It seems that most smaller apartments come with just one bedroom closet and one hallway closet - which can be tight enough just for one. Sure, buying an additional armoire could be a good solve although it may just get in the way when you are trying to maximize your space. When both people need just as much space, here are a few tips on how to share your closet.
Sharing Your Closet With Your Significant Other
5 Tips For Organizing Your Closet Together
1) Before you even start organizing, talk to your partner about both your needs and his/her needs. It's important to know what each of you need and want. Do you prefer more clothes storage? Or maybe you need to get in and out quickly? Also consider storage needs. For example we talked about hanging double bars and shelves above the bars. (small space tip - go vertical when you can!). From there, we talked about who wanted what side and what shelves. Personally, we didn't care for the shelves above the clothes since we are too short to reach and we didn't want to get out a step stool every morning. The lower shelves and floor are good for us.
2) Make time to organize your closet together. If one half of the couple divides and creates the closet space, most likely you will either re-do everything when the other person chimes in they are unhappy with the setup. Save the time and work it out together. Try using the timer idea from the this post to help you get through this process without feeling overwhelmed.
3) Allow for space for each other. Although one person may have more things then the other, don't just cram your stuff into any open space. Respect that you each have dedicated spaces. Unless you discussed this (tip 1) and everyone is comfortable, leave that space for your partner. We learned this one quickly when we found a stack of our own shirts on the bed rather then in the closet where we had placed them on "his side" in an open space. That simple non-verbal action reminded us that even though we have more stuff, we each have our own space and need to respect that.
4) Label your storage boxes accordingly. The box simple labeled "shoes" could be for you or for your partner. Something simple, like "Joe's shoes" easily does the trick.
5) Like tip 3, keep within your own space. You don't want to go hunting for your black sweater in your partner's section. By keeping in your dedicated area, you are respecting your partner's space and saving your own time when looking for something to wear.
We would love to hear from you, Apartment Therapy readers! What tips do you have for sharing a closet space with a partner? Let us know!
Check out these related reads for closet organization:
Comments (6)
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Wow. This has never been an issue for me because it's always seemed fair to divide the closet 50/50 and then ask to use "extra" space if it became available.
Switching clothes out with the seasons helps with "usability."
My partner loves cubbies. He hates to fold anything. So we picked up some of those cylindrical rod-hung cubbies from Ikea and he's totally content.
view kimg924's profile
We solved our problem when I laid out all my husbands clothes by category. He has a habit of buying similar things over and over. Once he saw that he had about nine of everything, he was willing to purge.
I also gave away all the ugly sweaters he'd received from relatives at Christmas. He was happy to see them go, once he could blame it on me.
view Lisa Hunter (Montreal)'s profile
Where's tip #6 and 7?
"Get rid of crap you don't wear" and "Don't buy anything you don't need"
view bepsf's profile
Tip #8
If he refuses to go through the stuff with you... threaten to do it yourself and throw out every shirt he's ever loved....it works, see him jump at the chance to organise his piles of clothing with you.
view venus_thames's profile
I am going to have to use tip #8 this weekend. My husband travels for 10 days, and then is home for 4, so he treats the house like a hotel...you know, just leave it in a lump, and that maid will take care of it.
I have tried asking nicely for him to put things away (his own way, not mine). I tried putting all his stuff away myself, and that got taken advantage of. I even offered to buy him shelves/hangers/bins, etc. All he does is tells me how stupid bins are.
Do any guys have tips on how to approach this without being a total nag. The whole point is, I live here full time, and I hate picking up after someone who isn't even here.
view stellato's profile
Our solution was to build a wall dividing the closet into two parts, one about half the size of the other. He is much taller than me and has nothing long to hang, so two rods were hung on his side - one above the other. My side has a shelf and rod at standard heights. We both get lots of extra space!
view speck's profile