Enjoying the holiday season this year might be simpler than you think. But this is possible if we take care of a few essential things first.
It Starts on Halloween
Let’s see. It’s Halloween, and you have precisely the stuff you need to create the theme you are going for this year. You know this because you have that neat area in your garage dedicated to holiday décor where every box is labeled. So decorating will be a breeze!
This year, you are dressing up and having fun with the neighbors on Halloween!
You are enjoying it even more because you know how easy it is to put everything away (and while your kids are at school, you can eat all their candy!).
Then Thanksgiving Arrives
While putting all the Halloween décor away, you want to take out all the Thanksgiving stuff. Easy! It is all well-organized. What used to be a grumpy task is now an enjoyable thing to do.
And just like that, Thanksgiving has officially started in your home. It’s time to think of the menu, the guests, football, and all that comes with it. But guess what? You do have the time and capacity to think about all that now.
Your home is decorated, organized, clean, and ready for holiday guests. After that initial effort and investment last year, you maintained the place when we worked together to manage your home and all the storage.
On Thanksgiving Day, you can eat all you want and blissfully go into a food coma while watching football.
And Before You Know It
When recovered, it will be time to decorate for the year’s major holiday and put all Thanksgiving stuff away.
Everyone wonders how this process became so easy this time – everything is organized, accessible, and clean. You are in a jolly mood. It is a beautiful atmosphere.
You have time to shop or tackle all your gift shopping online in a few hours.
Since your home looks, smells, and feels like the holidays, you have fun gift wrapping. But, of course, it helps that you have a fantastic gift-wrapping station stocked with everything you need for this purpose.
Probably It’s Not You (Yet)
This is probably not your case. You need to contact My Space Reclaimed. Let’s start planning and organizing now so the picture described above will be your story.
People go frantic during the holidays. They have to clean and prepare the home for guests, decorate, plan special activities, shop for gifts, wrap gifts, mail cards, and cook.
But with a neglected house, seasonal decor shoved everywhere, and disorganization, it is hard to feel at ease or properly decorate, shop, gift-wrap, cook, or plan coherently. That does not sound much like the jolly spirit.
Shining A Light on Your Home
No time of the year shines a light on our home and family life other than the holidays. Our home is where we get cozy with friends and family to celebrate, cook, eat, and drink while cold outside. So make your home an inviting nest that speaks of love, gatherings, family, and joy.
Being Proactive
All these holiday-related activities can be joyful if we first take care of the fundamentals. With things like home organization and the development of systems that make life more efficient, we create the foundation of an easier time amid everything happening around us. And this sounds like a joyful holiday time.
So be proactive this year! Start analyzing which home processes can be more efficient, what changes your home needs to feel and look its best, and what home areas need reorganization.
The holidays are approaching, and we would love to ease your burden. Contact My Space Reclaimed and see how we can help you.
I’m thrilled to take you on a shopping experience with me – introducing Shop with Us* – my website’s newest development.
But let’s be clear: I don’t recommend items because I sell them – I sell them because I’ve carefully considered them, loved them, and recommended them to my clients.
And what’s better is that Shop with Us is a carefully selected collection of those items that will elevate your daily life and home experience.
Products are organized by home area in the shop. Things you’ve never considered using in a particular space or for some purpose are the best for a different space or goal. (hey, got to love that out-of-the-box thinking!). So, you’ll find some product repetition across sections of this shop.
Also, I wanted to mitigate that deer-in-headlights factor at certain stores when people face innumerable options without knowing what works best for what or why systems go together. (Know that feeling?)
This shop is that helping hand some need. It’s shopping with purpose and direction.
Let me say this is an eclectic shop. From the mundane (like cleaning and home miscellaneous) to the sublime (design items and elements that create the sensory experience you deserve at home), each piece of the puzzle is equally important in developing the elevated lifestyle you crave.
Some clients ask me what is reasonable to have in a home without excess or deficiencies. This shop may serve as a guide or validation of their home’s inventory.
Others have jumped with me into the unknown (without a parachute) to start a new chapter in their lives. I witness the cleansing and healing power of starting anew whenever this happens. (Have you ever noticed it’s easier building something from nothing than fixing or transforming something else?)
