Organizing Your Closets - the RIGHT tools!

We've lived in this home for about 1 1/2 years. The closets were overdue for some organizing! We've remodeled closets in two prior houses, so we had an idea of what we wanted. However, we had to work on things as time permitted. We didn't have 2 or 3 straight days to divide and conquer.

Here are some key steps:

  1. Take a long look at the closet(s) in question and decide WHAT functions they need to provide. In order to do this, take stock of what's in the closet before you begin and decide what will stay, go, and be added to it in the end.
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  2. Figure out a budget for your closet organizing adventure. Do you have a lot of money to spend for a company to professionally design and install, or are you a do it yourselfer?

    If you're a do-it yourselfer, move on...
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  3. Measure left to right, top to bottom, and don't forget the depth, back to front. Keep those measurements with you at all times. Make two or three copies. Trust me on this one. {{{wink}}}
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  4. Do a web search to find just the right closet organizer. You won't believe how many different types are out there. As I write this I'm using melamine covered pressed wood organizers from Home Depot. They are fairly easy to install and white. Two things I like. I tried to find the freedomRail system, but I couldn't find any local resellers for them. I need to see it and feel it before I purchase it.
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  5. Get all the tools needed beforehand and put them in a bucket or box with handles. If there's one thing that can drive a person nuts it would be getting up and down and going in and out of the closet to the tool shed to get what's needed. Save time and aggravation by having everything ready before you begin.
 For the bedroom closets, you can get drawers to replace your dresser as we did in my son's room. His room is quite small and there just isn't enough space for a desk, bed, dresser and bookcase. We put double hanging poles on the right, drawers and shelves in the middle and taller shelves on the left.

The available variations can overwhelm you, so think simple and easy.

 For my office we already have shelves in the upper half of the closet. But we're still searching for just the right size file cabinet that we can put sideways in the deep pocket space on the right side beyond where the doors open. I want to be able to open the drawers and have the files facing me. 

In our master bedroom walk in closet there are two long walls on each side and a shorter one in the middle. We've planned for a corner unit only in one corner. Double poles on the right side and in the middle, one pole for dresses and long items, then some shelves on the left. Once again I would like to use the white melamine, but mix it with wire baskets to lessen where dust can accumulate. Also, the wire baskets are see-through and pull out easily.

 The possibilities are endless! Here’s an article on closet cleaning that might help as well: http://www.thebusywoman.com/extras/articles/closet-organizing.php 

If you think of your closet organizing as an adventure, then visualize the end result, you can pull it off. For most of us there is bound to be one or two glitches. Just think of them as conquerable challenges and get past them.

 If you don't need to do this right away, take some time to enjoy dreaming up the perfect closet by surfing the web for closet organizer(s) and organizing closets. Then look for some good books on the topic. There are so many out there. We'll get a list for you to look at in our next issue. 

My favorite site for organizing and remodeling is www.HGTV.com. I could watch their programs and hang out at their sites for days!

Copyright © 2003 Susie Glennan - The Busy Woman, Inc.

Bio: Susie Glennan is the President of The Busy Woman, Inc. - DBA: The Busy Woman's Daily Planner®. She has been featured in Smart Money Magazine, The Washington Post, and others. Her products have been featured in Real Simple and Parenting Magazines, CBS Early Show, San Antonio Living Show and many more!

Susie has been happily married since 1982. She is mom to 3, Homeschool Teacher, Toastmaster, Speaker and is Author of numerous articles that have been published in magazines, across the web and at www.thebusywoman.com

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