One day this week I looked in my coat closet and realized it had become a mess. Knowing layering season is closing in on us East Coast-ers, I got to work organizing. Now my closet has a place for coats, warm accessories, and all the other things from shoes to brooms.
Coat closets typically are tiny, and you need to think strategically to create a spot for everything. With a few important things in mind, you can organize this storage area in an attainable, maintainable way. (Note that seven of these 10 examples are from real homes and not styled by a magazine's staff.)
Prioritize and know your needs and habits. I freed up a lot of space and made things easier for myself by moving my heavy vacuum to another spot, on the carpeted second floor. In its place I can store my big yoga backpack, which I put in and take out several times a week. I also removed other things that can easily live elsewhere, such as my husband's dress shoes. Knowing what things you really need room for behind those doors — from, say, multiple sizes of coats (Images 7 and 9) to a litter box (Image 2) — will help you stay organized longer.
Diversify your portfolio. Mix rods, shelves, hooks, and baskets; finding a combination suitable to your needs will help you maximize the available space.
Use the door. The inside of the closet door can be great for storing small items and collections. Purses, wrapping paper, you name it: they can find a home in a shoe organizer (Image 2) or on hooks or shelves (Image 7). It's also a smart spot for a mirror (Image 3) or memo board (Image 6).
Add color. Since you'll be opening that door pretty much every day, why not spruce things up? Try painting the walls or, for a quicker fix, adding colorful baskets or hangers (Image 8).
If you don't have a closet, you're not out of luck. Create your own coat rack (Image 10) or make good use of hooks. Check out our tips for dealing with a no-entryway entryway.
MORE COAT CLOSETS (AND ALTERNATIVES) ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Setting Up Home: Making the Most of Closets
• 8 Organizing Ideas for the Coat Closet
• Best Wall Mount Hooks & Coat Racks 2012
• Small Space Solution: 10 Easy & Affordable Garment Racks to Buy or DIY
Images: 1. Better Homes and Gardens 2. Jason Loper for Apartment Therapy 3. Russet Street Reno 4. Chez Larsson 5. Under the Table and Dreaming 6. Better Homes and Gardens 7. The Chronicles of Home 8. Meet Me In Philadelphia 9. Real Simple 10. Design*Sponge
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The more I look at articles on organization, the more it seems clear that one of the basic secrets is not to have too much stuff.
I agree, it seems like all these posts don't show the amount of clothing a household really contains. Maybe me and my husband just have too many coats?
ITA @ Terry in Silver Spring and @Mary and Felipe
Does anyone have a source for that umbrella holder in the last picture? I've been looking for something exactly like it!
Completely agree about getting rid of stuff to organize your closets. The last picture made me laugh - who only has two pairs of shoes?
i think my coats and jackets out number all the photos above combined. And I can't bear to rid of any (already trim down to "just what I need").
Come to think of it, i should submit a hall closet photo of mine. Not only all the coats/jackets, I manage to fill it with hiking, camping, skiing, outdoor pursuit, and picnic stuff, plus household items, storage boxes, gift wrapping items, supplies, projects, and anything that doesn't belong in my walk-in closet.
The size? It's about 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
And no, things don't fall down on me when I open the door. :-)
anytown, I'd guess that's more of a "current" shoes situation. I'm like that; all of my shoes are either kept in the laundry room closet (boots on the floor, casual shoes in an over the door organizer) or my bedroom closet (dressy shoes in plastic boxes), but I tend to leave a couple pairs of shoes I'm currently wearing often right by the front door.
It's not you and your husband. I'd love to see organization ideas for a family with a normal amount of stuff.
My bf and I have waaaay too much clothes, and I'm not trying to brag about it so chill, its just that both of us are addicted to on line sale shopping, and because of that, my closet is never organized, instead his is always organized by color and stuff . ¬¬
When we look for apartments we always need a two bedroom place because of the closets, one 5 door closet for each D:
Do people not own shoes (I hate shoes. I am all about coats, myself, but I still have quite a few pairs as needed for snow, rain, yard work, hiking, biking, work, etc.)? Do people not have topcoats and long coats and capes? What about scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, and boots?
These are lovely; they are just not practical for my northeast US life. Also, we are tall, which complicates things more (with regard to height of placement of hooks and rods).
Also, I only keep off-season shoes upstairs; my bedroom is on the third floor.
It's interesting that not a single one of these closets appears to store any full-length coats. Just jackets. So they exaggerate the amount of shelving or other "horizontal" storage that can fit below or above the hanging coats. Just sayin'.
@anytown -- Me. Well, ok, three pairs. Sandles (everyday wear when it's warm enough), Hiking Boots (when it's not sandle weather) and dress shoes (rarely worn, kept in my closet. )Oh, and a pair of fuzzy slippers. So I guess that's four pairs, not two. Nevermind.
@Trollopian: Yeah, I noticed that too. Maybe they're all form California or Florida or someplace like that?
.........and who has a chid that lines his/her shoes up perfectly as if he/she has OCD..vs feeling lucky if he/she does not splatter mud; snow water on the floor and walls as they kick their shoes off when they run inside the house?
Sincerely 'Nana" with OCD!!
Well I did just reorganize the closet in our bedroom and make it an "open closet" so I might just submit it with the house tour form I've been contemplating..
I only have four, and only wear two by choice. (One pair are heels for interviews, another are uniform shoes for a job.) A pair of sneakers, and a pair of dressy but comfy sandals is plenty, thanks. :)