Ask Erin: ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE | erinlove@panachebyerin.com

Recently on my social media accounts, I posed the question “What area of your home causes the most stress when you think about organizing it?” The overwhelming answer was “MY CLOSET!” Most women tend to have a hard time knowing where to begin when it comes to organizing a closet. So, let me help you visualize what an organized closet looks and feels like – close your eyes and imagine entering your closet and feeling an immediate sense of calm and happiness. You start your day knowing exactly what you are going to wear and where every piece of the outfit is located. You get dressed with ease and minimum stress. You walk out of your closet smiling. Now take a deep breath and imagine yourself coming home from a long day at work and re-entering your closet. Ideally, the stress of the day should wash away immediately because you are in a serene, organized space that relaxes you. Every item in your closet is organized, and you know that you will look your best in every piece of clothing, jewelry, and footwear that resides there. Now open your eyes. How do you feel? Like this is too good to be true? Oh, but it’s not! I create these spaces for clients on a regular basis, and I am about to let you in on all of my secrets. I hope it changes your life!

1 Change all of your hangers to matching hangers. If you incorporate only one of my suggestions into your own closet, this should be the one! Changing your hangers so they all match makes an immediate difference in the look and feel of your closet, and you will be able store more clothes because mismatched hangers will no longer be fighting for space. When I organize a closet, I prefer to use heavy- duty, clear, plastic hangers like the ones you typically find in a boutique or the thin, felted hangers that are the most popular now. They do take up less space than the clear plastic, but they also cost a bit more because high-quality felt hangers are a must. Otherwise you will find them breaking easily.

2 Organize like-with-like and in color order. In other words, all tops should hang together, in color order, and all bottoms should hang together in color order. I prefer to organize from lightest to darkest, and in ROYGBIV order, but you may enjoy pairing black and white together, for instance. I suggest that you do what you find most attractive and efficient for your current wardrobe. Also, in this same vein, I suggest separating any matching pieces (suits, etc.) as it helps you consider them when mixing and matching. It is a rare occasion that I suggest wearing an outfit that is matched directly from the store. Furthermore, remember to launder the matching pieces together so they fade at the same pace.

3 Organize your shoes by alternating the direction of each one. I prefer the right shoe toe forward and the left shoe heel forward, but again, go with your own preference. This method typically allows for one more pair of shoes on each shelf, plus you will be able to tell the heel height of each shoe in one glance.

4 Create some sort of division in your closet. For instance, I love using sweater organizers to divide shirts and pants. This division helps break up the monotony of full lines of clothing, and it helps create vertical organization space. The sweater organizers can be used to house sweaters, of course, but I also put jeans, shoes, purses, etc. in them. If you have double hang rods in your closet, the three-shelf hanging organizers would be perfect.

5 Add a double-hang rod if needed. If you have one long-hang bar in your closet, then this tip is for you. The addition of a double-hang rod will increase your hanging space, and it is perfect for your tops. I’ve even hung purses and boots on them before, so use your imagination and make the most of the space you have. You can purchase the double-hang rods from Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, or, if you prefer shopping from home, Amazon.

6 Use organizing bins, but label them. As a professional organizer, I love bins and baskets, but have found that once an item goes into a bin or basket, it has a tendency to be forgotten. An efficient way to keep up with stored belongings is to label each bin CLEARLY and efficiently. You can make the label fit your color scheme and preferences by creating finding a design on-line and then printing it. Baskets are great for housing out-of-season items, but they can also hold everyday pieces such as hats, socks, camisoles, etc.

7 Help your boots and purses maintain their shape by stuffing them. There are organizing products that have been made specifically for this, but if you want to save money by using something you probably already have in your house, I have a few ideas. I have used everything from newspaper, magazines, and tissue paper to water and wine bottles to stuff boots. For purses, I get a gallon zip-lock bag and stuff it with tissue paper or newspaper and then place it inside each purse. Using a zip-lock makes the stuffing easy to remove when you want to use the bag.

8 Use the “ hanger trick” to help you decide what to keep and what to toss. The “hanger trick” is a tool I use to help my clients realize when it is time to let a clothing item go. To use this trick, turn all of your hangers backwards on your rods. When you want to wear something, return the hanger to its original position. After one full month, notice which hangers are still turned around backwards. Those are the items that should get special attention now. Perhaps you will make sure to use them in an upcoming outfit, or you will decide to get rid of them. Either way, the hanger trick pays off.

9 Use the two-year rule instead of the one-year rule. Some professional organizers suggest that you should get rid of anything that you haven’t worn in one year, but I think that two years is a better estimate of when an item has passed its prime.

10 Figure out how to make use of all available vertical space. The amount of vertical space that is unused in most closets is astounding. You can see so many opportunities to go vertical if you take a little time to study the space. One solution might be to use those sweater organizers previously mentioned or you can add extenders to all available shelf space. Consider the picture provided below– notice the shoe shelves that are both on the top shelf and in the floor space. These shelves can be used for much more than shoes if you already have enough shoe space (but what girl does?)

11 Treat your closet as you would any other room in your home and personalize it. This is one of my number one tips because it makes such a huge difference in the look and feel of a closet. Add pictures, a rug, a plant, or anything else that you like.

12 Create a boutique-like atmosphere by incorporating mannequins and busts. Mannequins and busts are perfect for displaying jewelry and scarves. Take inspiration from your favorite boutique and then create your own little nook. They don’t have to be used inside the closet, by the way. Make a space just outside of the closet if you don’t have enough room inside.

Ladies, it’s time to create the closet you’ve always dreamed of! You can do it. OR if you feel overwhelmed, email me at erinlove@panachebyerin.com.