Go uniform. The easiest way to make your closet look more orderly is to use single-color multiples. If your current organizers are mismatched, you can avoid buying more stuff by spray painting or decoupaging the containers. Similarly, grouping like with like — dresses together, etc. — will make things look more orderly, can free up space, and might even make outfit-picking easier.
Upgrade your hangers. Replacing mismatched or wire hangers with ones that are sturdier and a single color — wooden in the coat closet and maybe plain white plastic for clothes — makes a cost-effective, instant upgrade. Make sure the hanger hooks are facing in toward the back of the closet (unless, of course, you're following Abby's tip for weeding out clothes you don't wear). To save space, you can also try slim profile or tiered hangers.
Look high and low, back and front. If well planned, even a small closet can hold a lot. For example, the closets in my apartment aren't wide or deep, but they are extra tall. Adding just one stool-accessible shelf can help corral scarves, sweaters, etc. Similarly, don't forget to use the back of your closet; mine holds bigger items that I use less frequently, such as my suitcase and deflated air mattress. With hooks or a pocket organizer, the inside of the door is also the perfect place to store scarves, belts, or shoes.
Give clothes breathing room. When you're configuring, your closet shouldn't become too much like Tetris (or worse, Jenga). You still need to have space to move hangers and see what's in there. Evaluate what you don't wear (see Abby's tip above), and sell or donate it. Also potentially helpful is re-thinking how you divide clothes between dresser and closet; see Martha Stewart Living's tips here.
Add personality. Even if your clothes closet can't magically become a luxurious dressing room, it doesn't have to be dull. Try hangers in your favorite color instead of white (check The Container Store), add liners to your shelves, or, for a slightly bigger project, paint the walls. I didn't even use a full quart to redo mine in petrol blue, but the color alone makes me happy to open the closet door.
MORE CLOSET ORGANIZATION ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• 20 Ways to Organize Your Bedroom Closet
• 9 Essentials for the Ultimate Clothes Closet• Open Closets in Small Spaces
• 7 Tips for Keeping an Uncluttered Closet
• Organizational Inspiration: Neat & Beautiful Closets
• How to Put Your Clothes Away Each Day
• Simple Tips for an Ultra Organized Closet
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I just built a walk in closet but I haven't figured out a good lighting strategy - it's hard to get spot and ambient light to work right in a confined space. My closet ceiling is only 6'4" so I was thinking bulbs that aren't too hot and I despise flourescent light, so I'm leaning toward LED.
Any suggestions generally?
Ugh, my closet is a train wreck, I need to do ALL of these things! But first I need to make it so I can actually reach what is hanging, haha!
I have a dark walk in closet. I think I've got it organized pretty well. However the lighting in there is horrible. It's got one of those off-centered pull on and off light "fixtures" (it's really just a light bulb). I've been wanting to replace it with a nice chandelier but don't really feel like going through the whole thing of making holes (to center it and to add a switch) and what not... any suggestions?
Easyenough and G&K - hire an electrician and add lighting. It's not an expensive proposition - a couple hundred dollars in labor plus whatever fixture you pick. It is life changing - I'm not kidding - sucn a nice way to start the day being able to see your closet!
(My husband is handy - it took him 1.5 hours to put a real light and switch in my closet....that would be about $150 if we used our go to professional electrician.)
Good luck --- and go for it!
inspiring. but seeing those poor pointy toes all squished and distorted in the last pic makes me a little sad.
@Easyenough
I would only use LED under an upper shelf to highlight your hanging clothes (similar to undercabinet lighting) You will still need some sort of ambient lighting though. I would use a single incandescent source in with a diffuser in addition.
From this post I conclude that colour coordinating is really key for a closet to look neat. I usually organize by type of clothing but I think I will try a new approach.
wow that is a LOT OF CLOTHES! *drool*
The only thing I hang in my closet is dresses... like... four of them. The rest is stuffed with jackets my S.O. doesn't even wear. Not like I can do anything about that.
We also have our guitars shoved in there, and a convection oven my parents gave us for some reason even though it's HUGE and I'll probably never use it. :(
Though this has reminded me to install a shelf up top sometime. thanks.
@Ban Clothing
I recently started colour coding my closet. I initially thought it wouldn't be as organised (just aesthetically pleasing) but I've found it's a lot easier to figure out what I want to wear, because I tend to think of clothing in terms of colours, not types (i.e. I'm wearing black pants, so I feel a red top, but I don't care if it's a sweater or a shirt...)
hmm--most of the closets in these photos are far from tiny.
If you're short on closet space, don't arrange your clothes by color! Arrange them by length (from the hanger). Put shorter items together on one side so you can fit a shoe rack or a small set of storage drawers underneath them.
Where can I buy that jewelry box organizer on stand legs as shown on photo #4.. anyone know?
*Drool*
I am in the process of organizing my closet. I feel like no matter how much stuff I get rid of, it will never look as good as these gorgeous ones. But I'm workin on it!!
@melissaodesign
i've seen similar ones at cost plus. also if you're of the DIY type, there's this:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/hi-and-low-ikea-hack-of-the-george-nelson-jewelry-cabinet-091022
Thanks @cravethemind.. this is a perfect lead
@melissaodesign - I think I've seen something like that at ikea (all white though).
Organizing by colors works very well for me too. Hanging all/most of your clothes not only makes them easier to find, it limits your shopping to only how many hangers your closet can hold.
Organizing by color is really interesting! I'l try that when we move into our next house.
But one thing I'll never ever do: put shoes in the clothes closet.
does any one recognize the wall paper?
it is great.
It would be nice to see examples of small well-organized closets.
I agree that organizing by length is key in smaller closets. This way storage boxes or stackable drawers can be used underneath. Those things, and hanging sweater organizers save my sanity.
Ahh, there's nothing like an organized closet.