Despite its benefits, this radical exercise of starting all over from nothing is only for some. But my experience with those brave souls led me to consider, source, and create new homes and lifestyles for them.
And in doing so, we learned about the elements that comprise that new, thriving, simplified, and upgraded life in a new home. That’s how my “Home Essentials” lists came to be (and these will be available for sale soon -Stay tuned!). This new shop is primarily based on those Home Essentials lists.
But remember that before acquiring organizing solutions or thinking about home design, we must let go of the burden, the excess, the baggage – physical or otherwise. That requires some pre-work.
Only after this pre-work will the items in the shop make sense. It’s not my wish for you to accumulate more stuff or shop for the sake of shopping. Buying storage solutions, containers, or design elements without the proper context will only result in additional clutter. And the goal is to transform your home experience into a streamlined, simpler, organized, exquisite, and fulfilling one.
So, if you have yet to eliminate the clutter in your home and life or look at my shop collection without the faintest idea of what to get or why, let’s backtrack the process.
I’m constantly learning and growing. And I would certainly appreciate your contribution to this shopping experience. Let me know of products that speak to you or diverse uses you give to some mainstream products. Please share your ideas for this shop with me for everyone’s benefit. I’d love your opinion on this new initiative in my business.
It’s true. One way or another, my best client sessions are in the shower.
It is interesting how consistently and naturally this happens! But let me explain.
There is much to explore about how people use their space and move around in their homes. As an Organizer, I need to retrace the clients’ steps throughout their home space and understand their routines to see opportunities to improve their systems and lives.
Only by moving in their space the way they do or having them show me how that happens can I best notice their roadblocks to efficiency or where their systems fail. And this is how amazing solutions come to life.
When clients understand this process’s importance, they get on board. Sometimes, they get so excited they take me by the hand (literally) to show me how they do (virtually) everything around the house.
And even though this happens all over the house, the fact is that most of the time, we end up in the bathroom! But how and why?
How We End Up In The Shower
The bathroom conversation usually concerns toiletries, particularly shower products and the shower caddy.
I have always disliked the typical shower caddies we hang on showerheads. With those, you have the water streaming in your face while you reach out for products.
Do you shower facing the shower or with your back to the water stream? That determines the shower product solution that works for you.
This debate seems comparable to the correct way to install the toilet paper roll.
For example, if you don’t like the traditional shower caddy, you will need a different solution. The corner tension pole with baskets may be for you. But what if you have high or vaulted ceilings or crown moldings in the bathroom ceiling? There might be unforeseen challenges to using the corner tension pole caddy.
However, that doesn’t matter because we will always find the best solution if we walk the space together!
As an Organizer, the right way will be the way the client prefers. But whatever that way might be, being aware of how they move around and use their space allows me to see where I can improve their systems or suggest alternatives to make their life easier.
This Truly Happened
Oh, timing and context can make this interesting! I can’t help but recount one of these bathroom adventures.
A man called me once to help him develop systems, especially concerning his clothes, bathroom, and laundry routines.
It was an exciting, multi-level, high-profile bachelor’s apartment. Because he needed systems in those areas, it was necessary to explore his routine and habits regarding his clothes.
We started the tour of the place and eventually made our way to the third story, where his primary concern was – the closet/bathroom area.
Sure enough, as fate would have it, his girlfriend arrived just in time to hear me say these exact words: “Do you undress in the bedroom or here in the bathroom?
Luckily, she knew her boyfriend had hired a Professional Organizer, and she was gracious. Then we started talking about where she usually undresses! After all, the system needed to work for both.
I love my job! And although every case is different, it seems like we always end up discuss productivity and efficiency in the bathroom.
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In the minds of most, cleaning and organizing are two activities that go together. We think of a messy place and imagine it as both disorganized and dirty.
For this reason, organizers get asked if we clean, too. When asked this question, I politely smile and say, “Well, I clean my house, of course!” So, I’ll share some cleaning secrets with you now.
Most Organizers, myself included, refuse to place items neatly organized in dirty spaces. Therefore, we do our best to clean some or engage the client in doing the cleaning so the project ends at its best.
I am okay with asking the client to postpone any particular cleaning project until the home is organized – for the best results on the cleaning.
