I had the same question during my remodel but found I could get more storage removing the closet. The framing of the closet took up so much space (gained about 10” between closet and wall). Below is pantry which is 36” wide. The pull outs have 27x20 deep of usable space. Shelving is just under 34 wide by 18 deep. I added 3 drawers of different heights.
Q
