Over the years I have lived in homes with large closets and small closets. My wardrobe remained the same no matter what. Since the walls in the closets could not stretch, I needed to come up with creative solutions. And as someone who does not like to lose, I usually found them. When I became a professional organizer and member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers), I discovered more resources that could be used to organize closets. If you aren’t up to tackling your closets on your own, they can also suggest some professional organizers that are available to help you.

Wardrobe Closet Organization Tips

In the meantime, here are the things I discovered:

Using the same hanger makes a closet look neater.
Skinny velvet covered hangers take up less and offer you more hanging room.
Organizing your like-items together, and light to dark, makes your closet look larger. (i.e., slacks together, light to dark).
Add double hanging where you can to create more space and eliminate wasted space; but check to make sure your clothes will hang properly before you attempt this.
Add shoe storage if you have space. Stores like Lowes or Home Depot usually offer these.
Folding t-shirts and turtlenecks with paper keeps them neat and a consistent size.
Using PVC pipe can help to organize scarves, socks and ties in a drawer. Just have PVC pipe cut to a little less than your drawer height and place them in your drawer. Roll scarves, socks and ties into the pipe to quickly organize.
Have a space for empty hangers and place them there as you use items. This way you don’t need to search for them after you do laundry.

Benefits of an organized closet:

Economical: even though you may need to invest in some new hangers and organizing items, you probably won’t need to buy new clothes since you will be surprised at what you find once everything is organized.

Peace of mind: as potential buyers visit your home, they will be able to see how much space your home offers, and won’t be turned off by a mess or even worse, what you might be hiding under that mess.

Space: you will probably be amazed at how much more room you have once your closet is organized.

More time: since you no longer have to spend so much time looking for things, you’ll have more time for things you actually enjoy.

More relaxed: you will no longer be changing your wardrobe at the last minute because you can’t find something, an organized closet is less chaotic.

Doesn’t that sound like something you could live with?

Other Closets In Your Home

Now that I have downsized my home, fewer closets and less storage space has become even more of a challenge than just wardrobe closets. But I was lucky that my home came with a LARGE Kitchen Pantry. The problem was that the four shelves installed by the builder offered limited ability for organization.

Before ELFA Shelving

I looked at my options which included custom cabinetry, purchasing organizing bins and storage containers, or installing ELFA shelving from the Container Store. I chose option #3. I liked the fact that the ELFA shelving could be modified at any time, and I could install special shelving specific to my needs.

After ELFA Shelving