The Most Wasted Spaces in Your Northwest Arkansas Home — And How to Use Them | Clozetivity Arkansas

There’s a pretty good chance your home has more storage space than you think.

The problem is that some of it may currently be doing absolutely nothing.

Maybe there’s four feet of empty wall above your closet shelf. Maybe the area underneath the stairs has been officially claimed by a vacuum cleaner. Maybe your garage has two completely empty walls while every bicycle, tool, cooler and cardboard box you own is sitting on the floor.

And then there’s the pantry.

Everything is in there.

Finding it is another story.

For homeowners throughout Bentonville, Fayetteville and the surrounding Northwest Arkansas area, getting more storage doesn’t necessarily mean needing a bigger home.

Sometimes the better solution is figuring out how to use the home you already have.

Before looking for more square footage, look for the square footage that isn’t doing its job.

1. The Empty Space Above Your Closet Rod

Open your closet.

Now look up.

Many standard closets use surprisingly little of the available height.

There’s one hanging rod.

One shelf.

And then several feet of completely unused wall.

Meanwhile, the lower half of the closet is packed.

Shoes cover the floor. Clothes get squeezed together. Folded items end up stacked wherever they'll stay.

A professionally designed custom closet in Northwest Arkansas can take advantage of much more vertical space.

Double-hang sections can provide additional room 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 storage can reclaim the floor.

And instead of designing the closet around some generic storage formula, the layout can be based on your actual wardrobe.

If you own more shoes, create more shoe storage.

If you need long-hang space, account for it.

If handbags have started developing their own zip code, give them a section too.

2. The Mudroom or Entryway

Entryways can become cluttered almost instantly.

Shoes.

Backpacks.

Keys.

Jackets.

Sports equipment.

Dog leashes.

Mail.

And whatever someone happened to be holding when they walked through the door.

Without designated storage, all of it ends up on the floor, a chair or the nearest available counter.

A custom mudroom or entryway system can create an actual place for those everyday belongings.

Hooks can keep jackets and bags off the floor.

Cubbies can give family members individual storage.

Benches can provide seating with shoe storage underneath.

Drawers can organize smaller items.

Closed cabinetry can hide things you don't necessarily want sitting out.

For active Northwest Arkansas households, this can also create convenient storage for hiking gear, outdoor equipment, sports gear and everything else that tends to travel in and out of the house.

3. Under the Stairs

The area underneath a staircase is one of the most awkward spaces in a home.

Which explains why so many vacuums live there.

Add a broom and three boxes nobody remembers packing, and apparently the storage plan is complete.

But depending on the layout and construction of the home, under-stair space may have much more potential.

It could potentially become drawers, cabinetry, shelving, pantry storage or general household storage.

The challenge is the changing height.

Standard furniture isn't designed for angled spaces.

Custom cabinetry can be.

Instead of trying to make rectangular storage fit into a triangular area, the storage can be designed specifically around the staircase.

4. The Garage Walls

Garages can provide some of the best storage opportunities in Northwest Arkansas homes.

They can also become absolute chaos.

Bicycles.

Tools.

Sports equipment.

Camping gear.

Lawn equipment.

Coolers.

Holiday decorations.

Boxes.

Eventually the garage contains everything except the vehicles it was built for.

But while the floor gets crowded, the walls are often barely being used.

Custom garage cabinetry and shelving can move storage vertically.

Frequently used tools can remain accessible.

Outdoor equipment can have designated areas.

Seasonal items can move higher.

Household overflow can move into cabinets instead of cardboard boxes.

And eventually you may rediscover enough room to park the car.

Huge breakthrough.

5. Blank Walls

Not every storage solution needs to be hidden behind a closet door.

Sometimes an unused wall can provide exactly the storage a room needs.

Custom built-ins can turn blank walls into cabinetry, shelving or a combination of both.

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

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

A bedroom can gain additional wardrobe storage.

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

Because the cabinetry is designed around the room, it can look intentional rather than like another piece of furniture squeezed into the space.

6. The Pantry

Pantries have an amazing ability to make food disappear.

Deep shelves are usually responsible.

