Closets are a topic we love to explore on AT: real-life ones, fantasy ones, messy ones, and OCD ones. Today we're looking at the basic things that make up the ultimate clothes closet - not necessarily a huge walk-in room of its own, but a more succinct space where everything you need for your clothes is organized in one place...
Hangers: AT readers have recommended everything from wooden to flocked to padded canvas hangers. Whatever your personal preference, a closet full of matching hangers looks, feels, and stays more organized than a tangle of wire and plastic.
Hooks: A couple of robe hooks on the closet door come in handy when you need to hang something quickly or have it readily accessible.
Shoe Rack: A rack, shelf, or other storage system should keep your shoes in order and allow you to see everything at once.
Shelves: Shelving can create vertical storage space both above and below the main closet rail. To incorporate shelves into your closet, use an organizing system or install a simple shelf on your own.
Drawers: Drawers and drawer dividers are great for organizing smaller items of clothing like socks, underwear, scarves, and accessories.
Mirror: To check your clothes before you go out into the world, you need a floor-length mirror, either inside your closet or located somewhere nearby. We have IKEA's Stave Mirror (a good, cheap basic) hung on our wall.
Iron and Ironing Board: In reality, your closet may not have room for an iron and ironing board, but in an ideal world, you'd be able to store these necessities alongside your clothes. There are lots of ironing boards out there designed to minimize the amount of space they hog: fold-out boards, the ironing ladder, and even the ironing blanket.
Hamper: The hamper shares the ironing board's dilemma - it should be stored with your clothes, but space limitations may not make that possible. Portable laundry baskets make the best hampers, since they simplify the trip from the closet to the washing machine.
Lighting: Good lighting makes all the difference in a clothes closet. We've blogged a few solutions on AT: the Philips SpotOn Light, lighting for a curtained closet, and door-operated closet lights.
Photo: Better Homes and Gardens
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Comments (16)
I definitely need a mirror in my closet!
We added a cheap spherical chandelier type light (from ikea) to replace the hanging light bulb that was in the closet previously and it really makes the space look kind of chic :)
I just took the advice from AT the other day and bought the dbl hang rod and it looks wonderful. Thanks AT!
I live in an old apartment and the (never used) ironing board is in the kitchen. It stinks because the little shelf for the iron is made of those tiny old chrome irons, not the ugly giant ones of today. So, clothes in the bedroom, ironing board in the kitchen and iron in the pantry. Thank jebus I am a wash and wear type of gal.
And I must gloat. I have TWO closets in my bedroom. That is It's a-very nice :).
Articles and advice about closets never, ever address the pitiable situation I suffer: closets that are about 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep. We need help way more than the average person with a cavernous walk in closet. Advice in these cases is conspicuous by its absence. It's as if there is tacit acknowledgment that there is no solution other than to buy an armoire.
oh no...my ghosts of closets past have resurfaced!
OH who would have thought you need hangers to make a closet work.
taritac, for reals! that's the average sized closet, too. i don't know anyone with an 8' long closet or walk in...blargh.
we have the same sized closets in the bedrooms (42W x 24D) and we just did 'em all over with ELFA. basically, half the space went to shelving and half to hanging (with full length shelves and top and bottom). it wasn't so bad with the 20-30% off coupon for the container store :)
plus, with the thin flocked hangers that roughly 20" of hanging space is plenty! like 40 hangers.
no pictures yet, but i've spent my day installing the two hall closets! :) :) :)
I love that the photo accompanying this post seems to be a picture of Donald Duck's Closet (with a couple pairs of heels and sleeveless shells that Daisy must have left on an over-night stay, though Donald did have that hit single Macho Duck, so maybe they're his after-all)
Who else has suit jackets, but no slacks?
Outside of jest, my closet seems to find a way to become total anarchy within a month of the implementation of any closet-taming system. I think I might be a happier person if I just admitted defeat and grew to embrace the fact that my closet will always look like a boutique exploded somewhere in its depths, but, alas, I struggle on.
we are in the process of deisgning built-ins and i would be grateful if anyway has a view on whether the elfa stuff really worth the cost compared to other closet systems?
catnap, i left a common in this thread about cost comparison:
http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/roundup-ten-best-looking-elfa-solutions-077706
i went with elfa all the way, especially with their 30% off coupon (they have a 20% coupon right now, expires tomorrow?).
kdkaboom, please, please post pictures. I've been thinking about elfa, but whatever configuration I had in my mind wouldn't have worked. I would love to see what you did with it.
taritac: okay, i loaded up a photo i took right after installing my new bedroom closet. :) it's 42" wide by 24" deep, and has standard ceiling height.
http://kdkaboom.com/temp/BedroomCloset_IMG_1638.jpg
we did three others, too...no pics, though!
i do suggest: shallow 12" shelves at the top, and 16" shelves all the rest of the way. the 20" shelves are too deep for clothes and can't accomodate the piece to hang a rod from anyway. the 16" is the way to go.
Ooooh, kdkaboom! Nice. I want!
thanks kdkaboom!!!
i hope you both elfa it up :)
My closet has all these things and is still horrible.