The Most Wasted Spaces in Your Chicago Home — And How to Use Them | Clozetivity Illinois

In Chicago, wasted space can get expensive.

Whether you’re living in a city condo, a bungalow, a townhome or a larger suburban home, there’s a good chance you have square footage that isn’t working nearly as hard as it could.

Sometimes it’s obvious.

There’s a giant blank wall doing absolutely nothing.

Other times, the wasted space is hiding inside the storage you already have — above a closet rod, underneath a staircase or in the back of a pantry where three cans of something expired two years ago are currently enjoying retirement.

Before deciding you need more space, it’s worth asking a different question:

Are you actually using all the space you already have?

Here are some of the most commonly overlooked storage opportunities in Chicago-area homes.

1. The Top Half of Your Closet

This is one of the biggest offenders.

A closet can have eight or nine feet of height while the actual storage system only uses five or six feet of it.

One shelf.

One hanging rod.

A whole lot of nothing above it.

Meanwhile, the bottom of the closet looks like your shoes are fighting for territory.

A professionally designed custom closet in Chicago can take advantage of significantly more vertical space.

Double-hang sections can provide separate areas for shirts and pants. Upper shelving can handle seasonal clothing and less frequently used items. Drawers can provide storage for folded clothes and accessories. Dedicated shoe shelving can get footwear off the floor.

The design can also account for exactly what you own.

If you have more suits and jackets, you may need additional hanging space.

If shoes are your thing, they deserve more than a pile on the floor.

A custom closet should fit the wardrobe — not force the wardrobe to fit the closet.

2. Under the Stairs

There’s something about the area beneath a staircase that makes everyone collectively decide:

“Yeah, let’s just put the vacuum there.”

And that’s how it stays for the next decade.

But under-stair areas can offer surprisingly useful storage opportunities.

Depending on the home’s layout and construction, that space may be suitable for drawers, cabinets, shelving, pantry storage or general household storage.

The challenge is that these areas rarely have convenient dimensions.

That’s precisely why custom storage works so well.

Cabinetry can be designed around angled ceilings and changing heights instead of trying to squeeze standard rectangular furniture into a triangular space.

3. Small Reach-In Closets

Not every closet in Chicago is going to be a giant walk-in.

And that’s perfectly fine.

A smaller reach-in closet can provide considerably more storage when the interior is properly planned.

The traditional single rod and shelf leaves a surprising amount of space unused.

Double hanging can dramatically increase clothing capacity. Adjustable shelving can accommodate folded items. Drawers can provide hidden storage. Shoe shelves can use lower sections that would otherwise become cluttered.

Smaller closets actually make thoughtful design even more important.

When space is limited, every decision matters.

4. Blank Walls

A blank wall may not look like storage.

But it can be.

This is especially useful in homes where adding another closet isn’t realistic.

A custom built-in can transform unused wall space into cabinetry, shelving or both.

In a living room, it could become an entertainment center with closed storage.

In a dining room, it could provide cabinets for serving pieces, dishes and glassware.

In a bedroom, it could become additional wardrobe storage.

In a home office, it could provide shelving, drawers and filing space.

Rather than adding another piece of furniture to the room, custom cabinetry can be designed around the dimensions and architecture of the space.

5. The Pantry

A pantry can be surprisingly inefficient.

Sometimes the problem isn’t that the pantry is too small.

It’s that everything inside it is the wrong size.

Shelves are too far apart. Smaller items disappear behind larger ones. Deep shelves become black holes. Bags get stacked wherever they fit.

Eventually, you’re buying another bottle of something because the first bottle hasn’t been seen since March.

A custom pantry design can create different storage zones based on what your household actually uses.

Adjustable shelves can reduce wasted vertical space.

Pull-out storage can make deeper sections easier to access.

Dedicated areas can be created for snacks, canned goods, baking supplies, small appliances and bulk items.

Good pantry storage isn’t just about fitting more inside.

It’s about actually knowing what’s in there.

6. Laundry Room Walls

The washer and dryer take up a lot of floor space.

Fortunately, they don’t take up much wall space.

That area above and around the appliances is often completely overlooked.

