Organizing does no good if you don’t make it usable. Going with a standard idea of how a closet is supposed to function can leave you wishing that you had done something different. Sure, it might look great at first, but it will slowly get back to the way that it was if you don’t personalize the storage and make it a closet that meets your specific needs. Follow these steps to get it organized in a way that is accommodating to you and your lifestyle.
1) Figure out what the worst traits are about your closet currently and make a list. Some people have a problem mountain of shoes or dirty laundry that ends up on the floor. Do you have a lot of specialty items, like yarn and knitting supplies? Do you have too many suitcases and backpacks that you’re not willing to part with? Whatever you have a lot of, you need to make special preparations for.
2) Before you decide what you will do, pull everything out of the closet and clean it. People don’t get into their closets and dust very often, so while you have it empty, get it really clean. You may even want to slap on a fresh coat of paint. Light colors will help you find things easier and make the closet seem more spacious.
3) Take a look at that problem pile of stuff. Prioritize space usage based on what was really bugging you about the way your closet was. You could decide that you want to leave room for a large laundry basket in the bottom of the closet. Or, you may want to build a giant wall of cubby holes for all of your hundreds of shoes! You can probably get rid of some things and reduce the amount of space that you’ll need, but make sure that you have room for what you’ve got and what might be coming in. Use the vertical space, all the way to the ceiling if you need to, and use the back of the door if you can.
4) Make a space for things that don’t normally go in the closet that you would like to keep in there. Craft supplies, photos, ski equipment, a giant jar of coins, whatever it may be. If it’s important to you, then make a space for it.
5) Design the rest of your closet space around your special needs. Make it look really nice and neat by using wooden hangers. Wood hangers keep clothes perfectly separated on the bar and will keep clothes from getting wrinkled. Your clothes hangers need to meet your needs as well. If you don’t choose wood hangers, then choose ones that are sturdy enough that your clothes won’t end up on the floor.
About the Author: Charlie Hafter is on the staff of Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online resource for wooden hangers. Get all of the wood hangers and closet accessories you could need at http://www.closethangerfactory.com, which is recognized worldwide for their excellent quality hangers.
