Closet organization

UmmLila (Lisa)

I will never be as organized with my clothing (I do divide by seasons, type of clothing and color) as the writer Susan Orlean, but I enjoyed this read about her methods: https://nymag.com/strategist/a.....-tour.html

7 hours ago

General

8 replies

Latest reply was from The Cat

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I love closet organization stuff! Posts and articles with photos are even better.

I have my small collection of belts — maybe a dozen or so — hanging on a rack on the back of our closet door. I’m always a little annoyed that they swing around when the door is opened or closed, and I’ve wondered about storing them rolled in boxes, since my hanging space is pretty full. I like her little carts but we don’t have floor space in the closet for that. I do have space in a cabinet — I may have to test rolling the belts to see if they sit neatly in a storage bin.

The stuff about boxing and photographing every pair of shoes made me really happy that we dedicated the back wall of our closet for shoe storage! Just open shelves but the shelves are adjustable and it’s easy to see what I have!

6 hours ago

unfrumped

Veteran

Pretty organized! I love closet candy.

I’m not there. But, I do store my shoes very similarly , except no photo. All but a few of my shoes are stored above my top hanging rod. On that closet shelf I have these ~ 36” long shelf stackers that I’ve had for maybe 40 years, used in several different homes. So 2 rows of shoes are “ out” , unboxed. On the top shelf of the stacker I start stacking my Container Store shoeboxes. She’s right about some shoes being too big, including some regular sneakers due to the increasing sole size, plus short boots, so I have to use the “ large shoebox” for them. I’ve always had my shoes “ up” like this— lets the lighting hit them as a shallower row, and then hanging items are below and mostly 2 levels with rod - extenders. I do need a small stepstool to reach the top but it stats right in the closet and I rotate seasonally what’s most easily accessible.

6 hours ago

LJP

Veteran

Oh I love her, and I love her ideas. I draw the line at a $450 5-drawer little cabinet as great-looking as it is. I do use the same hangers , and would love to duplicate the shoe storage idea- I did it many years ago using just the shoe boxes but put little photos on the boxes and it was great, until it wasn't. One must be meticulous to maintain those habits.

I envy your country's Container Store. I'd be in there all the time!

5 hours ago

SarahD8

Veteran

Oooh that was great. Like a sartorial version of Joan Didion's Thanksgiving planning!

Is there a link between being obsessive about domestic order and being a great journalist? I don't know but it sure makes me feel less inhibited about obsessing over wardrobe management etc. (I am a journalist lol.)

5 hours ago

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I should read before I comment but thanks for the link!

4 hours ago

MsMary

Veteran

Haha I have Thanksgiving notes like Joan Didion's! And afterwards I do post-Thanksgiving notes for next year!

Anyway I am very lucky to have a whole room as my closet and I have shelves behind doors for my shoes, so I don't have to do boxes. Although I will note that clothes and shoes do expand to fill the space available!

Janet: I used to put my belts in the scarf closet (looped over dowels) but these days they live draped over the end of a short bookcase and that works well for me.

4 hours ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oooh, that was a fun read! I love her little MOMA accessory drawers. And it's quite inspiring that she has thought so thoroughly about this subject! She belongs on the forum!

She says a lot of the stuff that Angie says about organization. And I use Finds the way she uses Indyx.

I don't use her shoe system (don't have as many shoes) or the garment bags (I am blessed with fewer moths where I live) but I do use pretty much all her other recommended tricks. I keep my belts in a box, UmmLila -- for the exact reason you mention. It works well for me. They are in a narrow Ikia box between my different jeans.

4 hours ago

The Cat

Veteran

Janet, I need to have my belts (and some other long items, like dresses and bathing robes) hanging on the back of the door to my small bedroom, and initially I was annoyed by the sounds they made when the door was opened or closed. However, I found an easy solution: A soft flannel sheet placed close to the door (and behind the hanging items) mutes the sounds. Perhaps a similar idea could work for your closet door.

4 hours ago

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