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You can squeeze a walk-in closet into your city apartment, separate space or not, without burning a hole in your pocket. All you need is a few smart and practical ideas to create a dream walk-in closet. Here’s what to do.

Transform the spare room into a closet

Create your walk-in closet in a spare room. With thoughtful designs, you can ensure a spacious and elegant walk-in closet that you can even use for multiple purposes. You can use it to fold/hang and store your clothes, jewellery, make-up, etc. It can also double up as a dressing room.

Think of all the clothing items that you have. Now, think of a design that lends a dedicated space for each thing, be it bags, dresses, kurtas, shirts, shoes, or scarves. You can go for a mix of wall-mounted cabinets or shelves and floor-to-ceiling cabinets. Some must-have features for your spare room-turned-closet are a full-length mirror, shelves or benches for your shoes and bags, jewellery drawers, valet rods, a seating arrangement, an ironing table, and a dressing table. Always ensure there is good lighting and ventilation in your wardrobe.

Make corners work as closets

You can convert any awkward or tight corner into a cosy walk-in closet with bespoke units, efficient lighting, and neat arrangement. Since there isn’t much space, you should try creative ideas for storage. For example, use rods to arrange your shoes neatly.

Make maximum use of the space with wicker baskets, coat racks, shelf dividers, and modular shelving. You can use sliding doors or a simple curtain as the door.

A reach-in wardrobe to a walk-in closet

Remove the doors of your existing closet and you have a walk-in closet. Use a fabric curtain or a bamboo curtain to keep it closed if you so wish. If you need more shelves, then think of ways to add them without re-designing the entire closet. An easy option is to expand the closet vertically.

Try a cubby closet

While there are innumerable ways to build a cubby walk-in closet, a wooden cubby is both classic and trendy. You can add style and glamour with wood panelling and create a shop-like feel.

Let there be enough light

Be it a spacious closet or a narrow one, a closet needs enough light, which can make or break the purpose of a walk-in closet. Good lighting can also add enough warmth to the place and keep away pests.

Instead of overhead lights, which may cast unflattering shadows on you, consider LED and pendant lights. The latter can add an aesthetic feel to the space while LEDs can provide the required illumination. Using strip lights on the sides of the mirror is a great idea. They will not only make your closet look glamorous, but will also provide ample light when you are dressing up.

Minimalist design can be wonderful

Use an entire wall or the space you have. Build shelves, open and closed. Use the open shelves to display your essential items and the closed ones to keep other things hidden. You can also use a simple coat hanger and hanging fabric shelves along with baskets and create a small yet inviting walk-in closet.

Do not forget to add a separate plug socket as you can use it for plugging in your hairdryers, hair straighteners, etc.

A chest of drawers

A walk-in closet is incomplete without a chest of drawers. They provide ample storage and at the same time, lend a sleek and organised look to your closet. Dressers also help keep things organised, and since each drawer holds a particular item, you need not make your closet messy every time you get ready. You can either get readymade dressers or build custom-made ones to fit the space.