Building the Perfect Closet
The dream closet is something many people literally dream of… I’m someone who likes to take those dreams and imaginative ideas and find a way to make them work in reality… Lets take a look on how we can do that together.
Like any project in your home, building the perfect closet is the result of a good plan. The plan can always evolve once you get started, but you need a good direction before you get going. There are a few things to consider before you get started…
Take an Inventory of Your Stuff, we all need a place to hide and store our stuff. For me its the endless pile of show boxes, for you it might be a colourful collection of shirts. Whatever it may be, take an inventory so that you will know all that you will need your closet to do for you.
While taking your inventory you will also want to consider how you want your items stored. This will help determine how many shelves and how many hanging spaces you will need.
The more information you gather the better. During this process don’t be surprised if you find things you forgot you had, or purge some thing you don’t wear anymore. All part of the process, it will be fun and stressful all at the same time.
Maximize, Maximize, Maximize, we are not all blessed with bedroom sized closets, and even if you are we still need to maximize all the space. Use corner shelving where you can, and make sure to build up the entire height of the wall. Its sometimes the smallest things that create the biggest impact.
Typically a basic closet has a single bar that spans from one side to the other. This basic design leaves so much usable space un-used. I recently came across an issue with a closet like that in my home. Maximizing the space by using the full height of the wall made it possible to add two layers of hang bars along with some shelves making the closet way more useable.
You can read the post by clicking the link below…
Lets get back to it…
Every Good Closet Has a Mirror, yes every closet needs a mirror, or two. It’s one of those things we forget about until we have to stand on top of the bathroom toilet to be able to see the full outfit… I know we all have been there…
If you do have a walk in closet the use of mirrors and mirror accents will help make the space seem bigger and brighter. If you don’t have a walk in closet you may want to consider a standing mirror close by, or you can instal a mirror on the back of the closet door or bedroom door.
Use Thinner Hangers, I swear by the use of thinner hangers, especially the ones that have a felt coating. They not only save crazy amounts of space in comparison to the regular white or wooden hangers, but they also stop your cloths from falling off or leaving stretch marks on the shoulders . I get mine from Costco or Home Sence. Love Love Love
Add a Little Bit of You, when putting your closet together add some personal touches. Use hangers in your favourite colour, create a feature wall with some wall paper.. If you have the space you could also use some decorative storage boxes. Hand some picture. There are tons of things you can do.
Combination Storage Will Help, not everything in your closet will be on a shelf, or on a hanger, or in a drawer. You are going to need a combination of all of these elements. This is where your closet inventory will become key, it will help determine how much of each kind of storage you will need.
Sort Your Accessories, keeping your accessories organized and separated will make it easier to work with. You can use drawer organizers for loose jewelry, baskets for scarfs, hooks for belts and so on. If your closet is large enough you could use glass bowls on a shelf or table to put some of your things in as well. Organizing your accessories may be a big job, it could be a post all on its own…
Keep Your Lighting in Mind, lighting sets the mood, it will make it easier to find things in your closet. Choosing the right light will effect how your cloths and outfits look when your putting things together. Depending on the space you have to work with you can choose a combination of different lighting as well. I’m a sucker for a nice chandelier.
We have covered a lot to get you started. A women’s closet can be there happy place, take some time to make it just right for you…
6 thoughts on “Building the Perfect Closet”
Hai Stephania,
Currently, I’ve lot of chests and drawers.But they take up so much space. I’m currently renovating my home and making some drastic changes to my closet. I’m a minimalist, so I don’t have that much stuff, but, somehow I always run out of storage space. I’m hoping to include a walk-in closet, but I’m worried about getting the right light, I think chandeliers would be too bright for such a confined space. What do you think?
Hi Mithra, renovating is lots of fun! stressful but can be a lot of fun. The type of lighting you choose will have a lot to do with how much space you have… If you are converting a room into a walk in closet then your options are more or less limitless, if it is much smaller you can down size or change up the type of bulb you use so its isn’t to overwhelming..
There is a solution for every space. If you like the look of some glitz and glam for your closet you can get a small light that has crystal detailing, or like mentioned in the article choose finishes with some reflective surfaces to help bring some light in and make the space look bigger.
I know the feeling have having tones os storage units but nowhere to put anything, a well organized and designed closet will help. Remember to start with an inventory of everything you want to put in the closet so you have the perfect balance of storage and hanging space to fit all your needs.
good luck!! let me know how it goes 🙂
The problem I have is space because I have downsized and it’s just my wife and myself living in the house. I found all your articles very interesting and will bookmark your site for further reference.
You have wealth of information with some classy pictures. I use mirrors quite a lot to give the illusion of space. I am also a fens hui nut case when it comes to mirrors and clutter. A great read
Thank you very much, I’m happy you are enjoying my articles. Feng Shui is an article that will be coming soon, I love it too.
Space issues is something I hear about a lot, it’s a challenge but it is also an opportunity to get creative. Furniture pieces with storage options are a must have, I lived in a tiny condo for a short while and this type of furniture saved my life lol. I also love the low profile storage containers that slide under the bed, you can even get them with wheels for easy in and out access… Out of sight out of mind 🙂
Thank You
Great tips for the perfect closet, we do not realize how important our closest are for us and the things we need to use our closets for.
I never thought about using thin hangers in my closet, but after thinking about it makes good sense. My closets are stuffed, my closets are pretty small in my home I wish I could find a way to enlarge or organize them much better you have any ideas for me?
Honestly thin hangers changed my life lol, I was so surprised how much more space I got when I converted them. Storage issue are so common, some things that can help is using all the space you have, for example building shelves right to the ceiling and storing items you don’t use all that often up top and out of the way. Or seasonally setting up your closets and storing the out of season items in large containers in the basement or under your bed. Hope this helps..