Closet Organizer Ideas

Some people find themselves sorting, organizing and cleaning all the time in an attempt  to keep their closets tidy.  Why then do their closets become cluttered so quickly again? It is because they don’t utilize any closet systems and they are probably not using their space well either. This may seem obvious but not scrutinized enough by most people. Do you use all of the available space in your pantry closets, kitchen cabinets and bedroom cupboards? It seems obvious, but think about how much leftover space is wasted below the hanging clothes, for instance. If the rack was lowered, and accessible shelves were added above the hanging clothes, so much more space could be utilized. One of the biggest wasted spaces in closets is the vertical space, so that is a great place to start. If moving the hanging bars is not an option, the available space can be optimized. Use space saving hangers such as Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers. Items that are used infrequently can be stored in boxes on top of the shelves, and roll out bins can be placed underneath the hanging clothes. Rule of thumb, if the closet walls can be seen, space is wasted.

Using Organizing Accessories in Your Closet Design Ideas

Closet shelves as well as closet hooks are great space savers and closet organizers too. Built in shelves like those that come in custom closets are best, but not always affordable. If they are an option, a variety of size shelves will be the most beneficial, as items can be separated. For instance, each shelf could hold a sweater or two, instead of piling six or seven on top of one another. With small shelves, even small items like socks or jewelry can be placed in the closet without getting lost. If built ins are not an option, many companies have great closet ideas to improve storage with different enclosed drawers and bins. These can be found in different price ranges and materials, like plastic or wood. Hooks make great homes for belts and hats, even purses and scarves. The key here is not to overload each hook, which buries whatever is at the bottom.

More Closet Ideas

Another important closet design idea is to have proper lighting. Though this may seem obvious, many closets do not have the proper lighting. Without it, it is hard to see what is in the closet, and many items may be lost and forgotten. Natural sunlight is not always an option, nor is it always a good idea as it can fade clothes. Instead, mount additional lighting either on the walls or ceiling so each nook and cranny receives adequate light.

Different closets afford different space and ideas, and some walk in closet ideas that will work well are multiple hanging rods, open shelves, cabinets (custom or pre-made) and drawers, along with baskets and crates. Islands are the stuff closet dreams are made of, and if the closet allows for this, it is a great choice. The island can have drawers and shelves and be a smart spot to coordinate or fold clothes, even lay out clothes to be worn the next day.

For closet door ideas, many options exist. One of the best ones is the hanging shoe caddy. However, the trick with this one is that it is not just shoes that can be kept here. Anything that needs a small space can go here, including socks, jewelry, scarves, belts, ties, or any other accessories. Even small t-shirts can fit into these shoe spaces, and if drawer space is minimal, things like underwear can go here, too. If the closet has more than one door, use more than one shoe rack.

With the right closet ideas, any closet can become a dream one. Using hanging space wisely, installing bought or custom designed shelving, having good lighting and finding a place for everything are just a few closet ideas that will make a huge difference is closet organization.

The best place to get walk in closet design ideas is to attend local open houses, when a realtor is showing a high end custom home. The walk in closets always have that personal touch the previous owner designed and had built. From built-ins like dressers, rotating shoe storage, jewelry and valuables vault, and even windows to let in natural light while making your daily clothing selection. Some new homes even have small media centers hidden away in their walk-ins. If the square footage is available, some lady’s of the house like to have their makeup application areas in their closet instead of taking up valuable bathroom counter real estate.

There are many online resources to get inspiration from and closet design ideas photos are available on great sites like flickr.com, and picasa.com. Just log on to the site and type in your search phrase like “closets design ideas”, and review the photos in slideshow format while taking notes with pen and paper. That is the great thing about the Internet, complete strangers sharing passive data about their lives and how they design their homes. You may not find exactly what you are looking for but you can grab ideas here and there to come up with your own custom closet creation.

