Most people who know me personally know that after bookcases and craft rooms, my favorite thing to organize is a closet. And it can be your favorite too, because it doesn’t really require a lot of expertise. If you can sort and hang, then you can have a pretty closet too.

My homeowner happened to have a really neat closet! It has a his and hers side. I’ll use it to illustrate the basics of closet organization:

 

1. Clear the visual clutter.

Hanging storage is great, but nothing should obstruct your first view or it will visually shorten your closet. This one was relocated. Also, try to keep your floor clean as this will also make your closet seem smaller.

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2. Use your hanging rods.

If you don’t have that many clothes and you want to use your shelving, use the ones on the bottom. This will make it easier to see and reach your clothes.

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3. SHOES!!!

I’m sure most of you don’t need any help organizing shoes, but I knew you’d love to see the shoe storage in this closet. If you have the space, sort by the type of shoe and keep your favorites where you can easily get to them.

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4. Don’t let your closet turn into the laundry room.

Things that can help: don’t unpack in the closet, put a clothes hamper in the closet or nearby, and make a habit to pick up your dirty clothes daily.

 

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5. Use the same hangers.

Try it and you will see what a big difference this one change makes. Even if you don’t have a lot of the same hangers, you can use one type of hangers for short sleeves, one for long sleeves, etc.

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6. Sort by same style and then by color.

This seems OCD, but it really helps you when you are dressing. Being able to find your favorite shirt or decide which pair of pants to wear is easier when they are all grouped together.

 

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The answer is one of my #1 tips: when you have a contained space it is so much easier to

DUMP IT OUT

than to root around and try to sort things without a clear picture of what you’re dealing with. This was the guiding principle in these 2 spaces: the master bath and the downstairs closet:

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Also try using little drawer inserts to keep your items separated. These will not stay clean (guaranteed!), but it will make it easier to put them back in order when they get messed up.

 

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