apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

A whole utility closet! What a luxury! I'd sure like one!

If you can remove the shelf and rod, do it. Save them for later replacement if you have to. Hang the cart on the back wall. Around the cart, use some Elfa or Ikea stuff. Group like with like, ala the hardware store.

Good Lord - help these poor people before somene gets hurt!

Jean - it certainly is a luxury and I am deeply ashamed that we can't seem to make it work. What I forgot to put in the original submission is that the wire shelving unit on the door has become so heavy that it has pulled the door from the hinge and we now have to shift the door up to close it...when I have organized it there is more than enough room for the contents, but it all just ends in tears once we have to go in there!

Is Ander in there somewhere? ;)

"When in doubt, throw it OUT"
-Pat Nixon to daughter Tricia, 1971

I voted ho-hum. While it certainly needs work, it appears that a lot of spece is wasted, and the problem coudl be solved with a little organization and some shelves.

I bet most readers here would kill for a utility closet!

I would find a way to hang the shopping cart on the door (lose those little things on the door now), get rid of the rod, and get deeper, more useful shelves.

space -- not spece!

Well, yes, it needs organization and shelves, which is what the contest prize is.

help them with their closet

Ye Gad!!!! Even an itty-bitty living thing, if ever it wondered into that closet, would die of starvation before it could figure a way to get out!!!

As my mother use to say "good god, it looks like a pig sty!"

Get the pitchfork out and use it! I've seen neater horse stalls.

I think they should just move.

Excuse me, but if you have the money to buy things from Scalamandre (see bag) you can afford that trip to the Container Store and a few trash bags.

Hello Desk: Careful... your designer bag envy is showing.

We really do need all the stuff in there (except the kids coats - those I can get rid of) and things fit nicely when put away. There is physically room for everything and probably more but we just need to figure out a better shelving arrangement. That's why I entered the contest!

Well, it looks like you're trying to use the closet to fit many needs. You say you don't need the closet rod, and yet it is being used to hold children's coats, and there are a stack of coats on the outside of the door as well.

In order to use the shelves, and reach the shelves, there can't be anything on the floor. But the stuff on the floor doesn't fully fit on the shelves. And you can't get to the shelves with the stuff on the floor and coats on the rod.

Things you'll need to do whether you get help with the closet or not...you got kids (or you're really petite) and you have toxic chemicals.

Anything that sprays, pours, or has cords has to go UP and OUT OF REACH. There might be a jump rope, blue handle, left side? No dangling cords.

Here's what I might consider in your situation:
http://tinyurl.com/q4csg

Those poles would work in that closet. You didn't mention the width of the closet, so maybe it wouldn't work. If the closet is a little wider, you might be able to use the hooks on one side to hold a few hangers, like of the things currently hanging on the rod.

You'd have to be careful not to overload the shelves too. Shelves just won't hold everything. Even if you bought the shelves from Hold Everything.

Well, you could try to take everything out of the closet (shelves and rod inclusive) and separate them by categories. That’s a good time to check if you really need them all or not. Then hold your chart at the right wall of the closet, just few inches above the floor and closer to the door. This will make it easy for you to use it without problems. Adopt one of these nice storage systems available in the nice hardware stores and start your shelves from the top. Buy some inexpensive transparent plastic boxes and put similar things inside each one. Fill the top shelve with them. Boxes with lids will help you to keep your stuff dust free. Label them or you won’t be able to remember what is inside them next week. Use your upper shelve for the things you don’t use so often. Keep doing the same for the lower shelves. Use boxes or baskets for the things you use more frequently. Try to make it easier for you. If things demand too much work to be used, something is wrong. Take off the shelves of the door. They don't make your life easier as you may be always bumping against them when you need use the closet. You could try something less deeper or smaller, that really holds things in their places, like the Utility Holder Organizer (The Container Store) for example. Place the shelves in the right height avoiding too much space between the shelves. Use just the space enough for the baskets. It can give you one or more shelves at the end. Keep the floor free or if you decide for the opposite, go for something with wheels. You will see the difference when you need to clean the place. I hope I could help you a bit, Good luck!

Matilda, I'm just trying to come up with ideas in case your closet isn't deemed the messiest closet. I've looked at the "messy" closets and simply muttered to myself "rookies"...you say you know what's in there, and you need it all. I don't even know what's in my closets. I finally refound my heating pad that I used for my back...packed in with shoes in a box...in the linen closet.

I have holiday ornaments that have never been used because I'm hoping that someday before I die I will have a home that has more than one room that will allow me to have a holiday tree that can be decorated. Without a cat climbing it, knocking it over, or peeing on it. That means I gotta have another room. With a real door (I'm in a studio).

