When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? Last month? Last year? Can’t remember? You’re not alone! By clearing out and reorganizing your closet, you’ll be amazed at how much space you’ll free up. Here are some of the best closet organizer ideas and tips for giving cluttered, unusable storage areas a much-needed makeover.
Clean Up and Clear Out Your Closet
When cleaning and clearing your closet, begin by removing everything. If you have items sitting on top shelves, clear them off, too. Once it’s empty, wipe down the closet inside and out. Take this time to sort through everything before returning it to storage. You can start using this space the way you always intended by eliminating things you don’t use or that were misplaced. It’s an opportunity to develop your best closet storage ideas.
Assess Your Closet Needs
Ask the five W’s — who, what, when, where, and why — about the space, to help make it more efficient. Who will use it, what will it hold, when will it be used, where will it work best, and why do you need it? Once you think critically about how the storage space is used, including identifying problem areas, you’re on the right track to maximizing efficiency and making room for the essentials.
Plan Your Closet Layout
Planning your closet layout includes decluttering and determining your storage needs. What does this involve? It means understanding what you have, what you must keep and store, what you can do without, and how to stow what’s left. The closet organization ideas will start to flow.
Seasonal Storage
Focusing primarily on the items you need and love can save space and keep your closet well organized. You can also consider seasonal storage. Pack clothes and accessories you won’t use in the next few months into clear or labeled, airtight containers, and store them away from your closet.
Closet Hangers
Once you’ve refined your collection, separate it according to different usage and storage needs. For example, if you wear mostly dresses, skirts, shirts, and longer jackets, you’ll need to plan for hanging space. You can get away with a shorter vertical hanging area if none of your dresses or jackets are long.
Closet Shelves
If you wear slacks, jeans, T-shirts, and sweaters, you’ll need stacking shelves for organized closet storage. Most people need closet hanging and shelving solutions. However, consider which you’ll require more of before finalizing your layout to yield the most effective closet organizer systems. This planning might also include shelves of different heights to limit unused or wasted space.
In-closet dressers are ideal for storing underwear and socks. Ensure enough closet floor space, boxes, or vertical shoe storage solutions, as well.
Maximize Closet Space
Numerous innovative storage solutions for small closets exist to help optimize layout and make maximum use of the available space. Custom closet systems allow slide-out or rotating shoe racks, drop-down hanging options, appropriate lighting, and more. Also, you don’t need to spend much for a pleasant and practical closet experience. Ingenious and usually affordable options include clever organizers.
Closet Organizers and Closet Dividers
Consider using drawer organizers and dividers or hangers for ties, scarves, and belts. Hangers that accommodate several items simultaneously, wire baskets, hanging shoe racks, and over-the-door racks are all excellent options. You can also use wire closet shelves for hanging storage. All these can help you store items tidily and make them accessible.
Under Bed Storage
Beyond strategically using every inch of bedroom closet space with intelligent planning and a suitable closet organizer, make the most of usually unused or lifeless, dull spaces in your living area. For example, under bed storage is an excellent space saver. Choose a bed with in-built storage space inside the base, as shelves or as generous drawers.
You can also use the space under a regular bed by adding storage containers or boxes that slip under the bed frame. Keep these disguised with a base cover, or choose attractive boxes that match your overall theme in style and color.
Choose Multifunctional Furniture
Another option for a clutter-free space is multifunctional furniture. In addition to storage beds, consider storage tables and ottomans. These are tables, desks, and seating with storage space underneath the desk, dining area, or seat, as well as shelves and closets that fit under the stairs.
Sleeper sofas provide seating and sleeping comfort, while recliners allow relaxation and sleeping. For a longer-term storage option, remember to use your available vertical wall space for shelving, bookcases, and high-level cabinets.
You’re Ready to Organize and Store
Once you’ve planned an efficient, space-saving layout and sourced your clever closet organizers, it’s time to break out your closet organization skills. Start by laying out your things and grouping similar items for packing, hanging, folding, rolling, stacking, and storing.
To keep your pieces looking their best, arrange tops on the shorter shelves or lower racks, hang pants on suitable hangers, or fold them on a mid-level shelf. If hanging space is at a premium, you can store bulky coats, sweaters, and long dresses on the most spacious, higher shelves.
Within clothing type, some like to organize and store items by color, and others prefer to do so by purpose. You may even want to hang and store your favorite outfits, accessories, and shoes in sets. Whatever suits your lifestyle is best. Remember, the internal organization doesn’t have to be a work of art – your borrowed or original closet storage ideas just have to work for you.
A proper closet system and good discipline are also essential for long-term maintenance. To help prevent recluttering, try to keep only what you use on hand. Make a habit of rehanging and refolding any items you try on or use in their allotted place. At the start of each season, schedule a clean-out, reassess storage space, and swap accessories and seasonal clothes to ensure these spaces stay clean and efficient.
Shop for Space-Saving, Multifunctional Furniture From Home Zone
Explore our durable yet affordable range of bedroom, living, dining room, and entertainment pieces online or in any of our 20 stores, and place your order today. You can also contact us with any questions — we are here to help!
