Spontaneous Closet Reorganization

I have always hated our master closet. It is 8'-0" x 4'-4" and not very functional with a lot of wasted space. We have been struggling with storage in the master bedroom since we moved in. We generally have two laundry baskets full of clean clothes sitting as the end of our bed at all times, simply because there is nowhere to put them. We looked into getting another dresser and possibly some under bed storage, but couldn't find anything we liked. Monday, as I was attempting to shove more clothes onto the overstuffed shelves the solution came to me. It was so spontaneous it didn't even occur to me to document the before, until I have already taken out half the clothes.

Master Closet Before

The rod and the shelves overlapped so essentially we were losing about 1 foot of rod and 1 1/2 feet of shelf space on every shelf.  We split the rod in half and I got the shelves in the back and casey the shelf above the rod.  Switching the layout not only gives us more storage, but also makes the closet feel less cramped when you enter, as the shelves are narrower than the hanging clothes.

I took everything down. Took apart the extendable rod. Cut each piece to the 4'- 4" length and reinstalled them in two rows along the back wall. I have the bottom and Casey has the top. This move gained us 1'-8" of hanging space.  4" additional length on each rod and they don't overlap the shelves so that adds another foot. 

I reinstalled the 4' shelves along the long wall. I have the bottom three and Casey the top two. He wears a uniform to work everyday, so he does not need to access the top shelf regularly. We gained 1'-6" of space on each of the 5 shelves plus I plan on extending the shelves another foot. giving us a total of 8 feet additional shelf space (accounting lost space of the previous over bar shelf).   There are still some things I need to do to maximize the storage space and organize the shelves a bit, but it is a huge improvement. Most importantly, there is no longer a huge pile of laundry at the end of our bed.

Things I still need to do:

1: Cut the old rod shelf to fit on top of my hanging rod. I will store my handbags and some other accessories here.

2: Extend the 4' shelves another foot,  Still leaving over a  foot between the hanging clothes and end of the shelf.

3. Get storage bins for the clothes on the top shelf and the loft space above the empty wall.

4. Add a shoe shelf under the shelves for my shoes. I already have the shelf and brackets for this. This will get my shoes out from under my hanging clothes.

5. Hooks for the opposite wall and door.  We currently have those over door hangers left over from college and it bothers me that the closet door doesn't close properly.