3 Ways to Organize Your Closet So You Use Every Square Inch

An organized closet doesn’t have to be just in your dreams.

Image: Help You Dwell

Three bloggers explain how they transformed their closets.

Scroll on to get ideas for utility, walk-in, and mud room closets.

#1 A Well-Organized Utility

Many of us stash brooms, batteries, and tools separately. Not Missy of Lookie What I Did. She converted a coat closet that was a catchall for useless stuff into a central location for home maintenance items.

Image: Missy Allaire of LookieWhatIDid

Optimizing Space

She went vertical by adding a rolling drawer unit, a pegboard, and storage baskets. She also kept sweepers and mops off the floor using adhesive wall hooks.

To make it a cinch to find stuff, every item in the closet has its place:

• Heavily used items hang on the pegboard.

• Cleaning products live together in a basket.

• Hardware, adhesives, and batteries are stowed and labeled in the rolling drawer unit.

• Bulky, less-frequently needed items are kept in labeled baskets on the shelf.

Tip: When deciding what to store in your closets, ask yourself what has more value, a particular item or the space you will gain.

#2 A Masterful Walk-In

This closet will appeal to your inner Carrie Bradshaw. Sandra, aka Sawdust Girl, ripped out her old master closet and created her dream closet over four months.

Optimizing Space

This closet is huge, but it’s the special features that make it efficient:

• Convenience: Connects to the bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room.
• Quality: Oversized, self-closing drawers quietly glide shut.
• Lighting: Colors render beautifully with daylight CFL bulbs.
• Power: Extra outlets, extra flexibility.
• Add-ons: A built-in ironing board, rolling ladder, and nine-by-six-foot shoe cabinet came later.

#3 An Un-Muddled Mud Closet

Jaime the DIY mama behind the blog That’s My Letter came up with a cheery entryway mud room-style cubbie and bench system for a friend.

Image: Jaime Costiglio

Optimizing Space

Originally, the closet had piles of stuff on the shelf and floor. To eliminate clutter, she evaluated what to keep and came up with a plan to make those items more accessible:

• 12 solid-wood shoe cubbies wrangle Dad’s shoes, which had been spilling out of a hanging organizer.
• The bench performs triple duty: It provides a place to sit, room for handbags and knapsacks, and a spot for more shoes.
• Baskets on top of the cubbies stow gloves, hats, and scarves.

Tip: When it comes to keeping closet clutter at bay, out of sight means out of mind. So opt for a closet system that allows you to see everything that’s stored.