Organize Closets

A  well-organized clothes closet will save you time, frustration and free  up much needed space for what is most important. Follow these 7 simple  steps to turn your closet chaos into closet nirvana.
By <a href=”http://www.copypastearticles.com/article/author/janet-nusbaum/”>Janet Nusbaum

Imagine how marvelous it would be to open your closet door and in  place of the regular junk pile, you find a well-organized, attractive  array of clothes, shoes and accessories.  Imagine the focus, calm and  efficiency you would realize as you look into your closet and can walk  straight to the item you need and get dressed in a snap.
You are experiencing Closet Nirvana, and it is possible, if you follow these seven simple steps.
1.  Purpose the space – before getting started, you need to  visualize the result you want to accomplish and what purpose you want  this space to serve for you.  Consider your lifestyle and what you need  to have good access to.  For example, do you want better access to  shoes; do you want to be able to do all dressing in the closet?   Brainstorm the current problems you now experience and visualize the  results you would like to see at the end of your efforts.
2.  Begin a purge – If you are like most clients I work with, your  closet has become a dumping ground for a sundry of unrelated stuff that  you do not know where else to store.  Before you can improve a space  you have to purge the excess, clutter and stuff that does not fit the  purpose of the space.  As you start purging, consider the 80/20 rule  and be honest with yourself about how this applies to you.

You wear 20 percent of your clothes, shoes and accessories 80 percent of the time.</p>
Think about it … you likely reach for the same favorite pair of  jeans, khakis, blouse, pajamas, and shoes yet your closet is bursting  at the seams with clothes that have not seen the light of day in months  and even years.  I recall a client who held onto more than fifty pairs  of pajamas all stuffed in several drawers that could barely be opened.   She did not have any idea what was stuffed in these drawers.  As you  consider each item, be honest when you ask yourself:
— When did I last wear this?
— How did I feel when I last wore it?
— Do I find it beautiful?
Let the answers to these questions drive your purging decisions.
3.  Decide how and where to store off-season clothes – A common  complaint I hear is there just is not enough space.  Many clients make  the mistake of storing in their closet every piece of clothing and  accessory they own rather than just what they wear.  To free up space  for better access to what you currently wear, remove off-season clothes  and accessories to another part of the house.  Storing in the main  closet items like formal wear or ski-wear, that is rarely worn,  contributes to closet chaos.
4.  Install additional hanging rods -with a second hanging rod, you  can double the hanging space for pants, shirts and some skirts.   Improving the use of the vertical space with a second hanging rod, you  improve your access to your belongings.
5.  Sort clothing by style, length and color (like with like) -  during the purge, it is essential to be able to view the entire  inventory you own of each color and style in order to make educated  decisions about what to keep and what to purge.  I recall a client who  had so many sweaters that when sorted she owned as many as 25 sweaters  in each same color.  By viewing them all together, sorted by color and  style, she could easily purge the duplicates.
When sorted by length and style, you improve access to your  possessions and the efficiency of the space.  If all blazers are hung  together, space is opened up for a second hanging rod, a bank of shoes  or laundry basket.
Hanging clothes by color and style also improves your ability to quickly match outfits and find what you need in a snap.</p>
I have clients whose primary goal of contracting a professional  organizer to organize their closets was to reduce the time it took them  in the morning to get dressed and out the door to work.  This step will  definitely reduce your dressing time.
6.  Look up for storage – in most closets, there are opportunities  to install additional shelving above the hanging space.  Less used  items like hats and dress shoes can be moved to this less accessible  space and free up areas at eye level for most used items.
7.  One in/One out rule – most of the hard work is behind you and  you are now experiencing closet nirvana.  In order to keep your newly  organized and peaceful space from returning to closet chaos, implement  the one in and one out rule.  Every time you bring a new item into your  closet space, choose at least one item that goes out.
Janet  Nusbaum, of Simplified Spaces, is an Organizing Consultant, Author and  Speaker. She has waded through all kinds of clutter and mayhem to bring  serenity and order to frazzled parents, overwhelmed households,  cluttered offices, and downsizing seniors. Janet serves as an expert  blogger for <a href=”http://www.onlineorganizing.com/”>http://www.onlineorganizing.com</a> titled &quot;The Simplified Move.&quot;  Visit <a href=”http://www.simplifiedspaces.net/”>http://www.SimplifiedSpaces.net</a> to receive our 5-page report &quot;Stop Junk Mail.&quot;