Of all the things in one’s home to keep clean and tidy, one of the most difficult to make and keep organized is the closet. It’s one of the few spaces in the house you constantly fill up (because a gal can’t deny herself a good deal) as opposed to cleaning it up and clearing it out.
But if you’re a lover of all things pertaining to home and DIY projects, you’ve likely run across plenty of people who have managed to do it on social media. They share their closets, revamped with the help of trendy accessories and storage essentials, with the hashtag #closetenvy. Without even trying, they offer inspiration for the rest of us looking to get our spaces together in the simplest of ways.
We want to show you five sleek, well-put-together closets, the type you can relate to (because not everyone is living the walk-in life), and share the tips you can glean from them all to better organize your own during this spring cleaning season.
Less Is More
You can’t organize a thing like the minimalist closet above until you learn to let go. One of the first things you should do when seeking to organize a closet is take into account the pieces you know you don’t use, from old bags to shoes you fell out of love with fast and clothes that are no longer in style. Bag them up and do your research to know what options are in your area for clothing donation and pickup (don’t just dump them in that random bin in your community).
Once you’ve done that, don’t also forget to pull out and hang up the clothes you’re sure to use for the present season, and fold and pack up the ones for the season that’s ending. Put them away in your closet if you’re one of those people with a huge walk-in situation, or look to store them in your garage or storage space.
Bookcases Are for More Than Books
Not everything in your closet has to be stored there as is. As seen in this tidy closet, things that don’t often come to mind when people think of closets, like bookshelves, can be utilized to organize your things. A short (or even a tall) shelf could be placed in your closet, or across from it, and be used to hold onto your shoes, your go-to bags, your folded pants or a combination of things.
Color Coordinate
Once you start hanging up the items you’ve chosen to hold on to (and that are in season), make things easier for yourself by putting pieces together by color. A closet screams chaos when you literally have to thumb through each piece of clothing to find the one outfit you want to wear. Instead, if you know you want to wear your favorite red dress for date night, you’ll make life easier for yourself if you put the red items together. Plus, it just looks nicer.
Bask-It
In addition to trying out a bookshelf, get yourself some baskets and small bins that can hold the things that you just don’t know what to do with, especially in your children’s room. Keep baby socks and bibs in small, chic baskets, same with your scarves and belts. When items can’t be folded or hung up, they can end up being stuffed into whatever available spots and corners you can find, making your space appear cluttered. But baskets can help you neatly tuck items away and bring order to your space.
Make Use of Even Random Space
Have some room next to your closet? You can install some wall hooks that can be used for your favorite purses or necklaces. Nothing in the way behind your closet door? Set up a behind-the-door organizer that can hold some sneakers, or your makeup, maybe even some bags. The shelves and rods in your closet aren’t the only useful places to hold your goodies. You’d be surprised what you can do with just a little bit of extra space.