But here’s an irony that I can’t ignore. Some homes feel very cluttered and dirty when it is precisely the many (unused) cleaning stuff that occupies so much cabinet space.
That leaves no space in the cabinet to store what should be in them. Instead, people complain about needing more storage space and having everything all over the house and on counters, which should be inside their cabinets. (huh?)
Some love an over-complicated life and spaces. But life should be easier and our homes simpler so we can rest and enjoy the space.
So Many (Unused) Products!
As an Organizer, I am impressed by the number of cleaning products I find in every household, especially those that need the most cleaning. There are often many products for every purpose imaginable, as well as multiples of the same products and cleaning tools.
So, let’s start simplifying the cleaning process by letting go of all those extra-specialized products and tools we would never use. Keeping it simple usually translates into less storage space taken up by all those products we don’t even recognize.
The key to simplifying the cleaning process is to use a minimum of multipurpose products and multi-task tools. These should be simple and occupy minimal space. These should also be easy to maintain and clean to avoid additional work. We can’t expect to clean effectively using dirty tools, can we?
I usually suggest to my clients a handful of multipurpose products and tools that accomplish many cleaning jobs and eliminate most of the extra work.
Also, cleaning products should preferably live in the laundry room. Kitchen cleaning products go under the sink. You should keep some heavy-duty products to clean stuff outside the home, like the car, equipment, boat, etc. Those should have a place in the garage.
What You Need
Keep your life simple and save space in your cabinets and laundry area. Let’s eliminate all those unnecessary products and tools we never use and will never need. Then, let’s get some simple, clean new equipment and products that get the job done quickly.
The cleaning products and tools suggested here take into consideration the environment, are cost-effective, and get the job done well with a minimum of effort.
You can also research natural alternatives to chemicals currently used, especially with the recipes created with Young Living essential oils, baking soda, and vinegar.
Superior Mini Mop System – Forget the broom, dustpan, mop, pail, and cleaner altogether. This mopping system from Norwex accomplishes it all. The handle is adjustable and very comfortable to use.
Gloves – Protect your hands, ensuring adequate mobility and comfort.
Arm & Hammer Clean Shower Daily Shower Cleaner (1 bottle per shower or tub) – this product is truly a miracle. This is the only cleaning product you should keep in your bathroom, specifically the shower caddy. You might want to transfer this product into a transparent or translucent, un-branded spray bottle to maintain the spa allure we always wish for in the bathroom.
Use with the mop system as an alternative to the sponge
Clorox toilet wand kit (one per toilet) – Best invention ever. The kit lives in the bathroom, by the toilet. It looks great. The sponge is single-use, disposable. The sponge contains a cleaning agent, so there is no need to deal with toilet brushes or specific toilet cleaners. There is no need to handle the used sponge either- eject it in the trash. Do not flush the sponge.
Window Cloth, BacLock® – Amethyst with Graphite trim – A couple of years ago, I came in contact with this product from Norwex, and what a game changer it was! This cloth removes 99% of bacteria from surfaces with only water, and what it does for glass, mirrors, and even stainless steel is formidable. No cleaner, sprays, foams, creams, or anything else is needed – just water. How it cleans surfaces and even removes fingerprints without leaving water marks will amaze you. I would buy about three or four of these clothes. Just know it should not be washed with fabric softener.
Cleaning caddy – Keep all your products in the caddy so they are easy to move around your house. Only one set of products is needed. You want a rectangular caddy with straight angles and not overly divided for greater versatility.
7-10 Gallon Clear Garbage Can Liners– Trash bags in sizes according to trashcans in the home (essential to always line your trashcans. To avoid ruining the look of a nice-looking trashcan, use transparent bags. Pro tip: knot the rim of the bag to make it fit the border of the trashcan. Hide the excess bag between the trashcan rim and the bag rim.
OXO Good Grips Toilet Plunger with Holder – Most homes permanently have the unsightly toilet plunger next to the toilet. And the usual plunger found in most homes is appropriate for the sink but not the toilet. Toilet plungers should be of a different shape to exert the right amount of suction for the toilet plumbing. Here’s a plunger that’s up to the challenge and can live next to the toilet because it has a cover that automatically closes when the plunger goes on its base. There is no need to look at the plunger anymore.
