Welllllllll This might be too tacky for you but here goes. We only had a 6 foot wide closet no shelf on top. Cupboard way up top I needed step stool/ ladder to get into.

We took water pipe and fittings and created a top rod divided one third with T fitting so a 4 foot rod to a 2 foot rod. Then at the division we had a second rod screwed into the T fitting on the top rod. This went to the floor. And also was divided so another rod could run under the top rod back to the wall on the longer side. This created two four foot rods for half length clothes shirts pants folded in half on hangers. The long section was for long coats dresses bath robes.

Not sure this makes sense in print. All fittings were standard and it was easy to put together and was really strong. I do not remember the size of the water pipe. It was metal not the plastic stuff.

'I would post a picture but the clutter is too embarrassing.'

ok, so you're new here... since you think we are all so neat and tidy - lol!

I promise you, a messy, messy closet will not cause any of us to faint. If anyone reading this WILL faint, please don't read this thread any more so PO can post a pic. If you look and faint, it's your own fault!

there. took care of that! now I'll just say that I have 3 closets where i now live. I can not EVEN get to the doors of any of them! you got that beat? of course, I don't keep my clothes in them either. mostly storage - and the 'stuff' blocking them is mostly storage bins or my computer and my printer.

we can help you better if we see it.

that's 7' across - do you have a lot of long things? (dresses, gowns). If not, make most of it a double rod. shirts on top, pants/skirts on bottom. you could keep 2' or so for full length items if you need the space.

check measurements to see if you can run a shelf along the bottom. then you can put your shoes on it or bins with 'clutter stuff'. you'd have 14' of that (the shelf and the floor below it).

on the upper shelf(ves) you can also add more 'shelves'/spacers. I have 3 or 4 of those I bought at Walmart for about 12.00 ea. They can make one shelf into 3 (the shelf, the 'inner' shelf of this divider thing and the top of it). You can probably find them online (to view/or buy/or both). Hd and Ls have them also. Mine are about 1' deep and 2' long. When I go over to my new place shortly I'll take a pic of one to post. I use them to stack magazines on, books and many other things. I've found them in white and in woodtone.

you can line those dividers thingies with plastic bins of 'stuff' also. I've done that with a bin of my nail/foot products, misc sewing stuff to keep handy, misc found negatives, flashlights and batteries. anything that will fit in them!

you could also just have your handy man put in another shelf across the 7' of space between the 2 upper shelves. you won't have to stack things as high and can access items on bottom w/o having to remove anything on top of it.

You might want to consider what StarCraft Builders calls a "wardrobe wall". There is a really good article at the link that may give you a few ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: StarCraft Builders

That's an interesting site. Too bad they don't have any photos of the cabinets' interiors.

as Marti8 stated The Container Store will give you many options for a closet that size(jealous) I am working with 34" x 80" :( I didn't want to spend the $$$ but I really need to organize the small space I have. I love their slide out bins. I can't wait to throw out everything that is old or doesn't fit well...and the shop for the colors that look good on me !
If it doesn't flatter me...it's out.

I like the Martha Stewart kits :) We're getting one for our master, its only about 250 (compared to the 2000 for the containerstore ones!)

If you have $1000 to spare, EasyClosets.com is the way to go. Our master closet was so awkward that we had to spread our clothes out among the other two bedroom closets in our house, and my shoes were in several under-the-bed tupperware containers. With a little bit of decluttering and a lot of EasyClosets magic we've got everything contained in the awkward closet and it looks so nice that I show it off when I do 'house tours' for my friends. :P

I don't work for them, I just love them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Closets

OMG Shades, you have to post a photo. Trying to picture that gave me a headache LOL. I too am interested in this as my next project is going to consist of expanding my closet to stretch wall to wall!! Yeah baby lots of room for junk. LOL I have posted rooms that looked junky before. It just illustrates I really need help LOL. Now once I fix up said room that won't happen again. but like Shades said desertsteph said its not going to cause any of us to faint. Besides none of you know me and I don't know you...do I? It might be a different story if we were coworkers. NO actually I have photos on my blog that I am not proud of but it is what it is....and I am working to correct. How else can anyone get a visual without a photo. So to encourage you here is a photo of my messy closet before I organize it on my next project go round.

msjay - that's not too bad. I've had worse - lol!

I'll try to post what I did to my 1 closet tonight or tomorrow (my camera cord is at old place). It's basically a mess with stacks and bags of stuff that wouldn't normally be on the shelves. They're on the shelves because I don't have furnture here yet. Just bringing over what I can carry and putting where it's logical and I can find a space.

Msjaytou,

I do not have any pictures of this closet it was several houses ago. Our closet was six foot wide with top shelf.then big cabinet above to the ceiling.

On my picture the black lines are galvanized water pipe.The far right and left black lines are the closet walls not pipe .

The pink squares are T fittings for the pipe. The green squares are the round fittings that screw to end of pipe then to wall and floor.

The top black line it the shelf. Not pipe.

so the left side of the rods are in the wall the right side are in the vertical rod and the vertical is secured in the floor and top of the closet? If you notice the rod in my closet is also galvanized pipe. LOL I never have had a prblem with it and there is no support in the middle although it does SLIGHTLY bow. Ant that tupperware bucket at the bottom are clothes that no longer fit but since I yoyo so much I am holding on to them. I would love to have some drawers in my closet!!

OOPS I forgot to bring the second black line all the way across to the wall. This is the space to hang the long clothes. Dang will have to ask what fitting Joe used in that space. The whole thing was really simple to do. I just do not remember how he did it.

Try the closet builder web app at http://www.easyclosets.com . :) Their systems are REALLY nice, but even if you'd rather build it yourself, their utility is really handy for visualizing the space.

Here's the reach-in closet in my son's room to give you an idea:

here's what I use on the shelf in my closet to make more shelves. I have one for either side of my closet shelf.

and yes, I WAS standing up when I took this pic! I use shoe boxes (and/or the plastic kind also) to store things in on the shelves. My closet has about 4' on either side (this is 1 of the sides) and about 5.5' across the back of it. I don't need all of that to hang clothes so I will also be putting in a cabinet on one side (it's 5'H x 2'W x 1' D) for my t-shirts/shorts in summer and sweats in the winter. It has 3 shelves in it and the top of it will act as a 4th shelf. I'll also be putting (having it put) up a shelf across the back about 18" up from the normal shelf that is in there.