As I mentioned a while ago, I’ve been slowly removing all of the old wire shelving in every closet in our home and replacing it with custom wood/mdf shelving. With a total of eleven closets in our home, it’s taking me awhile. I just finished our guest bedroom closet and my daughter’s bedroom closet. (My daughter’s closet overhaul was the first step in giving her room a makeover.) Now I only have one closet left to do and I’ll finally be done!
Here are the two closets I recently finished, they are nothing fancy but better than the cheap wire junk that was there:
my guest bedroom closet
my daughter’s bedroom closet
Here’s a photo from my walk in closet that I redid a while ago:
All of my closet overhauls have inspired me to share some tips on organizing and beautifying closets! If you feel like your closets need a new look and a little order, you could hire a closet makeover company, but that will cost you a lot of money. You could also gut your closets and install a completely new storage system on your own like I did, but that will cost you a lot of time. (If you do want to install custom closet shelving like I did, the process is really quite simple it just can be a little time-consuming. If anyone has any questions about the shelving I installed, leave a comment below and I’ll reply.) If you’re limited on money and time, you can still give your closet a brand new look for an affordable price all in a weekend. Just read on!
It really comes down to two steps. First, purge and group the items in your closet. Second, find some ways to bring some pretty. It’s that simple.
So I LOVE organizing and beautifying any space but in case you’re not a big fan, I’m going to start by giving you some inspirational photos of gorgeous well-organized closets…
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Has that gotten you motivated to bring some beauty and organization to your closets? Okay, you may not be able to transform your closet into some of those in one weekend, but you can certainly bring some noticeable improvement!
Time to get started…
organizing closets
I highly recommend starting a closet organization by sorting through everything in your closet and purging anything that doesn’t need to be there. This will not only simplify your life, but it’ll also create more space in your closet. Get rid of any items that you never use or that no longer fit. Unless they are in bad condition, I suggest trying to pass them along to someone else who can use them or donate them to a local charity.
It’s also good to look for any items that you may want to keep but that don’t need to be stored in the closet. For instance, when I organized my daughter’s closet I found a stack of keepsake items we had from when she was a baby. I didn’t want to get rid of them, but there was no reason they needed to be stored in her closet so I packed them in a box and put them in the attic.
With limited space it’s important to only store items in the closet that you’ll need to access regularly. See what items you have in your closet that would really be better served stored somewhere else in your home.
Once you’ve finished purging, it’s time to pull everything you want to keep out of the closet and sort the items into groups. I suggest doing this in piles in the room. Grouping items is simple and quick. Put all of your in-season clothes in one area and out-of-season in another area. Then sort your clothing by type. Put all of your shoes together and then subgroup them by type of shoe. Sort your accessories into piles (i.e. belts, scarves, purses, etc). If you’re organizing a linen closet then sort your piles of sheets and towels, etc… You get the idea.
Once you have everything sorted into piles you can see how much room you’re going to need for each group of items. It will quickly become clear to you what groups will need the most space in your closet and what groups the least.
Now put everything back into the closet by group. Start by putting your rarely used or out-of-season items in the hardest to reach places like the top shelf or back of the closet. Make sure the items you use a lot are front and center and easy to grab.
Neatly fold or hang clothes together in the groups you sorted them into, and then line up each piece in the group by color. This will make choosing an outfit in the morning easier.
Once you have everything back in your closet, make a list of storage accessories that will really help keep your pieces organized and head out to the store with your shopping list. Adding a few accessories doesn’t cost much money and it will really make your closet function better.
Some suggestions? A new set of matching wood hangers is a simple way to make everything feel new and more cohesive. Some colorful storage trays, baskets or bowls are great for keeping smaller items together. Install some hooks on empty wall spaces for hanging up belts, scarves, hats or robes. Any time you can store items on unused wall space it’s like adding more room to your closet.
If you have a lot of totes or baskets, then be sure to label them which not only helps you find what you’re looking for quicker, but it also reminds everyone in the family where items should be returned to.
For my closet makeover in our master bedroom (photo above), I wanted to add some drawers but didn’t want to spend the time it would take to make and install them. So instead I used fabric bins with pulls on the front (these are Martha Stewart Living) as “cheap easy drawers.” The pull on the front makes them easy to grab like a drawer, and the fabric texture makes them easily slide in and out on the painted shelves so they function like drawers. When they are pushed in on the shelves none of the items in the bins can be seen so they look neat and tidy. Plus they add some color to the shelves!
If you’re struggling to fit everything back in your closet, then you will need to get more creative with your storage solutions. Here are some quick ideas:
- Look in the kitchen pantry aisle of your local home improvement store for affordable storage pieces that would work well in a tight closet space.
- Try hanging a pegboard or magazine rack on empty wall space to store accessories.
- Don’t forget to use the back of the closet door for storage–hang a mirror, wall hooks or any narrow storage piece.
- Fill out-of-season beach totes and purses with your out-of-season clothes, accessories or shoes.
- Use the empty space up high near the ceiling by installing shelves, hooks or towel bars up there to store more items. If you’re short like me, then keep a small stool tucked under your hanging clothes so you can easily step up and reach the items stored up high.
- Add shower curtain rings to your closet rod and use them to hang purses and accessories.
- You may want to consider moving some out-of-season or rarely used items to another area in the room like an under-the-bed storage bin.
Your new organized closet may not be HGTV-worthy, but overall you should see some improvement in the look and function.
Now it’s time to have a little fun…
ways to add beauty to your closets
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time in order to bring some style to your closet. Here are some ideas that can be implemented in a weekend…
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LIGHTING
You can opt for under cabinet lighting or spotlights to bring more task lighting to your closet and make it feel fancier and more functional all at the same time. Even if you only need one overhead light in your closet go for something that’s totally you like a crystal chandelier, sputnik light, or something completely funky and original like the one above.
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WALL + CEILING TREATMENTS
Closets are a great opportunity to try a unique wall or ceiling treatment since there is a limited amount of surface space to cover. Try a pretty wallpaper, paint a pattern, or add shiplap. You can even do a lot with just plain old paint. Try painting the walls a neutral color and then paint the back of the shelving a bold color to make them pop.
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GO BEYOND BORING WHITE
Bring the painted cabinet and furniture trend in to your closet! Freshen up your boring white closet shelving and cabinets with some color for a quick yet drastic change. Continue the color onto the walls and ceiling for a bolder look.
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STYLISH STORAGE
Closets need storage pieces so why not make your storage pieces pretty? Opt for metal storage bins, glass bowls and jars, vintage wall hooks, antique trays and pretty jewelry organizers. If you have the room in your closet then bring in a freestanding piece of furniture like a gorgeous vanity, bench or cabinet.
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DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES
Even if you don’t have a large closet you can still add a few decorative accessories. Find a vintage mirror or some framed art to fill empty spaces on the wall. Use small photo frames to frame inspirational quotes or family photos on a shelf. Replace cheap drawer pulls with some trendy copper or brass ones. Add a candle, small vase, potted faux plant or some fresh flowers to a dresser top.
Hopefully this has given you some motivation to do some early spring cleaning of your closets! At the very least, make sure your front hall closet and guest room closet are in tip-top shape for holiday visitors.
Also, I am in the middle of a DIY project for my daughter’s bedroom makeover that I’m hoping to share with you soon! Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!