• Narrow walk-in closets can be used for effective clothes storage, but the options don't stop there.Hangers image by TekinT from Fotolia.com
  
  You are not alone if you have a narrow walk-in closet--whether it's that nook under the stairs or small apartment walk-in closet that only barely qualifies to be advertised as one. While designed for storage, walk-in closets can also function in several other capacities. The following ideas can help you maximize this otherwise awkward space.
  
  

Closet

• Use it as a closet but be organized and use products like the following to maximize space. Corner shelves are excellent space-savers. You can also install shelves along the entire back wall of a narrow closet, allowing for more storage space while leaving space for clothes to hang on one side of the narrow walk-way. On the side you hang clothes, install double bars for twice as much hanging space. You can also purchase a custom closet system.
  
  

Office

• Substitute your narrow walk-in closet for a home office--especially if you live in a smaller apartment or house. Several factors make this idea appealing: you can close your door to the office at the end of the day, it is small enough that everything is within reach when you are at work, and it is hidden from guests. Use a small desk against the back wall, or build in a floating desk by inserting a thick shelf in the nook that the three back walls form.
  
  

Library

• Turn it into a small library. Bookshelves can take up a lot of wall space. While this may be troubling in a living room, is not a big deal in your narrow walk-in closet. If there is room, you can even add a cozy chair or beanbag in an out-of-the-way corner. If you turn your closet into a library, try to increase the lighting and paint the walls a solid, vibrant color.
  
  

Bathroom

• If your closet is off of a bedroom or in a hallway that seems miles away from the nearest bathroom, convert this narrow space into a compact bathroom. Several clever bathroom supplies can help you pull this off.