It is a fact of life: the more we live, the more stuff we accumulate, and most of it usually ends up in the closet. Cleaning up that overflowing storage space is a giant step towards making more room in your life for the things that matter most. Here are some tips to make your task easier:
Step 1: Sort
That pink angora sweater that you wore in math class, just to catch the attention of that boy … the black leather miniskirt you swear you will fit into again … or the piles of scattered shoes unusable because they require repair or refurbishing. Face up to the fact that they’re history.
Set aside the things you don’t wear anymore, and decide what to do with them. If you must keep something that evokes warm thoughts or memories, at least box it up and put it in storage. Your closet is the wardrobe you use. It’s not a museum.
Two good rules of thumb: if you haven’t worn it for a year, out it goes. In addition, each time you buy something new, remove something old.
Getting rid of things for which you paid good money can feel wasteful. However, at least if you donate it to charity, you may get a small tax break – and give someone else a chance to get some real use out of the item. That’s a good way to cut your losses and feel good about letting go.
Step 2: Take Inventory
Separate your cloths by types: shirts, skirts, pants and dresses. Then measure the space each grouping takes up. This is especially important when designing space to contain odd-sized boots and oversized shoes. Make a sketch of each grouping.
Step 3: Measure Your Closet
Sketch your closet’s interior to the same scale that you sketched the dimension of your clothing. You will be amazed at how many cubic feet you really have.
Step 4: Consider Your Storage
Do you fold or hang your dress shirts? Hang pants folded or from the cuff? Now is a good time to evaluate past storage methods and see how you can be more efficient. Want easy rules to follow:
- Sweaters, sweatshirts and casual shirts should be folded and displayed on a shelf in your closet for two reasons. First, when clothing is buried inside dresser drawers, it’s out of sight and you aren’t as likely to wear it; and second, a hanger can distort a sweater’s shape, detracting from its appearance and necessitating more frequent dry cleaning.
- Jewelry and accessories should be kept in a dedicated drawer built right into your closet system. Then you can coordinate jewelry and accessories with your outfits right where you get dressed.
- Ties and belts should be hung on space-saving racks placed near the shirts or pants with which they will be coordinated.
- Shoes should have a place of honor on shelves at eye level or in a rack hung on the door. Never relegate them to the floor of the closet or – heaven forbid! – kicked under the beds, couches and chairs.
- Luggage should be stored in a convenient place in your closet – next to the clothes you most frequently travel in, if possible. This will simplify the task of packing. However, if you travel infrequently, a better place would be in the basement, attic or garage to free up closet space for items used more often.
Step 5: Draw a Plan
Transfer the shapes that represent the area of your clothes will take to the shape of your closet. Allow 21 inches for depth of hanging garments. Sketching an overhead view (called a plan view) of your closet will help you visualize this.
Depending on the type of closet you have, you may be able to build along more than one wall. With a walk-in you can build along the back wall, one or both side walls and possibly the inside front walls (called returns). With a slider, there is plenty of opportunity to double the storage capacity by utilizing all the dead space on the floor, above the pole and between the bottom and top rack.
Now you have your closet dimension, and you know how much space your clothes groupings take up. Now position the items you’ll use the most at eye level, and within easy reach. Put out-of-season and infrequently needed items in less accessible areas. (Ideally, don’t put anything on the floor. You’ll have to bend to reach it, and worse yet, it will collect dust and make vacuuming or sweeping difficult.)
Sketch in poles where you want hanging space. Be sure to allow enough room, top to bottom, for garments and hangers. Sketch in shelves where you want to display sweaters, shirts, casual pants, purses, bags and shoes. This is a good time to consider whether you might want baskets for T-shirts or laundry, and drawers to conceal lingerie and underwear. A good closet system can eliminate the need for a dresser – that’s one less bulky piece of furniture to take space and attract piles of clutter.
Step 6: Choose a Closet Suitable for You
There are numerous options for materials, depending on budget. There’s only one rule: BE FLEXIBLE. Your wardrobe will change from season to season, year to year, decade to decade. In addition, if you plan to sell your house at some point, a flexible closet system will be very appealing to potential buyers. Here are some good alternatives:
- Wire products can be purchased inexpensively at home center stores and from some closet companies. Wire offers ventilation for your garments, but can sometimes create waffle patterns on particularly malleable garments. Wire is a good option for people who want to organize their closet on a limited budget or for an area where adjustability is not required.
- Melamine wall-mounted systems are moderately expensive. Hung from a rail that is screwed securely into studs, they can be purchased through some home center stores, or designed and installed through closet organization companies. Because shelves and poles easily move vertically within a system of holes and partitions and can also be moved easily horizontally along the rail, they offer maximum flexibility, and are particularly convenient when you need to vacuum, because nothing touches the floor. Also, when it’s time to change the carpet nothing is in the way.
- Good wall mounted systems are available with drawers with full extension option runners, baskets, tie and belt racks and all sorts of space-saving extras. They also are available in a variety of colors and are easy to keep clean. The best melamine closet systems have contoured edges – gently rounded for durability and a clean smooth look, and a range of shelf and drawer options.
- Furniture-like systems offer the best of modular storage systems combined with the aesthetics of fine furnishings. Available through some closet organization companies and home furnishing stores, these systems are constructed of wood veneers or laminate material, with surface options available in light and dark wood grains or lacquer to fit virtually any style of decor. Resting on the floor, they often feature deeper shelving and appointments in metals, leather, fabric, or glass, and can be designed to create walk-in closets, freestanding wardrobes, entertainment centers, and open shelving.
WARNING: Don’t let the size of the task keep you from starting
If, after reading this, you decide it’s a bigger job than you want to take on, contact a professional service with the experience and knowledge to do the best job possible. We guarantee that once you organize your closet, a lot of other things will fall into space. It’s a great way to simplify your life.
This article was provided by California Closets. Visit them online at California Closets.
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