How to Create and Organize Your Dream Closet
Imagine this: You wake up in the morning and go to your closet to get dressed for the day, and instead of stumbling upon a mass of jumbled sweaters and T’s shoved into corners, you’re greeted by a clean, organized space where everything has its place and everything is VISIBLE (Gasp!). News flash—you’ll never wear that amazing top that’s hidden behind a messy stack of jeans.
We’ve all seen those envious walk-in closets the celebs have (you know, the ones where there’s like an entire COUCH in the middle in case you get too exhausted browsing your inventory). I know, I know…that’s not very realistic for the everyday gal. So even though I happen to think the world would be a better place if every lady had her own ginormous closet, I realize that that’s just not the case. But guess what?? It don’t matta! You can still create a beautiful, functional closet no matter how big the space. (Can I get an AMEN!?).
Anyway, I LOVE my closet—and, ok, I might spend an annoyingly amount of time in there—and I have a few easy tips and tricks to thank.
MEET KIMBER. I gotta give a huge shout out to my closet organizer, Kimber from KW Consulting. Hire her, she’ll change yo’ LIFE. Not only does she transform closets, but she is also a master stylist and personal shopper—basically a lifestyle maven. Her #1 goal is building up the confidence of women (love that!). And helloooooooo…she definitely made me more confident in my organizing skillz.
And with Kimber’s expertise, we tackled my inventory with these first three steps:
- Purge. If you haven’t worn it for a year, it’s time to find your inner N’Sync and say bye bye bye.
- Keep. Hold on to basics like neutral T’s and tanks that are classic and great layering pieces.
- Donate. Anything that still has life can be easily given to a charity of your choice. I donated mine to the Salvation Army and Goodwill.
Next, you gotta figure out what your goal is. For me, I wanted to have a year’s worth of clothing visible in one space—meaning I could see my entire wardrobe, which makes it a HECK of a lot easier to decide what to wear. I also wanted my closet to be pretty (duh!), personal, inspirational and functional (That’s not too much to ask, right?).
closet organization lifesavers
So it took a bit of time, but we were able to create the closet of my DREAMS, and I’m THRILLED with the end result. Here’s a few of Kimber’s tips and tricks to maximize space, increase organization, and get a kick-butt closet!
USE ACRYLIC. Use clear acrylic boxes to store accessories. No more tangled jewelry! Woop Woop!
USE A POUF AND A RUG. I found this adorable pouf and rug both at Wayfair and not only are they super cute and add an ‘aesthetic’ to my closet but they also are super functional. 1.) I use poof to sit down on and put my shoes on (so much easier than laying down on da floor lol) and 2.) Hazel uses this rug to roll all over and nap on. BOOM. Cute and functional.
A WOODEN BASKET FOR SANDALS AND SNEAKS. You know those shoes that you don’t care about thaaat much? For me, my water shoes, hiking boots, idk – just shoes I wear like once a year. I threw those in a bin in the corner of my closet instead of displaying them.
ZIG ZAG TRAYS ROCK. I LOVE a zig-zag tray for organizing earrings. It’s a cute and modern alternative to a large jewelry box, and also makes it easy to see what you’ve got. No more losing those designer earrings you scored on Poshmark, or saying “OMG I forgot I even had these!”
VELVET HANGERS. YUH. Huggable velvet hangers not only look polished and luxe, but they actually keep your clothes hanging. Shirts falling off hangers, or crumbled on the floor in a dusty mess? Not so cute.
COLOR COORDINATE! Now, I know what you’re thinking…sounds like some serious OCD going on. But trust me, it really does make a difference! You know what colors pair well together, so it will be easy to grab the piece ya want when you know exactly where it is.
FOLD SWEATER, DON’T HANG ‘EM. Nothing’s worse than putting on a sweater and the shoulders are sticking straight up from a permanent hanger mark. Avoid stretched out shoulders by folding sweaters and stacking neatly on shelves. (Pro tip: organize them by weight—heaviest on the bottom—so your piles stay neat and don’t topple!).
HANDBAGS IN FORMATION. Line handbags along a top shelf for easy visibility. Stuffing them with tissue paper will also help keep their shape so they’re not a floppy mess. And for small crossbody’s and clutches use acrylic file organizers to keep them easy to access.
CREATE A DIY SHOE WALL. No built in shelves? Create a shoe wall with inexpensive shelving units from places like Target, Wal-Mart, or even a home improvement store. Let’s face it, shoes are often one of the most pricey pieces of an outfit, so why oh why are they tossed aside into a pile on the floor? Your Jimmy Choo’s (er, Sketchers) deserve better!
UNDERWEAR DIVIDER. I got mine from Amazon! (See above!) I always lose a sock or my fav pair of undies LOL. Kimber introduced these to me and they rock! They separate all my undies and socks so they are so much easier to find!
LIGHT IT UP. On the technical side, lighting is super important in a closet. If you’ve got the ability to use natural light (like a window or skylight) that’s a plus. Otherwise, avoid dim lighting. White walls will also help brighten up your space and keep the canvas looking clean and streamlined.
Guys, I’m OBSESSED with my closet and I know that you can get the closet of your dreams too with just a few easy steps. So run (don’t walk!) to your closet now and get to work! I can’t wait to see the glam makeovers your space gets!
xo,
Dani
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