Creating Calm with Custom Closets

Few things can derail a perfectly good morning like searching frantically in your closet for something to wear, finding it crumpled in the back, locating something else that will suffice (but you don’t love it), then looking for the perfect necklace (does this need to be polished?) and shoes to match!

There are many products out there to simplify your closet space, and make things easier to find and keep tidy.

However, these products only work if we use them properly and consistently. It’s all about systems and habits.

When decluttering any space, the first step is to take everything out.

Discard or donate anything you no longer need or want, then sort the remaining items into like groupings. In the case of a bedroom closet, it might make sense to sort clothes by colour, length, season, or type. For example, one of my clients sorts her hanging items by colour—white, grey, black, brown, purple, navy, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, etc. This makes it easy for her to coordinate outfits.

Another way to sort is by length, so all suits together, dresses, skirts, hanging pants, long tops, short tops, accessories like belts and ties. And if you live in a climate with very distinct seasons, sorting my lighter and heavier fabrics might work for you, then sub-sorting into length or colour.

Of course, we keep a lot of other items in our bedroom closets—shoes, handbags, accessories, possibly even jewelry, lingerie, keepsakes, and more!

If you have a standard builder’s closet, it’s likely a single shelf across the width of the space, over a hanging rod, and that’s it. Newer homes might include a section with a shelf and rod up high, another shelf and rod below, and a full length section, too. This set-up works well for shirts above, pants/skirts below, and dresses/suits in the full-length area. Even more flexibility comes with custom closets—DIY systems found at home improvement stores or custom closets planned and installed by closet specialists.

You can better plan the use of the space once you have an item inventory of your closet.

Now you can design a system.

Do you require bins, drawers, baskets, dividers?

Handbags do well standing up. So those might be best stored along a high shelf, with dividers between them to keep them upright.

Jewelry needs to be stored carefully to avoid tangling, tarnishing, and damage. Create shallow velvet-lined drawers as part of a custom closet. Or a hanging jewelry pouch suspended from the closet rod.

Decorative baskets and clear, labeled bins are useful for more infrequently used items like off-season clothes, footwear, workout clothes, hats, and keepsakes. Lingerie and delicates should be folded neatly and laid in drawers or smooth bins, so as not to snag the fabrics.

Imagine opening your closet to prepare yourself for the day, and seeing a place for everything, and everything it its place.

It’s like your closet sings! Clothes hanging freely, not bunched up. Folded items in drawers, on shelves, or in bins. Jewelry, ties, and scarves ready to be chosen at a moment’s notice. Taking the time to declutter and sort your items, plan and create your storage system, and practice new organization habits will contribute to a calm, easy morning—every day.

Need more help decluttering and organizing your home?

Make sure you sign up for my FREE Masterclass on the 3 Most Important Steps to Decluttering And Organizing Your Home!

Home Organizing Courses:

Are you ready to learn the tips and habits that will help you have an organized home? Check out our popular Calm the Clutter program.

You can also check out my course on Paper Organization: How to Declutter and Organize Paperwork HERE. A course for an unbelievable low price!