Closet Organizing Systems
With over a decade of experience, we know a disorganized closet can be dare we say, stressful + overwhelming. Sometimes it’s bursting at the seams with too much stuff but other times it’s simply that items don’t have a home.
Maybe you’ve even tried to make some order of it all but then stacks of clothes easily fall over, drawers easily get messy + when only you know what goes there — how does anyone else (family + house staff) help keep the organizing systems in your closet up to date?
The truth is, the impact of having closet organizing systems in your home is invaluable to making your home feel frictionless.
Having worked with hundreds of design + organizing clients (near + far), whether it’s a custom home our design team is working on for you or an existing home that we’re organizing, we’ve got a lot of insight into what makes a great closet organizing system.
So boo, let’s get on with this thing, shall we?
What Are Closet Organizing Systems
A quick google search for closet organizing systems will bring you a google shopping site with A LOT of different shelving types, rod systems, drawer styles + closet accessories. And the one commonality regardless of whether or not it’s standard or luxurious is that these closet organizing systems are ALL product.
In other words, they’re a specific solution to an unidentified problem. #Boom
And at Elegant Simplicity, we loathe this kind of “cart before the horse” mentality. It’s exactly why, we don’t charge markup in our firm because we want to place emphasis (+ your trust) on assessing real problems before providing identifiable solutions.
And so — while closet organizing systems will often lead you down a nauseating rabbit hole of product-related comparisons… should we choose this one or that?
We want you to think of closet organizing systems a little differently.
To us, closet organizing systems are the RIGHT system for you + your home. Because home is everything you need + nothing more™ we want to understand why that particular solution makes sense for you well before we consider whatever it is (or isn’t) + what it might look like.
Sure, some of the luxury closet organizing systems we use on a routine basis with clients offer ample hanging space, finished drawers, shelving + cubbies but despite how nice they may be, all of that is irrelevant UNTIL we’ve truly identified what you’re needs are.
Rant Ending *wink*. And if you’re with us still + have been nodding along so far, then you’re going to LOVE the rest of this.
Assess What You Need
In order to determine, what type of closet organizing system might make sense you want to ask yourself a few questions + these aren’t rocket science but they ensure you’re approaching this from the right place.
What type of closet is this?
Is this a master bedroom closet for clothes? A pantry closet for food storage? An entry or linen closet? A utility or laundry closet? Clarifying for yourself what type of closet this is wil not onlyl help begin the process of considering what options make sense but gives you perspective on who else might be sharing this space with you (spouse, kids, personal chef, trainers, cleaners or other house staff.)
What will be stored in this closet?
It may seem like a relatively redundant question… it’s a pantry closer so food will be stored here. Redundancy is a good thing though — it ensures there’s clarity + intention to what we’re doing. But it might serve one primary functional while also being the most convenient closet for hanging a broom or is open shelving + where the robotic vacuum’s docking station is.
Why is having this particular closet organized important?
We always want to know what is motivating this change. It is often the things that drive us or motivate us that can up lift us when we’re fatigued by balancing work, life, and family. It’s knowing the why behind what we’re doing that helps keep us going even when we’re not feeling like the best version of ourselves.
We could talk for hours on how to best assess what you need. And that’s because our homes, our closets, our needs are all a little different + unique to each of us. But it’s here, in this assessment, that we’re laying the ground work for the functionality of the closet organizing system.
Declutter Your Existing Closet
The process of decluttering is simply editing down what belongs inside this new closet organizing system.
Decluttering with a professional organizer, however, is SO often mistaken for throwing things away or being told what to get rid of — but honestly, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sure, as part of decluttering you might toss something that’s broken or donate the things you no longer want but to us at Elegant Simplicity, decluttering is one step in a much larger process of identifying what you actually need at home (and in this closet.)
It’s taking what you’ve assessed, a step further! It can be an eye-opener for further clarifying the functionality of your space. Psst… If clutter is an area where you feel challenged, here’s potentially a few reasons why.
Organize Your Closet
We’d love to say that now that you’ve edited + decluttered your closet you’ll never have to do it again but that’s another fallacy the home industry pushes through advertising + home shows.
The reality is home is not set it + forget it… it’s continuous.
Like your life, your home is ever evolving. So, while you’ve determined what you don’t want or need for now… over time you’ll discover that you’re not using X, Y, or Z + you’ll work that decluttering process (again + again).
That said, now that you have curated your closet down to what is necessary for this space you want to categorize what’s left by grouping like items together.
And for some closets this comes together quicker than others but what comes out of this grouping is — clarity around what you actually need from the closet organizing system.
For instance… you might discover that:
You have a lot of shoes that you want stored in the entryway.
You don’t have a lot of canned goods in your pantry but you do have a lot of pantry items that are difficult to tell what they are.
You have plenty of clothes but you prefer everything to be hung.
By organizing what you “need” to keep… you’re starting the process of not only curating what’s staying but determining what types of closet organizing system makes sense for you.
Tips For Closet Organizing Systems
Below are a couple of tips specifically around closet organizing systems + some of the techniques we use to ensure they’re actually going to work for you.
Hanging Space
If hanging clothes is a preference for you because you can see everything then the organizing system that’s decided on for your closet should prioritize not only enough hanging space but room for different types of hanging as well. In a master closet, you might have space for professional shirts, jackets, formal wear, long dresses + hanging pants but you might also have hanging space for casual clothes, bags, scarves or jewelry as well.
If this was a garage storage space, hanging space for kids toys, outdoor gear + any tools that you may have.
If this was a closet in an entryway, mudroom, or laundry room — ample space for drying clothes or wet jackets to air out may be something you prioritize.
Shelves / Cubbies
When it comes to shelves or cubbies, these may be necessary for folding clothes like sweaters, sweatshirts or casual pants like jeans.
One of the more obvious reasons we like shelves + cubbies is they are a fantastic choice for storing baskets or clear bins. So whether that’s a linen closet, laundry closet, or pantry closet things are easily visible to you.
Shoe Storage
Speaking of visibility, shelves are a great way (+ in our opinion the most effective way) to store shoes in your home. Below your hanging clothes is a great place to store them in your clothes closet.
However, if you’re a shoes off house, then having open shelves in your entryway provides a more functional way for you to see what shoes you have and also keep them readily available for when you’ll actually need them.
Drawers
Drawers are excellent in closet systems.
They’re perfect for putting small items in bins. Even when you’re not a “perfect folder” drawers are also great for foldable items like shirts, pants, and shorts.
Uniformity Wins
Elegant Simplicity is a full-service interior design firm that also provides luxury organizing so when we say uniformity wins… we mean it :)
Whether that’s the same set of hangers so everything is aesthetically pleasing OR baskets + bins that all coordinate + work together — having a functional closet organizing system does not mean an ugly one *wink*
Labeling Is Highly Recommended
Whenever we create an organizing system with our clients we label!
It’s a natural part of our organizing process because everything successful in life is systemized. Without labeling out what goes where — be it a basket, bin, shelf, or cubby then no one else can help maintain that system for the long haul.
And while this section’s mighty short, here’s everything you need to know about organizing labels.
Organizing Systems As A Whole
Organizing systems as we’ve talked about here are specific to the closet and yet organizing systems exist everywhere in your home. They’re systems setup around your routines + habits to keep the clutter at bay.
But much like closet organizing systems, they don’t work unless you (or your house staff) does the work to manage + maintain them.
Well friend, there you have it...everything you need to know closet organizing systems!
And don’t forget, if you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.
Psst… Check out our FREE Video Course: 4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home