Organizing A New Closet

If Your Closet Is Perfect…You Can Skip Today’s Post!

After 10 years of “nudging”, Mr. LBD gave in and agreed to move to the city!  As with any move, there is a certain amount of retraining ourselves on how to use the new space.  Join us today, as we start this summer’s Motivational Monday mini series, on organizing a new closet.

Giving Your Spouse The Better Closet

Our new abode, which is a rental, has two good size closets.  However, the master closet is decked out with an Elfa closet system.  It’s a beauty and most suited to my beloved’s wardrobe. (he always looks good!)  Therefore, since clothing is not really my thing, I chose to take up residence in the standard wire shelving closet. However….

The Previous Custom Designed Closet

This closet is a testimate to how much a custom designed closet can house.  This unit was only 7′ wide, housed all my clothes between hanging sections and four drawers.  I did have a separate shoe/accessory/jewelry closet in our previous home.  Our coats were in another closet as well.  This time, it all has to fit in either his, or her, closet!

The Apartment Conventional Closet

Pretty standard closet with 8′ feet of hanging space all on the same plane.  If we decide to extend the lease, we have the option of adding in a system of our choice in this closet.  In the mean time, I’ll share how this is working for now.

Move-In Day Organization

At our previous home, the dresser you see in this photo, was used in our guest room and mostly empty.  Here, it has become an asset to this conventional closet.  In a future post, I’ll talk about how using this dresser has evolved.  But today, lets talk about the rest of the closet.

Everything fits in this space.  Before the mini makeover, it looked good and was working for the most part.  A few things were nagging me.  The hanging space was too crowded, tight and I had a hard time finding things.

Personalizing The New Closet

First, here’s a photo of the closet makeover that is working for the way I live.  It does not look as open, and may even look more crowded in the photos.  But it is now a closet that is organized to work for me in the new space.  Clothes are in the sections of how I decide to get dressed.  Dresses to make an easy, not think outfit choice, skirts/shorts for the Florida summer heat.  Choice of all the tops in one section and the more bulky items on the back wall out of the small path I have to work in.

Double Up, Similar Hangers, To Gain Space

In a past post about hangers, we stressed the concept of doubling up hangers to gain space while hanging clothes.  I made use of this technique in the custom closet in our last home.  I’ve done it again in this new closet space.

Take another look at the white wood hangers I have carted around for years.  This time, I simply doubled them up for the coats and jackets.  Big space saver.  Next, I decided to try a plastic hanger with grippers  with additional features for straps and scarfs or belts.  You will see the option of hooks to double up the hanger, or add clips.  The new hangers take the place of most of the velvet hangers that have seen their prime.  However, the clips do not stay put, so I choose to keep my old hangers with clips for now.  And, the good old pop top works better for doubling the hangers. For $20 at Amazon…it was worth a try.

Before we finish up the rest of the closet organization, we’d like to offer an invite to subscribe to LBD.  You don’t want to miss the rest of the series!

The Closet Shelf and Floor

A host of miscellaneous totes, some empty and turned upside down as a hat perch, line the upper wire shelf.  Less worn shoes/boots are in labeled boxes.  For shoes worn often, hubs quickly put together these lightweight, but sturdy shoe racks. Since we don’t know where we might land next, did not want to spend too much for shoe storage.

 Each Closet Needs The Right Hanger

The velvet hangers, with no cascade feature that have worked for years, are not working as well in this new closet space.  I will keep the blue velvet hangers with the built in cascade hook until I make the switch over to the new skinny plastic ones, and drink enough beverages to get the pull tops on all of them.  The mod podge of others are off to Goodwill of course.  One in One Out!

Closet Motto

Ultimately, when our closets are arranged in a manor that makes our lives work everyday…then we have another perfect spot in our LBD! 

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