You have closets all over the house, but the one in the guest room may be the most complicated to stock and organize. That’s because a reach-in closet in the guest room usually has to do double duty – it’s a space for guests, and it’s also additional storage space in your home. You can design a custom reach-in guest room closet that meets all of your needs.
- Save Space With Double Hanging Rods
- Maximize Your Shelf Space
- Stock Up on Guest Essentials
- Don’t Forget The Lights
Take a look at how to think about arranging your guest closet.
Save Space With Double Hanging Rods
Unless you’ve got a guest coming for a very long-term stay, they probably aren’t going to bring many hanging items with them. You probably don’t need to hang much of anything in the guest room closet either, so maybe you don’t need a large rod that stretches across the entire width of the closet.
Instead, you could install hanging rods going across one of the side walls, or install a divider and use only half the closet width for hanging. While you’d be using a smaller rod, install two instead of one, one above the other. That way, you still have plenty of hanging room for your guests or your own needs, but you also have more space for other things.
Maximize Your Shelf Space
What your guests probably will need more of is shelf space. For many people, the winter holidays are the most likely time that they’ll have guests. That means that visitors will be packing clothes like heavy sweaters and sweatpants. These types of items are best stacked on shelves – hangers can pull sweaters out of shape, and heavy winter items take up a lot of drawer space.
A shelf can be stacked with as many folded sweaters or pants as desired. You can install sliding baskets underneath some shelves that will allow your guest to store smaller things like underwear and socks. As a bonus, items on shelves or in see-through baskets will be easy to spot, which means your guest is less likely to forget things when packing to leave.
For many of the things that people store in their own guest room closets, shelves are also a good choice. Is that where the family’s board games live? Do you keep craft or sewing supplies in there? Maybe it’s a place where you keep trinkets or mementos that you’re not displaying elsewhere right now, but don’t want to get rid of. All of these can go on shelves. Use baskets or bins to separate different kinds of items. Store your things on the higher shelves so that when guests come, they have easy access to the shelves at eye level.
Stock Up on Guest Essentials
While you’re customizing the closet with shelves, baskets, hooks, rods, and other features, you should also consider stocking it for guests. Large wicker baskets look cute and can be filled with a lot of things. Use one for an extra set of sheets, a blanket or throw, an extra pillow, guest sets of towels, hand towels, and washcloths, and any other linen that your guest is likely to want.
Fill a second basket with toiletries. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant toothpaste, and mouthwash are good. Try to choose unscented or neutral scents and gentle formulas. You might want to add packages of toothbrushes and disposable razors. Chances are that your visitors will try to pack their own toiletries, but forgetting something is very common, and most visitors will be glad that they don’t have to ask you for these things because you’ve already stocked them. Set the baskets on the floor or an empty shelf designated for guest items.
Don’t Forget The Lights
Your visitors will be staying in a strange home; they don’t automatically know where everything in the closet is. Good lighting will help prevent confusion and middle-of-the-night accidents. It could end up helping you, too, if you have to find something in the middle of the night. You may know your own closet like the back of your hand, but that probably doesn’t hold true for the guest room closet.
Homes and Gardens outlines some of the popular choices for closet lighting that you might want to consider. One particularly good idea is using lighting sensors that automatically provide light when they sense motion. That way, your guests don’t have to fumble for a light switch late at night.
Conclusion
Designing a guest room closet can be tricky, but if you keep your guest’s most likely needs in mind and work your own needs around them, you’ll end up with a custom closet that can serve your visitors well and that you can use during the times you don’t have guests.
