroom in favor of exposed plumbing-pipes-as-racks.
To make the bedroom seem ethereal—and far larger than its 12-by-12 dimensions suggest—Pratt designed a curtain that hangs on three sides, hiding closets to the left and right of the bed and providing privacy when extended in front of the sliding glass doors. The bedspread, in charcoal with undulating turquoise stitching (www.foldbedding.com), recalls the folds of the curtain; the overall effect is of a place for floating off to sleep.
To make the bedroom seem ethereal—and far larger than its 12-by-12 dimensions suggest—Pratt designed a curtain that hangs on three sides, hiding closets to the left and right of the bed and providing privacy when extended in front of the sliding glass doors. The bedspread, in charcoal with undulating turquoise stitching (www.foldbedding.com), recalls the folds of the curtain; the overall effect is of a place for floating off to sleep.
Master Bath Casale and Crofton’s bedroom is configured as a casual open suite, with a sliding aluminum screen as the only barrier separating an adjacent bathroom and walk-in closet. The screen’s dappled, lacelike pattern was designed by Fiyel Levent, a local artist and architect. Bischoff handed her design to a metalworker, who then carved it into aluminum with a digital laser cutter. It runs on a track in front of a partial wall covered in wallpaper by Neisha Crosland. The vanity, designed and built in the MADE studio, sits atop the legs from an antique refrigerator that Bischoff and his team found in a junkyard. Calacatta mosaic tile, another MADE leftover, lines the floor of the shower (not shown). The firm had a limited surplus, so the amount of tile available dictated the shower stall’s footprint. “We have a keen understanding of the challenges presented by integrating the new with the existing,” Bischoff says of his approach. “We took this blank canvas and tailored it to the needs that Dawn and Dave had for their home. The result is fresh and unique but retains the patina of the many parts from which it was made.”
Master Bath Casale and Crofton’s bedroom is configured as a casual open suite, with a sliding aluminum screen as the only barrier separating an adjacent bathroom and walk-in closet. The screen’s dappled, lacelike pattern was designed by Fiyel Levent, a local artist and architect. Bischoff handed her design to a metalworker, who then carved it into aluminum with a digital laser cutter. It runs on a track in front of a partial wall covered in wallpaper by Neisha Crosland. The vanity, designed and built in the MADE studio, sits atop the legs from an antique refrigerator that Bischoff and his team found in a junkyard. Calacatta mosaic tile, another MADE leftover, lines the floor of the shower (not shown). The firm had a limited surplus, so the amount of tile available dictated the shower stall’s footprint. “We have a keen understanding of the challenges presented by integrating the new with the existing,” Bischoff says of his approach. “We took this blank canvas and tailored it to the needs that Dawn and Dave had for their home. The result is fresh and unique but retains the patina of the many parts from which it was made.”
A closet is built into the bed frame in this London guesthouse. With hangers so close by, there's no excuse for not hanging up your clothes before bed. Photo by Ben Anders.
A closet is built into the bed frame in this London guesthouse. With hangers so close by, there's no excuse for not hanging up your clothes before bed. Photo by Ben Anders.