Closet Organizer Ideas

Without delving into any psychobabble here, it’s safe to say that a messy closet does not contribute to anyone’s happiness. Conversely, an organized closet can bring forth euphoric joy — or, at the very least, a sense of relief at finally finding that long-lost sweater or pillowcase.

Here are four easy closet organizing steps you can take this weekend to get your closet in tip-top shape.
1. Take stock of what’s currently in your closet. Yes, we’ve heard many an organizing expert on TV blather on about this, but it’s true. A closet can’t ever be truly organized if it’s hiding items that haven’t been touched since the Bush administration.
As painful as the process may sound, unloading a closet entire contents will give you an honest account of what lurks in the recesses. Donate or toss as necessary and start from scratch. This single act will liberate you from having a bunch of useless stuff weigh you down and crowd out what you do value.
Once you know exactly what you want to keep, adjust any shelves as necessary, as in this hall closet system created by San Francisco Organized Interiors. Towel bars (see step 2) affixed to the door provide greater efficiency, as do baskets that keep smaller items from getting lost.

2. Make use of empty wall or door space. Empty sections of walls or the insides of doors are prime real estate for towel bars, hooks or dowels, like this artistic example of a tie collection created by Cantoni Design.
Tip: Hardware doesn’t have to be elaborate to work. You might even have everything you need already in your garage. Just make sure the hardware is appropriately sized to bear the weight of the intended load.

3. Add lighting. Lighting is key to finding anything in a closet, though so often there’s not enough of it. Newer homes may have a single overhead light that is minimally helpful, while older homes may not be equipped with any light at all. Having an electrician add shelf lighting would be optimal, but it isn’t cheap, and it’s a momentum killer. Instead, use stick-on or screw-in battery-operated LED lights on each shelf to achieve the same results for a fraction of the cost.

4. Corral like items together. Think of your bedroom closet as you would your desk files. If those files weren’t organized in some sort of comprehensive fashion (by date, client name, order of urgency etc.), you’d never accomplish anything at work.
The same is true for the closet, but with slightly different objectives. The closet needs to provide you with the tools to look good and get you out of the house as efficiently as possible. The best way to accomplish this is by grouping like items together (colors, styles, uses, occasions) to speed up the morning outfit hunt.