With limited space and time, finding the right furniture for your small yet sweet apartment or home can be hard. This is why it's important to make the most of what you have, and that means avoiding large furniture pieces, as they can take up most of the space you need.
Dressers are the perfect tool to store clothes in, but what if you don't have the space to fit this furniture piece in your bedroom? How exactly do you store clothes without a dresser?
Well, there's always a solution here at Livingetc. I spoke to professional organizers about how to store clothes without a dresser and what you can fall back on. Here's what the experts had to say.
1. Store Clothes Under the bed
Under bed storage ideas are a great place for storing clothing if you're seeking to cut down on the amount of furniture in your room. There's often lots of space there that's otherwise going unused and it operates as a storage solution that will be out of sight, but not out of mind.
"Under the bed is a great way to take advantage of vertical space," says Grace Hall, professional organizer and founder of Grace To Organize. "I recommend storing your clothing items in storage bins with lids and wheels if possible, so you can easily pull things out to see what's under your bed."
The Sterilite 60 quart Clear View Underbed Storage Bin with Latch from Target is an ideal example of what you're looking for. The container is airtight, allows you to see the contents of your storage solution at a glance, and will roll underneath your bed with ease. Just be sure not to overpack your containers, as doing this will cause your clothing to crease. We also recommend throwing in a few DampRid Fresh Scent Moisture Absorber Bags from Walmart per storage container as well to ensure that your clothing stays free from becoming damp.
Price: $39.99
Size: Large
Want to store things away under your bed? This StorageWorks Underbed Storage Box from Amazon will certainly do the job — and best of all, it looks great! This product comes in 3 different sizes and 4 colors, so you can pick and choose what is best suited for you and your home.
Price: $79
Size: 15"W x 22"D x 7"H
This unlidded under-bed storage basket from West Elm is chic, easy to use, and blends perfectly within the home. This natural rattan piece is known to be durable and great for storing and keeping clothes neat and clean throughout the season.
Price: $69
Size: 18" x 12" x 6"
Another ideal under the bed storage solution is this Rinna Rattan Basket from Rejuvenation. It's sleek, durable, handwoven rattan fibers make it easy to use around the home. Best of all, you can easily slip it under the bed.
2. On a bookcase
A large bookcase may at first sound like a solution that will take up a lot of room but it comes with the benefit of versatility. You could use the bottom shelves of the unit to store your books and files of paper if they still need a home, or incorporate the use of baskets onto each shelf to sit your clothing in for a more uniform look. And if you have space to spare, you have the option to pepper in a lovely ornament or two.
"Bookcases can be used to store piles of clothes, and little baskets are great for storing items such as socks or undergarments," says Brenda Scott, professional organizer and owner of Tidy My Space. "This idea works especially well for people who work best visually, liking to see everything that they own."
Anthropologie has a beautiful selection of fabric baskets available in different patterns and sizes, such as Anthropologie Priyanka Printed Basket and the Darby Printed Basket which both have handles. Although if you're looking for the best baskets that are also more budget friendly, Walmart has many good choices such as their staple Homezone Natural Handwoven Seagrass Basket for under $7 a piece.
"Keeping 'like' items together is very important, otherwise chaos and mixed clothing will quickly occur," says Brenda. "For this reason, I recommend either labeling each shelf or basket on the shelf so you know what goes where."
Price: $43
Was: $95.99
The Armadi Two Tone Wicker Basket with Handles from Wayfair will transform your bedroom and give you the ultimate storage solution. You can easily store away your clothing, textiles and more.
Price: $48
Pick from a choice of three beautiful quilted baskets. Ideal for storing small items such as undergarments, accessories or delicates.
Price: $64
This beautifully handcrafted piece is made out of recycled fabric and can be used to place your much-loved goods and clothing. It's boho-chic and carries a sense of allure that will elevate your space.
3. On a rolling clothing rack
Are you torn between hanging vs folding clothes? Well, in this case — hanging is probably the better solution. A rolling clothing rack is a good solution for those wondering how to store clothes without a dresser in their space. They are a bit like a standalone clothing rail but with additional space perfect for shoes or bags. They have a shelf or two at the bottom for additional space, and the style of these racks vary, with some models providing you with two rails to hang clothing items up on instead of one.
More slender than a traditional wardrobe, a rolling clothing rack is a definite space-saver. "If you have the space you can get a rolling rack which would provide an area for you to hang clothes," says Mary Jo Contello, professional organizer and founder of Organized by MJ. "Rolling racks are typically on wheels so they are easy to move around. With a rolling rack you can also add a hanging shelf rack (some even have bins that pull out) which will provide extra sections that can be used for folded items like shirts, shorts, jeans, undergarments, etcetera."
