Five Methods for Maximizing Closet Space

No matter what size house you may own, chances are that you feel crowded by the accumulation of stuff in every room. It is not only difficult to find a place to put everything, but to get everything out of sight at the same time to reduce the appearance of clutter. Closets are the natural answer to most family's organizational needs. However, most people do not use their closet space to the maximum benefit.

Multi-Level Shelving

Many closets have one shelf on the top and a pole for hanging hangers onto. It should be noted, however, that most people do not have a large amount of full-length gowns or coats that will fill up an entire closet poles length with hangers. Instead of letting the pole stretch across the top of the closet, leaving room for only one shelf on top, shorten the closet pole and build shelves down the side of the closet. Also, by lowering the closet hanger bar, you can create multi-level shelving above as well.

Multi-Level Hangers

After you hang up your full-length gowns and coats on the high closet pole, you might have lowered the closet bar to create more room for shelves. However, if you have not, you can greatly decrease the amount of space that your hung clothing takes up by using multi-level hangers.

You may have seen skirt or pants hangers with horizontal rows of clips to fasten waistbands to, or even hangers that hold both pants and jacket. Both of these types of hangers will maximize your closet space efficiently.

Using Floor Space Efficiently

The floor space in a closet usually holds a mish-mash of shoes, boots, and spare items such as cleaning tools, sporting goods, toys, and boxes. A pile of shoes takes up more space than an expandable shoe rack. Several loose toys take up more space than a small plastic crate or bin in one corner.

Seasonal Wardrobe Solutions

If your closet space is too small to hold your entire wardrobe, you should consider adopting a seasonal wardrobe solution. You will only keep the current season's clothing hanging in the closet. Everything else will be packed away in boxes or space-saver bags.

Keeping Clutter Out

The most important way to maximize your closet space is to keep clutter out to begin with. You should consider your closet not as a catch-all where things can be quickly thrown if your mother-in-law suddenly shows up, but as an organized storage solution for your home. Clutter should be dealt with by finding an appropriate place for it, in the closet or out, or by putting it in the garbage before it becomes a nuisance.

Taking into account these five methods for maximizing closet space will make your closets, and your home, neater. You will be able to get rid of clutter in every room and use your closets to store items efficiently.