Can’t find your favorite pair of pumps? Daunted by the giant pile of papers in the back? Or just trying to make a little more space? Whatever your closet challenges, it’s time to tame the turmoil and de-stress your closet space with our 8 closet organization ideas:
1. Be merciless. That yoga mat you haven’t used in 5 years, the shoes that don’t match any outfit, those skinny jeans from high school—it’s time to toss them! Plan a yard sale, donate to charity or give them away to friends and family—just make sure they’re gone. You know how the saying goes: if you don’t use it…lose it!
2. Consider installing an organizer. Closet organizers come in all shapes and sizes and can create more space or segmentation.
3. Find a new location for out-of-season and sentimental items. Use storage bins to store extra linens, out-of-season clothes and sentimental items you rarely use. These items can be stored in a basement, attic, crawl space or garage, since you don’t need to access them regularly.
4. Keep frequently used items at eye level. If you use it often, make sure it’s easy to access. This may mean placing frequently worn clothes on the center hangers or adding an eye-level shelf for folded items or shoe and hat boxes.
5. Segment your hangers. Separate hanging clothes into categories by type or color. By keeping office-wear on the left, casual-wear in the center and formal-wear on the right, you’ll always know where to look if you’re in a rush. Or, if you segment your closet by color, it’s easy to find a matching outfit. Once you figure out your segmentation system, consider color coding your hangers. Use blue hangers for office-wear, black for formal-wear and green for casual clothing. This will make it visually simple to figure out where one category ends and another begins.
6. Choose clear or wire-framed bins and shoeboxes. You’ll immediately know which bin contains your favorite pair of shoes. Even better, if your clear shoebox is a front-drop box, you can access your shoes without taking the box out of your closet.
7. Label, label, label! For boxes or bins whose contents you cannot see, make sure to add a label. You should always know what’s inside at a glance. To keep your labeling system stylish, try punching a hole through a small piece of cloth, threading it with ribbon and tying it to the bin. You can use multi-colored permanent markers to label the contents. For inspiration, check out these handmade tags.
8. Use the door. Once you’ve put away your winter clothes and tossed those jeans from high school, your closet should seem more spacious. If you still need extra space, try an organizing system that hangs on the back of the closet door. You can buy door organizers for shoes, hooks for coats and scarves or hanging baskets for miscellaneous items.
Once you’re done de-cluttering and de-stressing your closet, it’s time to pat yourself on the back. Treat yourself to a massage or a cup of your favorite coffee. You deserve it!
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