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Create a Tidy Open Closet (Without Tossing All of Your Clothes!)

Tara Bellucci
Tara BellucciNews and Culture Director
Tara is Apartment Therapy's News & Culture Director. When not scrolling through Instagram double-tapping pet pics and astrology memes, you'll find her thrift shopping around Boston, kayaking on the Charles, and trying not to buy more plants.
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updated Jun 5, 2019
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Do you roll your eyes at those staged closets in catalogs with their 4 dresses and 2 pairs of shoes? If you don’t have enough closets — or any — you can still create a tidy exposed closet without getting rid of your wardrobe.

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Matchy, matchy. When your closet is exposed for all to see, the easiest way to create a seamless look is to have matching storage solutions. Shoe boxes, hangers, shelves, etc, should match each other, if not follow one color scheme. Those wood hangers are lovely, but if you’re a clothes horse, go for some slim versions or ones that do double-duty. This closet from A Gift Wrapped Life sticks to an all-white color palette that showcases the clothes.

Get Creative. Sandy, a 2011 Small Cool entrant, thinks beyond the rod and uses hangers for displaying favorite items outside of her clothes nook. I created scarf storage from unused space behind my bedroom door. Maybe you have a lot of hats or shoes — find a way to feature them.

Edit. I know I said you wouldn’t be tossing clothes, but if you’re not wearing it, it’s just taking up precious space and creating visual clutter. Donate it, swap it, get it out. If it’s seasonal and you’ll wear it next year, shrink it in vacuum storage bags or stash it in suitcases. Take a tip from Alana from Good Girl Gone Blog: She has a closet, but stores her in-season clothes in the open for easy access.

Like with like. Laura is a professional organizer, so you can trust her technique. Her open closet is arranged with by like items and grouped by color. Even before getting rid of anything or swapping out mismatched hangers, this will improve the appearance of your closet.

What are your tips for a tidy exposed closet?

MORE CLOSET ORGANIZATION ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• 20 Ways to Organize Your Bedroom Closet
• Fresh Start: Small Closet Updates that Make a Big Difference
• Solutions for a Well-Organized Closet: High & Low

(Images: as linked above)

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