Local and regional home improvement shows are a great resource for closet ideas, and with digital camera or camcorder in tow, you can capture the day’s event and bring home a treasure trove of ideas. The latest technology that is being applied to newly renovated closets is on display just waiting for you to go soak up the information. While at the show, talk to the representatives, and ask their opinions on how you should renovate your personal closet space. They are constantly coming up with solutions for clients, and may just give you the key to your entire design needs in just a few sentences.

Closet design ideas photo books are available at your local book retailer or of course online. They make great reference books while you are trying to optimize your bedroom closet or even kitchen pantry. A local professional closet organizer can be hired to do a total make over on your closets or, just simply hire them for an hour or two for consulting purposes. You can then take the data and do-it-yourself if you feel like you can handle the project yourself.

There is a complete niche industry that caters to people who want more from their closet today and they are paid handsomely for their walk in closet design ideas. It is a complete user experience that is trying to be created, and they are succeeding. By giving the customer an almost salon like experience, while just getting dressed for work, or preparing for an evening on the town. This takes the homeowner to one concentric location for changing instead of going from closet to bedroom and to the bathroom for one final look in the vanity.

Not all homeowners are blessed with five hundred to one thousand square foot closets, but they can have some of the same accoutrements that their larger counterparts have. Small walk in closet ideas just have to take up less space and be a little smarter to make more in a smaller footprint. Sliding shoe racks, and wire basket drawers strategically placed can give more storage space, and simultaneously allow visual location of the items you are looking for now. Even optimizing the back side of the closet door will give that extra organization needed to keep everything in order, but easily accessible at the same time.

Local community colleges even offer closet organization in their leisure learning courses that you can gain small walk in closet organization ideas from, and usually at very low cost. Working with the instructor and other students, ideas that you would have never thought of will present themselves just for the taking. Making a small investment in time and money with a course like this may even blossom a part time business from your learning experience. If you find you enjoy designing and organizing closets for others, then you may become the local expert that people will want to hire in the future.

The online world is also full of ideas for walk in closet design ideas, and youtube.com is chock full of would-be designers, and professionals showing off their knowledge and skill while trying to attract new clients for themselves. It may be fun for you to shoot a before and after video series of your walk in closet project to post online. This in a sense will be like paying it forward for all the ideas that you received from past online sources. You may just help the next person who is stuck where you were just a month ago with a closet in need of help.

Firstly, house clothes such as shirts, blouses, shorts, sweaters, pajamas, and other informal wear items should be neatly folded and placed in stacks on the top and middle racks. Ideally, they must be arranged in categories, like: all shirts in this pile, all sweaters in that, and so on, for easy picking. Also, the most frequently used must be the most accessible.

Secondly, outside clothes like pants, party dresses, jackets, and other formal garments must be hung in clean hangers on the space intended for such. The basic rule here is not to fold or overlap straight or long clothes when hanging so as to preserve their unwrinkled state. Ironing them again is tiring, time-consuming, and unwise.

Thirdly, put shoes in straight rows on the lowest rack, closet’s floor or on a vacant shelf below. Like the clothes, they should also be categorized. Party shoes here, office shoes, there, and so on.

If the closet comes with shelves, keep and classify smaller things and accessories like socks, handkerchiefs, shawls, mittens, etc., in them.  If there is no shelf, provide small, clean recycled boxes to keep these items in, placed on the floor of the closet. Then stick or mark labels right outside each shelf or box for easy getting.

The above closet organization ideas will definitely vary as there are many types of closets, but the basic parts are incorporated since their manufacturers have the basic closet organizers ideas. In other words, they know how to organize things or they put themselves in the shoes of a home maker. Over-all, the main goal remains the same: to lessen the unsightly mess. And this might be the start of general cleaning, because once arranging of things is started, the good results may be the start and guide in having a clean home. It is common to feel revived, raring, and eager to continue with the rest once something is started. After all, a neat home is a happy and healthy home.