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| dollartree.com |
Closets and dressers, right? Great for some styles, but a nightmare for others.
If they're a nightmare for your style, what do you do? These aren't exactly organizers you can replace at the dollar store.
Ah, but you might be surprised.
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| fibbermcgeeandmolly.com |
If you're a cram and jammer, that last description probably fits. If you're an I need to see it person, clothes are probably hanging from the rod, but they may be hanging from other hangers, too, as you mixed and matched in an endeavor to put outfits together. And the I know I put it somewhere person may find all sorts of forgotten treasures tucked in among the clothes.
So how do you make these large spaces work?
Let's begin with the closet. At its most basic level, a closet is a big, rectangular space. Once upon a time, a Type A organizer decided that closet should come complete with hanging rods and a shelf (or more, if you have the luxury of a walk-in closet). And the Type A organizer, a rule follower who likes hanging rods and shelves, lived happily ever after.
Maybe -- just maybe -- you're not a Type A organizer. If you aren't using the space as it is, redesign it to suit your style.
Take another look in the closet, keeping in mind that everything you see is a style clue, not a character flaw. What parts of that rectangular space are you using well?
Cram and jammers might love the lone shelf -- so much so that it's packed with clothes. And the rod? Well, it may have clothes on it, too, even if they're draped over the rod rather than hung on it.
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| thecontainerstore.com |
Similarly, I know I put it somewhere organizers might actually be using this particular space very well, with the possible exception of those buried treasures. But, if they remember that the closet is where those treasures are housed, and they have space for them there, who am I to say that they should go somewhere else?
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| thecontainerstore.com |
Next week, we'll talk about the personal styles when it comes to closets and drawers, as well as ideas for rearranging the narrow rectangular spaces that are drawers. Meanwhile, here are a few things to think about.
Standard issue isn't always standard. Do you need to ditch the rod? Add another one below it for shorter hanging things? Add more shelves? Roll in some clear drawer units?
Divide and conquer. If you're storing more than clothes in your closet, how can you create distinct, logical homes for everything that's housed there so you can find what you need quickly?
A season for everything. If your closet is overstuffed with clothes for all four seasons, what might be a logical home for your out-of-season items?
But I live here! Is your closet a logical home for everything that's stored there?
One final caveat. I'm not suggesting a complete (expensive) closet overhaul -- just a re-vision of your space and how you're using it. Even if you can't replace your closet itself with organizers from the dollar store, you might find a few things there that will help you whip this large, rectangular space into shape in a budget-friendly fashion. I'm thinking that the bins below might be a great way to organize my closet shelf.
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| dollartree.com |
I have bins like that on my closet shelf. But remember, I am "I Need To See It" so usually my bins are on their sides, with the open side facing OUT instead of UP. The only good reason to keep having the bins at all is that I'm vertically challenged, so I can pull the bin out, put clean clothing in it, then set it back on the shelf. I can really only reach the bottom 2 items in the bins. It's less than ideal, especially since we don't always slide the closet doors closed.
ReplyDeleteMy out-of-season hanging clothes are in a basement closet. Folded items are in my old foot locker, which has cedar on the inside. That system works fairly well for me.
Barb, I love the idea of turning the bins on their sides so you can see what's inside. I was thinking of using them for out-of-season clothes, in which case I'd label the bins since I'd really only need to know categories. I found great tags at Target that slide onto the front of the bins, and you can write on them with a wipe-off marker. And since I, too, am vertically challenged, I love that these have handles!
ReplyDeleteYour system sounds well-planned. Mine's working, too -- closets are easy, relatively speaking, for we "I need to see it" people -- but it could use a few small tweaks now that sweater season is finally coming to an end!