Grace adds, "For these I recommend you buy higher quality ones, similar to what clothing stores use. Unfortunately, I've seen the poor quality ones not stand up well under the weight of clothes and fall over. But, if you have sturdy ones they are incredibly useful."
The Sywhitta Clothes Rack on Wheels from Amazon is a gorgeous color and honestly seeing it makes me want to get one as it looks so compact and aesthetically pleasing. I really like how shoes have a distinct place to be to keep dirt away from clothing, and how there is a perfect little hanger on each end of the rack to hang up bags or hats.
Price: $195
Color: Gold
Bringing a minimalist and industrial look into your home, this gold clothing rack is easy to use and store around your bedroom. It blends in well within a home and is a great space-saver for small apartments.
Price: $49.99
Was: $189.99
A steal of a deal if you ask me. This industrial style clothing rack blends in well into any space. It also comes with a low storage shelf, so you can store your shoes as well as other everyday essentials.
Price: $157.99
More than just a clothing rack, this Jarnagan 31.5'' Rolling Clothing Rack from Wayfair is simple and practical. The gold and white combinations adds a decorative contrast and its additional shelving above the clothing rack give you the space to style it up as you please.
4. In a cubby system
A cubby shelf is a form of open shelving ideas that helps bring personality into a space. The shelves on a traditional bookcase may be narrow and not always the best to sit baskets on, but with an adult-sized cubby-style shelf, such as the Cube Organizer at Target — the square shelves will offer more than enough space to make your storage solution work effectively.
Linda Samuels, certified professional organizer and founder of Oh, So Organized!, says, "This type of system is beneficial when you want to maximize organization, minimize maintenance, and don’t have a closet or dresser. Each bin, which resides within a cubby, can be designated for a specific type of clothing, and you can label the containers to make it even easier to retrieve and return clothing to their homes."
Linda went on to make some great suggestions to optimize your cubby space for clothing. "The bins in your cubby are most useful for clothing that isn’t bulky or easily wrinkled. It’s easier to fold and stack items such as sweaters (bulky), pants (bulky), or shirts (potentially wrinkle-prone). Face the folded edge out so you can see each piece of clothing."
Price: $112.99
Was: $339.99
This Costway 6 Cube Storage Shelf Organizer Bookcase Square Cubby Cabinet from Target is ideal for organizing and storing away your essentials. Its simple, yet elegant open design gives you space to add in bins and baskets — as well as add style and storage to your home.
Price: $109.99
Simple yet chic, this Shelving unit with underframe is ideal for adding baskets and bins to hold all your storage. It comes in 10 different colors and blends in perfectly within a modern home.
Price: $49 - $129
We love this sleek slim floating wall shelf. Floating wall shelves are also a great way to make the most of your space. You can add a lovely little wicker basket to these shelves and store your everyday essentials in it.
5. In a storage bench
Versatility is the true hero of furniture in a small space, so opting for a storage ottoman can be a great alternative to using a traditional wardrobe or dresser. You can use it to sit on and store your stylish clothing. It can serve many functions while just appearing to be a seat. No one will even know your clothes are stashed away in there!
Brenda discussed how storage ottomans are especially handy for storing bulkier items such as seasonal garments. "Storage benches or trunks create a nice place to sit under a window or at the end of the bed," says Brenda. "Bulky sweaters would take up a lot of room on shelves so it makes sense to store larger items like these in a deep bench or trunk instead of smaller items."
The Breeanna Foldable Upholstered Storage Bench from Wayfair comes in a range of comfortable neutrals destined to bring elegance and practicality to any space. But if you're seeking something more vibrant, their Miajah Velvet Upholstered Flip Top Storage Bench might just be for you.
For further recommendations, we have a roundup of the best storage benches.
Price: $196.99
Was: $399
Whatever the aesthetic of your home is, there's bound to be a color of the Mijah storage bench to fit your vision. Perfect for storing all sorts of items, including your clothing.
Price: $189.99
Was: $269.99
Aesthetic meets functionality with this Storage Ottoman Bench from Amazon. This piece comes with a soft padded top which provides extra seating as well as hidden storage for all your everyday needs.
Price: $253.33
You can sit pretty on this Lonan Storage Bench by Safavieh from QVC. This storage solution will help you to store that clutter away, but it also doubles as a seating spot — and well, we absolutely love a multi-functional piece.
Organizing a bedroom without a dresser or dedicated closet or wardrobe isn't always going to be the easiest job, especially if you want to dress efficiently, but it's far from impossible. Any extra furniture you can fit into your room will be of benefit, but if not, it's all about making the existing pieces you do have work to fulfill this need, too.