I don't know exactly how this was put together, but check out Lucy's Love Shack: http://tinyurl.com/n7wj5

The wall of closet area, and some of those shelves pull out. If all you had to do was open the door and pull out shelves, you could access everything, and there's no way it could become jumbled, because you can't pile stuff up.

Another idea I had, and I have no idea how it would work or if it would work. Ceiling areas are hard to reach, but it's still space you could really USE. How about a pulley? Or several of them?

Have a box or basket or fabric bag attached to each end of a rope, that is hung over a pulley. A draw cord attached to the bottom of each box/basket/bag.

In the "both up" position, they'd be pretty much out of the way, above your head. If you need something from one of them, you pull it's string and down it comes to you to access.

There's the problem with balance...and there's no way anyone is going to weigh out stuff so that one side doesn't fall down...so a cleat mounted on the wall, and you can tie off either pull string (oops, now I guess it's got to be a rope), so everything is UP and out of the way.

Another idea is to USE bookshelves that look nice, to contain some of the clutter. I wish I knew your layout.

Coming up with ideas for your place, if you win the closet makeover, you might be able to put some of the ideas into use.

Did you see the Lockers on AT-Chicago? That could be an absolutely BRILLIANT idea with kids around. Why? You can store those toxics with a lock. Anything that you didn't want the kids getting into can have a lock. The keys can be hung up out of reach or tucked away safely.

The child/ren can have their own lockers for toys. And they are shallow enough that you might be able to use them along a wall somewhere, freeing up that closet to be a big pantry or computer niche.

I really enjoy looking at spaces here on AT, and coming up with ideas. Nobody has to use them. It's fun for ME to do, each one different.

Alas, the money isn't there for me to do anything to my own place, and I never know if the money is there for others, but one can never have too many ideas. Never.

Andree, thanks for all your feedback. I'm sure there are many solutions for my nightmare closet! I love the idea of pull out drawers. It's funny - everyone has their "thing" of what they are comfortable with, and for me, I am comfortable with pull out drawers as opposed to shelves. It feels like it works for me. All the suggestions are really helpful, except the one to move (we can't afford it right now!)

So this is where Jimmy Hoffa is buried . . .

hmmm. Yes, the rod must go. And the shelves probably could be 1/2 again as deep as they look now.

The shopping cart, the shopping cart. Is it the smaller size or the humungous variety? It should definitely be hung somewhere, but not in this closet.

Are those shelves shelves on the door 5" deep? If not, would the 5" variety work for you?

I second the idea someone posted of using those shoebox-size storage containers in clear plastic to consolidate smaller like items .

In fact, suggest sorting everything you want to put in this closet by size (excepting the toxics,which deserve special treatment) and design your renovation accordingly. Or, better yet, win this contest and get professional help!

I'm thinking you could get one of the Ikea (imitation Elfa) wire carts with 4 drawers & casters, (measure the width to make sure it fits inside the closet) and put most of the smaller items in those drawers. If the Ikea cart is too wide to fit in the closet try a plastic version; they are smaller but won't hold quite as much.

Hang the shopping cart on the back of the door. Get some plastic baskets or use those wicker baskets you have there, to store other items you don't need often, up on the existing shelves. Put a label on the outside of the baskets so you remember what you put in them so you don't have to keep reaching back there and getting them down to check.

I'm in the back of the closet and can't get out! Someone send help!

That is a huge mofo of a closet. Maybe remove everything and rent it to some college student as a "cozy studio" for $1000 a month and rent a storage space with the proceeds. Good luck!

This Closet is HUGE! It would be a walk-in closet if you didn't pile all your plastic grocery bags in the middle of the floor.

Please help these people, the Commitee for Public
Eyesores is about to serve them with a summons!!

I have a utility closet (I'm one of the lucky ones)and I have to say yours is right up there with mine in terms of disorganization! If you can get help in making it user-friendly, more power to you.

definietely a very messy and not child friendly closet

woh!!!way to go guys!!! you realy need help!!!

Well I can tell you originally had it organized but it keeps collapsing into mayhem for you...I can totally relate...I'm having the same problem myself...You've got my vote...But don't break down down in tears again...just take a deep breath...it's only a closet and there is a solution, I just know it!

Hey,I seen worse up close and personal. You just need to breakdown and find the time sooner,rather than,later (I always seem to pick later) and throw many of those items out...such as plastic containers...old dishes that have made their way into the area for what ever reason. Make list of what you actually need the space for...is it a closet hiding out as a utility room? Also you may want to buy "the book" by week 4 you'll feel like you've found a cure for wrinkled sheets.