Have you ever looked at your cluttered and messy closet and felt stressed out just by the look of it? A disorganised closet can make you feel lethargic and dread getting up and dressed in the morning, but with a few shelves and some great accessories, you can clean up your closet and keep it looking open and inviting.
Here are our very best bedroom wardrobe storage ideas. Try a few of them out and discover all the lost space you never knew you had.
Organise by eye level
The items we see at eye level tend to grab our attention the most. When shopping at the supermarket, how often do you look for items on the top or bottom shelves? Probably not very often. Instead you look right at eye level, which is usually where the supermarket puts its items on sale. Here the customer is more likely to see the item and purchase it.
You can use this same rule and apply it to your wardrobe. Your favourite shirts, pants and dresses should never be too far from eye level. Whether you decide to hang them or fold them up on a shelf, keep your favourites and most popular daywear right where you can easily see it and find it.
This will help you get dressed quickly during the mornings when you might not have a lot of time to stand and consider in front of your wardrobe.
Apply the rule of thirds
In your closet, you’re basically going to create three bedroom shelving system and divide your closet three separate areas. Your favourites should be in the middle third. The top and bottom thirds can be used for anything else you need to store.
The top section would be best suited for seasonal clothing. If you’re using wire racks, you can divide the top section in two and double the amount of space for storage. Use this space to store the items that you don’t use quite as often, along with your seasonal clothing.
The bottom section will probably be used for storing shoes. A professional wardrobe installer can build you a customised shoe rack or you can use either bedroom shelves or wire racks to display your shoes. Some people prefer to protect shoes by keeping them in their boxes, but this does slow down how quickly you can get your shoes and get out the door. Displaying them will make it easier to choose the right pair.
You can further organise the second section of your wardrobe by layering your clothing racks and using wire shelving to show off your favourite accessories. Layer the clothing racks so they are at different heights. Give more space to your dresses and space out two clothing racks for shirts and pants.
Traditional closet. Source: Houzz.
Repurpose other items for storage
If you look hard enough, you can probably find a few useful items around your home that you’re not using. Rather than getting rid of them, why not repurpose them and use them to store additional belongings in your closet?
Do you have an umbrella stand that you never use? Give it a new purpose by putting it in the closet and using it to store longer items, such as yoga mats. Spray paint it to give it an updated look to match your wardrobe.
Unused laundry or regular baskets around your house take up a lot of excess space. They might look nice, but if you’re not using them, then they tend to get in the way. Repurpose these baskets in your wardrobe and use them to store t-shirts, jeans and other weekend items that you won’t care if they’re not ironed.
If you have leftover hooks from hanging photos and other things on the walls, use them in your closet to give yourself even more space. You can install them so they hang from the back of the door or use the back wall space of your closet. Hang up your belts so you always have easy access and display your scarves so you can better choose one for your outfit.
Featured image: ClosetMaid Custom Closet Shelving. Source: Houzz.
Fiona Wilson helps people all over Australia to better organise their homes and lives. Working closely with Wardrobe World and GarageSmart, she is incredibly passionate about finding practical lifestyle solutions for her clients.