Love Your Closet
The Highlands | Denver, CO
Ready to love your closet again? It's possible!
Every day starts in your closet. Ok maybe the bathroom, but your closet is a close second. And whether you realize it or not, your closet can have a huge effect on your mood for the day so it's important to make it a happy place. Because when your closet is happy, so are you!
Where to Begin
This is always the question every client has. The most important first step in any closet refresh is to pull everything out, categorize by like-item, and get rid of items that no longer fit, make you feel great, are stained, etc. There's no point in keeping things that you don't like or need, that are simply taking up precious space.
Plan Your Zones
Once everything is out of the closet, distilled, and categorized, then it's much easier to plan your space. I like to make a list of each category in my phone, and then use it as a checklist as I plan the space with Post-It Notes. It's a great way to visually figure out where things are going to live to ensure everything will fit, and it's much easier to move Post-It Notes around vs. 50 pairs of shoes. And, when your belongings are organized by zone, it's much easier to find things and put things away because everything has a place!
Purchase the Right Products
The magic ingredient for any organizing project is to choose the right bins, baskets, and other organizing solutions to contain your items. The less loose items you have laying around, the better chance you have at staying organized. And it will look nice and tidy!
There are endless product options out there, which can make it overwhelming to choose the right one. But, if you know what you need to contain, the size, and color palette, it starts to narrow your options pretty quick! Things to consider when choosing products:
Size of the category - ensure the product will be big enough
Size of your space - maximize space as much as possible
Your style - match the aesthetic of your home
Be consistent - mismatched product = no bueno
Material - in the case of closets, make sure the product won't snag your clothes, etc.
Reconfigure the Space
Sometimes spaces are just not built for your needs. This is normal! If your closet is adjustable, don't be afraid to move components around and/or add to it. For this client, we reconfigured her zones so that we could add shelves for shoes. I took a couple clothing rods out and then worked with the wonderful folks at California Closets to order additional shelves - and voila!
Before | After
We put a few larger shoes, like boots, on the floor in clear bins making it easy for her to see and grab as needed. I love The Container Store's Our Box Collection... there's literally the perfect size for every type of shoe.
Labeling Helps Everyone!
For this client, her wonderful hubby usually does the laundry (lucky girl!), so we labeled the space to not only help her stay organized, but to also help him put laundry away in the correct spot. In this case, we labeled the inside of drawers (shown below), shelves, and baskets!
Always Worth It
Getting your closet organized is most likely not at the top of your list of activities you want to embark upon during your free time. BUT, it's soooo worth it once it's done. If you have a good system in place, it truly can make your morning routine easier, which can have a pretty big impact on your day! Here are some before/after shots of this closet.
Before | After
Before | After
Before | After
Final Tips
If you have an extra closet where you can store rarely worn items, like holiday attire, bulky coats, costumes, etc., I highly recommend moving them there to create space in your primary closet for every day items. You can also bin up seasonal items if you don't have a ton of space, and then swap clothes out in the summer/winter.
Ready to transform your closet (and your day)? Let's do this!
Products Used
Acrylic 3-Section Small Purse & Clutch Organizer
Acrylic 4-Section Purse Organizer
Cambridge Linen Expandable Drawer Organizers (not shown)
Smoke Montauk Rectangular Bins