Smaller items get pushed behind larger ones.

Tall shelf openings waste space.

Bags get stacked.

Boxes get buried.

Then you go grocery shopping and buy another jar of something you already own.

Twice.

A custom pantry in Northwest Arkansas can divide 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 countertops.

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

The pantry doesn't necessarily need more square footage.

It needs to stop playing hide-and-seek with your groceries.

7. The Laundry Room

Laundry rooms often have valuable storage space sitting completely unused.

Look above the washer and dryer.

There’s usually a wall.

Maybe a shelf.

And then...nothing.

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

Open shelving can keep frequently used items accessible.

Drawers can organize smaller products.

Depending on the room, pull-out hampers and folding areas can also be incorporated.

A larger laundry room can even provide overflow storage that frees up closets elsewhere in the house.

Unfortunately, the cabinetry will not fold your fitted sheets.

Nobody knows how to do that anyway.

8. Corners in Walk-In Closets

A large walk-in closet can still have a bad layout.

Corners are one of the biggest reasons.

Hanging sections overlap.

Shelves become too deep.

Some areas are difficult to reach.

Others simply become dead space.

A custom walk-in closet design can account for those corners from the beginning.

Shelving can wrap around them where appropriate.

Hanging sections can transition without interfering with one another.

Cabinet depths can change based on accessibility.

The result is more usable storage without increasing the actual size of the closet.

9. The Guest Room Closet

Guest room closets rarely stay empty for long.

First comes a suitcase.

Then extra bedding.

Then seasonal clothing.

Then holiday decorations.

Eventually your guests arrive and receive approximately six inches of hanging space and your best wishes.

A custom reach-in closet can divide the 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 serve two purposes without becoming a storage unit.

10. The Home Office

A home office can get cluttered even if almost everything you do happens online.

Printers.

Files.

Paperwork.

Chargers.

Notebooks.

Office supplies.

And a collection of mysterious cables you're afraid to throw away.

Without designated storage, all of it eventually lands on the desk.

Custom home office cabinetry can create storage around the actual workspace.

Files can remain organized.

Equipment can be hidden.

Drawers can contain smaller supplies.

Shelving can provide space for books and display pieces.

The goal is to create an office where the desk can actually be used as a desk.

Radical concept.

11. Hall and Utility Closets

Every house seems to have one closet with no specific purpose.

It just holds:

Stuff.

Cleaning supplies.

Paper towels.

Tools.

Batteries.

Extra towels.

Pet supplies.

Board games.

Light bulbs.

Random household items.

The closet itself may actually have plenty of space.

The problem is usually how that space is configured.

Adjustable shelving can create designated sections for different categories.

Frequently used items can stay at comfortable heights.

Bulk supplies can move higher.

Smaller belongings can stop disappearing behind larger ones.

The closet doesn't become bigger.

It simply becomes useful.

12. Awkward Corners and Nooks

Some of the best storage opportunities are spaces that standard furniture can't use.

A small alcove.

An unusual corner.

An angled ceiling.

A short section of wall between two architectural features.

These areas often remain empty because nothing from a furniture store fits correctly.

Depending on the dimensions, custom cabinetry or shelving may be able to transform those spaces into practical storage.

An alcove can become shelves.

An awkward bedroom wall can become wardrobe storage.

A strange corner can become cabinetry.

Instead of trying to make the house fit standard furniture, the storage can be made to fit the house.

Your Northwest Arkansas Home May Already Have the Space You Need

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

But before reaching that conclusion, look around differently.

Look above your closet shelves.

Look underneath the staircase.

Look at your garage walls.

Look inside the pantry.

Look at those awkward corners.

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

Good storage design isn't about filling 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 Northwest Arkansas

Clozetivity of Northwest Arkansas designs custom storage solutions for homeowners throughout Bentonville, Fayetteville and surrounding Northwest Arkansas 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 the pantry, create a better drop zone, reclaim your garage or transform an awkward unused area into functional storage, custom design can help you get more from the square footage you already own.

You might not need another room.

You might just need to put the rooms you already have to work.

Schedule Your Design Consultation