Custom laundry room storage can add cabinets, shelving, hampers and folding areas while keeping detergent, cleaning supplies and household products organized.

In smaller Chicago homes, that vertical storage can be particularly valuable.

A laundry area may even be able to handle supplies that would otherwise take up space in another closet.

Will a beautiful laundry room make laundry fun?

Absolutely not.

We’re designing storage, not performing miracles.

But it can make the process a lot less chaotic.

7. Corners in Walk-In Closets

A big closet can still be a bad closet.

Square footage doesn’t automatically equal useful storage.

Corners are a perfect example.

Poorly planned hanging sections can overlap. Deep shelving can make things difficult to reach. Some corners simply get ignored altogether.

A custom walk-in closet in Chicago can be designed so those transitions actually work.

Shelving can wrap around corners.

Hanging sections can stop and start in the right places.

Cabinet depths can be adjusted.

The result is more usable storage without changing the actual footprint of the closet.

8. Entryways

Chicago weather has a way of making entryway storage important.

Coats.

Boots.

Hats.

Gloves.

Umbrellas.

Bags.

And somehow there’s always one shoe that belongs to absolutely nobody.

A custom mudroom or entryway storage system can create designated places for the things that otherwise pile up near the door.

Hooks can handle coats and backpacks.

Benches can provide seating and shoe storage.

Cubbies can give individual family members their own areas.

Closed cabinetry can keep seasonal items organized and out of sight.

When everything has somewhere to go, the entryway stops looking like the aftermath of everyone arriving home at exactly the same time.

9. Guest Room Closets

Guest room closets rarely stay guest room closets.

They slowly become household storage.

First comes a suitcase.

Then winter coats.

Then extra bedding.

Then holiday decorations.

Eventually a guest arrives and gets one hanger and some encouraging words.

A custom closet can divide the space between household storage and actual guest use.

Upper shelving can hold less frequently used items while dedicated hanging space remains available.

Drawers and adjustable shelves can organize household overflow without consuming the entire closet.

One space can serve two purposes without becoming a mess.

10. The Home Office

A home office can get cluttered surprisingly quickly.

Even if you work mostly on a laptop, paperwork, chargers, printers, supplies and equipment have a habit of multiplying.

Without designated storage, the desk eventually becomes the filing cabinet.

Then the floor gets involved.

Custom home office storage can create cabinetry and shelving around the way you actually work.

Frequently used items can remain accessible.

Files can be hidden.

Equipment can have designated spaces.

Shelving can provide room for books and display pieces without sacrificing the workspace.

The goal is to create an office that makes it easier to work — and easier to stop working when the day is over.

11. The Garage

If your garage currently contains everything except a car, you’re not alone.

Tools, bicycles, sports equipment, holiday decorations, lawn supplies and boxes tend to slowly claim the floor.

But garages usually have something homeowners forget about:

Walls.

Custom garage storage can move many of those items vertically through cabinets and shelving.

Frequently used items can stay accessible while seasonal storage moves higher.

Tools and equipment can have designated areas rather than being scattered throughout the garage.

And eventually you may discover something remarkable.

There was enough room for the car the entire time.

You May Already Own the Space You’re Looking For

When a house feels cluttered, the natural reaction is to think you need more room.

Sometimes you do.

But sometimes the answer is sitting right in front of you.

Look up.

Look underneath things.

Look at blank walls.

Look at corners.

Look inside closets.

Look at the garage.

There may be a surprising amount of square footage that simply isn’t being used effectively.

Custom storage isn’t about covering every wall with cabinetry.

It’s about figuring out where storage makes sense and designing it around the home, the belongings and the people who actually live there.

Custom Storage Solutions in Chicago, IL

Clozetivity of Chicago designs custom storage solutions for homeowners throughout Chicago and surrounding communities.

That includes custom closets, walk-in closets, reach-in closets, pantries, laundry rooms, mudrooms, home offices, garage storage and custom built-ins designed around the individual space.

Whether you’re trying to maximize a smaller city closet, organize a suburban walk-in, improve a pantry or turn an unused wall into functional storage, custom design can help you get significantly more from the square footage you already have.

In a market where every square foot matters, that’s important.

Before looking for more space, make sure you’re actually using the space you’ve already got.

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