Closet Challenges

There are two basic closet challenges that most people struggle with.  One is space, the other is organization.  For inspiration on how to deal with small closets and keeping them organized, we turned to the culture of people who have joined the tiny house movement.  These folks have chosen to live in tiny houses, some as small as our closets, and somehow they make it work.  I told myself, if someone can comfortably and willingly live inside of my closet, then surely I can come up with a way to make it hold what I need it to hold.  After all, I’m not trying to live in there, only to keep some things orderly in there!

So, first we look at what makes people happy about living in a small space?  Most people living in tiny homes or efficiency apartments like the fact that they are forced to cut down on possessions and simplify their lives.  So, the first step to making a small closet work should be to do the same.  We are a consumerist   society and we accumulate a lot more stuff than our ancestors ever dreamed of.  People get a real attachment to articles of clothing, which makes them difficult to get rid of.  Tell yourself that you are only allowed to own what you have room for.  You’ll either have to down-size, or get more creative with your use of space.

Getting creative is a must.  Making a place for everything is so important, but can be a challenge for most.  To do this, you’ll need to categorize things.  Make a list if it helps you.  Keep in mind that there will be some items that don’t fit into a category.  Create holding areas for things that don’t have a category.  Over time, you will see new categories emerging and you can deal with creating a space for them as necessary.

When everything has a place, the next challenge becomes keeping it organized.  You’ll have to come up with a system that works for you.  If you can, hang clothing as soon as it comes out of the dryer.  You can put a bar in your laundry area specifically for this purpose.  If you can’t get things immediately into the space where it goes, reserve an area for things that need to be put away.  You may want to put a folding table right outside of the closet, or a space for a laundry basket on the floor may be sufficient.  When you do get the time, put it only where it goes.

Encourage yourself to keep it organized by getting some space saving products.  There are a lot of types of clothes hangers out there.  Choose the clothes hanger that inspires you to keep it organized.  Some people like the beauty of wood hangers while others love how much space they can make by using cascading hangers, skirt hangers, shirt hangers, and dress hangers.  Spend five minutes every day making sure that things are being put where they are supposed to be.  This small time investment can make all the difference in keeping things clutter free and organized.