It’s February, which means love is in the air! That got our team at Easy Life Organizing talking about the spaces we most love in our homes. I’m Shannon, and I love clothes. When I think about a place inside my home that makes me the happiest, it is my closet. I’m going to take you on a little tour, so you will see for yourself, but my closet isn’t super bougie or Instagram-worthy. It just reflects me and my needs (and, yes, I do share this space with my husband, but to be honest, he only occupies about 25%). Let me show you what I enjoy the most about this space!
Shoes
Let’s talk about my shoes. Don’t judge, OK? I am for sure a maximalist. I like my stuff, especially when it’s stuff to wear. The thing is, I like for all of my stuff to have a home. That’s where these clear shoe boxes from The Container Store come in. I have about 60 pairs of shoes (I know, I know), so this section of my closet with the shoe boxes only houses a fraction of them. I have others stashed in shoe bins on the floor of the closet and a shoe rack in a different closet upstairs. And there are some in the garage. (We’re not judging, remember?) These clear boxes are great because you can see what’s inside, and they still protect your shoes from dust. If you look closely, you will see my purple sequined prom shoes from 1992 and my wedding shoes from 2003. No, they don’t fit me anymore, but they have a home, and I can see them, and that makes me happy.
Ottoman for my Thoughts
I added this ottoman to my closet a few years ago. I admit, it might be a little extra to have an ottoman in the closet, but I love it. I sit on it to put on my shoes. I sit on it while trying to decide what to wear. I use it as a step stool to reach the bins on the top shelf. I have prayed on this ottoman, cried on this ottoman- this ottoman has seen some things. The only element that would make this ottoman better would be if it had storage. If I could utilize it for all of the above PLUS store my pajamas and a spare blanket in it that would be an organizer’s dream.
Simple to Snazzy
Another little upgrade I added to the closet is this light fixture. Before it had a standard building-grade boob light. You know what I mean- we all have them. They are ugly and uninspiring. Don’t get me wrong, I still have some in other parts of the house, but my closet deserved better. Turning this one on makes me smile every time.
Hanging Clothes
Here is a look at my hanging clothes. In an ideal world, I would pare this down. Look at that bar- it is doing some WORK! Those jeans are heavy. I would prefer to let my clothes have some more room to breathe. A few notes about how I manage my hanging clothes: 1. I house all of my shorts, pants, leggings, skirts, and dresses in this closet. I do not have another place in my home for seasonal hanging clothes. 2. Look at those matching hangers! My hangers will always match, and that is non-negotiable. I chose wooden hangers because I love the look and feel of them. 3. How do I sort my clothes? I try to hang them grouped by color. That is how my brain keeps track of what I have, i.e. “I need that green shirt with the buttons on the shoulders.” I do keep shorts next to shorts, jeans next to jeans, tops next to tops, et cetera. I do not sort the tops out by short-sleeved or long-sleeved; they just stay in their happy little color groups.
Bins are Key
I know you’re dying to find out what I keep in all of those bins. The bins are the key that keeps this space from looking like a hot mess. I love bins- they are a fantastic way to use the vertical space of this closet while containing everything in categories. Let me encourage you to use the containers in your home that you already own. The lavender and light green bins in my closet are from my firstborn’s nursery (she is 16 now). OK, OK, what’s in the bins?? Well, what isn’t? There’s one for hats, one for workout tops, one for workout bottoms, one for sports bras, one for regular bras, one for indoor scarves, one for outdoor scarves, one for tights, one for handbags, one for delicates that I need to wash, and one for donations. I even keep a couple of empty bins. What can I say? I just love containers.
Husband's Closet Space
This is my husband’s side of the closet. He uses bins, too, for sweatshirts and sweaters. Everything that my husband wears fits into his side of the closet. (Confession: I have two dressers full of clothes in the bedroom. Hope you’re still not judging.) If you look at the bottom right corner of this photo, you will see a chest of built-in drawers. These house my husband’s undies, socks, and t-shirts. His pants are hanging beneath his shirts down there on the left-hand side. To the right of his pants lives our three-bin laundry sorter: a place for whites, colors, and darks. Bins! I’m telling you, they’re lifesavers.
Thanks for taking a gander inside my closet with me. A lot is going on in there, and it’s not perfect, but I feel content in the space and know where everything is. Your spaces don’t have to be perfect, either. They just need to be functional for you.
