Tameka Norris has been living in small spaces since she was 10 years old. She now runs a website titled Furniture for Small Spaces to help people who go through the same frustrating circumstance of trying to make big bulky furniture fit in places that barely offer enough room. She offers nifty tips and tactics, a Q & A section for people in need of answers, photos of her own small space trials, projects for the DIYer and recommendations on furniture choices.
Is your closet in shambles? Are your clothes taking over your closet? Are you at a loss about what to do to tidy things up and get things back on track? If so, then I've got some tips that I think will solve the problem. So sit back, relax and go through these steps with me to find the solution to your small closet trials and tribulations...
Step 1: Clean up and Clear out
If your closet is in shambles, the first thing you need to do is a major clean-up. Closets don't clean themselves, they need to be cleaned every once and awhile. So, a good place to start is to simply take everything out of the closet.
Once you've done that, sort thrugh your items items and get rid of things that you may no longer need and donate them to charity. Once you've initially cleaned up and cleared everything out, to keep things under control it is recommended that you do an inventory check and occasional clean-up every 3 to 6 months.
Or if that doesn't work for you, consider using the "Replacement Strategy" instead.
It's a simple method of keeping your closet up to par every time you go shopping. This will help you keep a steady flow going rather than having to wonder if you're once again cramming too much in your small space as time progresses.
This is also very helpful if you shop a lot. It will keep quantity-in and quantity-out consistent.
To make this strategy work, let's use an example of how it's done...
Let's say one day you're ready to go shopping. Before you go shopping, it's vital to go through your closet and find a certain number of clothing that you're no longer happy with.
Once you've gone through your closet, let's say found 2 pair of pants and 3 shirts that you're ready to get rid of. The next step is to then go shopping for the equal amount of clothing that you plan to toss out or donate. In this case, it's 2 pair of pants and 3 shirts.
During your time out shopping, your job is simple. All you have to do is find 2 new pair of pants and 3 shirts that you'd like to REPLACE your old clothing with. And that's it. Simple, huh?
But let's not forget. You have one last thing to do once you're done shopping...
And that's to simply drop off the old clothing at the thrift store and then you're finished for the day.
So if it's not clear by now, you're basically replacing the old with the new. This is a simple method that will help you keep things tidy as well as help you maintain a certain shopping budget whenever you're ready to add something new to your wardrobe.
Step 2: Create Your Own Closet System
If you have a small closet that is just overflowing with clothes, even after you've done a major clean-up, you might want to consider several options on doubling your space. You can get a complete closet system, but often this requires that you remove your current closet system and put a new one in. And if you're renting a place, you know this is definitely off-limits.
So what do you do when you need a closet system but can't put one in?
Well, you turn to closet organizers to get the job done.
They can be just as effective as a complete closet system and all you have to do is hang them up on the closet rod that's already in your closet. All it takes is a few moments and voila... you have your own makeshift closet system.
To do this, you will simply need...
Closet doublers
Hanging shelves and drawers
Hanging shoe organizers
StacksandStacks.com is a great place to find the organizers that you'll need to achieve this look.
The great thing about closet doublers is that they do exactly what they say. They double your space by utilizing the unused space blow your clothes, so you essentially have two hanging spots instead of one.
Hanging shelves and drawers offer you a big advantage because they allow you to eliminate your need for a dresser or chest of drawers. And this can be extremely helpful if you have a small bedroom but can't afford the room for a dresser.
With the hanging shelves and drawers, you can store all of your undergarments in them, such as socks, underwear, bras and so forth. And if they're big enough, you can even store your purses in them too. If not, they make organizers that you can hang up for those as well.
Hanging shoe organizers are also self-explanatory. If you don't want your shoes lying around all over the place, get a hanging shoe organizer that will get the job done.
Once you have all of these organizers, consider placing the hanging shelf and shoe organizer in the center of your closet and a closet doubler on each end. However, before you jump the gun, be certain your closet can accommodate a hanging shelf, shoe organizer and 2 doublers. If not, you might need to eliminate one of the doublers or organizers.
Step 3: Don't Just Guess... Label It!
Once you've gotten rid of everything you don't want in your closet and you've gotten your organizers in place, you might want to consider one last (optional) step to take care of business...
And that's closet dividers.
TheContainerStore.com has great blank closet dividers that you can use to achieve this great look and feel.
You can use them to label your clothes...
By season
By type
Or simply by style
...and they'll help you know exactly where each section begins and ends.
For instance, if you organize all of your long-sleeve shirts together, you could put a label up that says "Long-sleeve Shirts." Or if you prefer, you could place all of your formal clothing together and create a label that says "Formal Clothing."
But what if you enjoy organizing your clothing by season? Well, obviously you could do that too. Simply create four labels in accordance with the four seasons of the year: spring, summer, winter and fall.
This will eliminate guesswork and each day you'll be able to quickly go to what you need section by section.
Once you've done all 3 of those steps, you'll have a small organized closet you can take pride in. And from then on out keeping it tidy will be a breeze. Simply tidy up every 3 to 6 months or use the "Replacement Strategy" to keep quantity-in and quantity-out flow on par.
Who knew it could be so simple, right?
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