I feel your pain. Boston-area housing isn't big on closet space, either.

In this case, I would go directly to a couple of closet companies and see what ideas they can come up with. For me, it would be worth the extra money to get a good closet design consultant to get the most out of every single inch of that closet. And they would know about all the latest gadgets and gizmos that are available to utilize awkward space.

I'd also do a lot of thinking about storage in general for the entire apartment. What other closets are there and how will they be used? What do you need to store and where do you plan to store it? If there are two of you sharing the master bedroom, will both of you store all your clothing in that closet? Will out of season clothing go somewhere else? Will you use the back of the closet, which might be hard to get to, for little used items, and put the clothing of one person in a hall closet that has easier access?

It's not just about putting in enough clothing rods and shelves. It's about re-thinking storage for the entire home, and how best to use each space.

I would resist the temptation to outfit the closet with anything until I had figured out what I was storing in all the closets and storage areas in the house.

I think I got this idea from this forum. If I had a place that didn't have enough storage, I'd think about adding an entire wall of cabinets. I'd use one of the bigger rooms so it would be non-obtrusive and try to make it fit into the decor so it looked nice. You'd probably only shorten the rom by around 3' or so.

Is that the only closet in the place? If not, I have to say that everything is relative. My house was built in 1938. the closet door is two feet wide and the closet is three feet wide and just a bit deeper than a hanger. I have two of those shelves that have a rod beneath. Suits and pants go on the top rod and blouses on the lower rod. We found a short bar at the Container Store that goes inside the door at the top (nothing showing on the outside) where I hang special clothes and scarves. There is a shoe rack on the inside lower part of the door and on the floor. Handbags go on the shelves. Out of season clothes go in a closet upstairs and I make the switch twice/year. You can also store clothes under the bed.

My issue is getting rid of clothes I no longer wear. If you have the space, adellabedella's idea is great. My rooms are all too small to give up that much space.