Conquering the Closet Monster

A shortage of storage is a typical lament of apartment-dwellers everywhere. Scarce closet space is often the worse, as not only clothing but items not often used need to be kept away as well. If your closets threaten to avalanche upon every opening, read on, we’ve got some tips for getting the closet beast under control.

Compartmentalize

If you are in a bad situation, set aside a day to get straightened out. Pull everything out of your closet and wherever else you have stashed your clothes. This is also a great time to go through your stuff and thin out your wardrobe. A charity would love the items you no longer wear and you will love the extra space. Once you’ve got your stuff narrowed down, group like items together so you can figure out your storage needs. Are there things that can put in boxes; shirts that can be folded and put on shelves, how much hanging space do you really need? Once you’ve got a ‘place’ for everything (even if that place is only in your head right now) head out to the shops and get some bins. Long low ones work great for off-season clothing and can be slid under the bed. Rectangular ones can be stacked on shelves or the closet floor and some look nice enough to display out in the open. If you are crafty, get your art materials out and create some new décor for your rooms. It’s important to have the space clear before doing this so you’ll know how much room you have.

If you have a lot of clothes that require hanging, you can also buy a clothing rack to put in the corner of your bedroom or in the hallway for guests’ jackets and regularly used coats. You can also buy a second clothing rod to install in a current closet. It will take up some length hanging space, but if it’s mainly shirts and coats, it might give you the extra room you need. Also consider a double hang closet rod which is a shorter rod that hangs from your current clothing rod. And if it’s a few too many pairs of shoes, over the door hanging shoe organizers aren’t the most attractive but very useful.

Open Closet

If you are handy enough, you can construct your own open closet anywhere you want. Hit the hardware store for some shelves, rods, hooks and hardware. You can design the exact space you need for your stuff; be it extra hanging space; space for shoes or shelves for shirts and sweaters. Hooks work great for light jackets and belts. If the best place for the closet is in a communal space, you can hang a curtain to block the view.

Wardrobe

In Europe, most apartments don’t have closets; everyone keeps their clothes in wardrobes. Think free standing closets, sometimes with drawers and shelves. Wardrobes can be put in any room thanks to the variety of styles and colors available. Doors keep the mess hidden. The bottom shelf is perfect for shoes; a hanging space for coats and other clothes and even the simple ones will have another shelf above the clothing rod for more shoes, sweaters, or even boxes of socks and underwear. Wardrobes come in a variety of heights and widths so one can slip easily into even small spaces. The more you are willing to pay the fancier your wardrobe can become with extra shelves, divided hanging spaces, drawers, pullout baskets and more. Most of these features are either optional, so you can only buy what you need, or adjustable so you can move the pieces around to fit your needs.