Closets not just for clothes

By Stephan Sardone

Maybe one of the kids has left home for college. Maybe you have found that you have a little more room than you need in your home. Maybe you spent your spring vacation purging your closets, doing your annual spring cleaning and sent off all those unwanted clothes to a charitable cause. 

Nonetheless, an empty closet can be utilized for more than storing coats, jackets and those jeans you swore you will fit into again soon. An empty closet has many functional uses, and most transformations are very simple to execute yourself. Now, if you want to move a wall, widen doors or add electrical outlets, it is highly recommended that you contact a highly-skilled, licensed professional. But in many cases, a trip to the local hardware store and a little elbow grease can do the job.

Here are some considerations for making an unneeded closet into an area that is useful and, in many cases, fun.

Create an additional sleeping area. This is not a novel idea, especially if you live in Manhattan. A friend of mine tried to live in “The City” on a limited budget. It goes without saying that with only 250 square feet at his disposal, he had to get creative. He wedged a single twin mattress and box springs into his closet. At the base of his bed, where his feet rested, he installed a metal rod to hang his clothes. He made due, and the rats didn’t seem to mind.

Display art. Remove doors and place a piece of artwork in the space. Add lighting to highlight the painting, sculpture or metalwork. It will provide a dramatic viewing area for all to see.   

Make a homework space. It is easy to add a shelf that can serve as a desktop. Make sure that it is easily adjustable as the kids continue to grow. You can also add permanent or temporary drawers on either side of the desktop to store items. Affix a chalkboard in front of the desk on the closet wall. That will make it easy to do equations when you, oops, your child is doing homework.

Make an office space. This is a more sophisticated version of the homework space. You won’t need the chalkboard, but you may consider a white board to conveniently leave notes or timetables, which will easily wipe off. 

Add a computer and create an area to store files. Keep your receipts in order and you will find that this makes a great area to prepare for tax time. 

Design a home bar/wine cellar. Instead of creating a wet bar or storing your wine in an inconvenient place, a spare closet can make a terrific area for spirits or wine bottles. You can keep your glassware in one place and hang wine glasses above the bar.

Move your necessary tools into an in-home workshop. By attaching a peg board to the walls, you can hang hammers, screwdrivers, drills and other tools that are commonly used in the home. You can also use drawers for nails, tacks, nuts and bolts, picture hangers or anything that you use regularly in the house. You will have the added advantage of being able to find everything without searching through kitchen drawers or the garage.  

Build a little library. Both adults and children will enjoy an area for reading in private, and shelving can store a number of books. 

All it takes is a little creativity to make a cold, empty closet into a warm and inviting place.