If you have dogs/cats, you will want these two things:
Lint Remover – This little thing looks inoffensive, but it will destroy your clothes if you attempt to remove hair and lint from them with this item. However, I have never found something more effective for removing fur and fuzz from fabric furniture, carpet corners, and carpet-covered stairs. Use it to remove hair, lint, and fuzz from those places and vacuum it all with the fantastic tool described next.
Assign a day to wash towels and bedsheets. A good idea to simplify your life is to have only one complete set of towels per person per bathroom and one set of sheets per bed that complement the décor. On laundry day, wash, dry, and place them back in use. No need for storage space. No need to fold.
Wash bathroom rugs at least once a month.
Assign a day for each household person to do their laundry (from start to finish on that day). That way, family members take turns, and no clothing awaits washing.
Accumulate all dirty dishes and utensils inside the dishwasher. At night, run the dishwasher. Empty the dishwasher and put everything away first thing in the morning (or before bed). There is no need to keep that dish mat or the piles of dirty dishes on the counter day after day.
If you have dogs or cats, it’s a good idea to vacuum at least once every other day. With the cordless vacuum, this is therapy (at least for me).
Keeping disinfecting wipes in the kitchen and bathroom makes it easy to wipe off surfaces as often as needed.
At least once a week, clean the inside of toilets with the toilet wand and the outside with the Clorox wipes. Clean all surfaces with wipes and clean the mirrors with Windex.
Keeping a bottle of Clean Shower in your shower or tub helps you use this product daily. When you do this, this product virtually eliminates the need to clean the shower! You’ll probably want to scrub the tiles and all other areas once a month with Ajax or a Mr. Clean Eraser sponge.
Dust all that you can see with the duster. Working with this product is so easy that you’ll quickly get in the dusting mood. When finished, trash the duster. It’s that simple.
Clean from top to bottom and from left to right to track the progress. It’s essential to have an efficient methodology. As dirt falls on the floor, you should leave the floor for last.
Finally, use your vacuum all over! Go over the floor with the dry Swiffer if desired, and finally, use the wet Swiffer to clean floors. Alternatively, use a microfiber rag instead of the Swiffer wet cloths.
Remember to dress the beds, re-place bathroom towels, and change all trashcan liners at the end.
Get a glass of wine and take a bubble bath in your clean tub!
All this is exponentially easier if your house is uncluttered and organized. And if it’s not, let’s start with that.
Then, you’ll see how easy it is to maintain your home clean.
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The Dream Closet
The closet is where you start many mornings. An efficient closet system is crucial to making your life easier, especially in a rush. Keeping your closet tidy, clean, and easy to browse through makes a difference in how you start your day.
This particular space should be your inspiration, not a morning drag.
So, let’s organize your closet and make it inviting. Respect your shoes and love your clothes. Give your closet contents the care and attention it deserves.
First Things First – Out With The Clutter
A thorough purge is critical. Your closet should support the person you are now in your life. It should be something other than the dumping ground for clothes that have fit in 15 years.
The closet is not some storage space for everything no one wants or knows where to place. It is impressive that people keep things in their bedroom closets just because they have space available. The space available is good! Be at peace with empty space rather than rush to stuff items that should not be in that space (and then complain about lack of room in the closet). Learn what your closet should contain and let all other items find their proper place in the home.
First, go through the contents of your closet and remove anything from the space other than clothes, shoes, handbags, travel bags, accessories, and other things you wear. Leave in suitcases, though.
Once everything that does not belong in your closet is out of the area and reallocated, it is time to sort through what should go there.
Discard clothes that don’t make you feel fabulous. Discard what looks old, dated, damaged beyond repair, or does not fit you. You will not wear these things, no matter how long you keep them. Besides, having a closet full of petite clothing or something you don’t like wearing does not support you. Rather than inspire you, these clothes will subconsciously remind you of everything you can’t wear. There are better ways to start the day than that.
You’ll be amazed at the space you get back if you objectively look at your clothes and purge.
And from now on, stay on top of your closet management. When you realize that a clothing item is unflattering, unwanted, in bad shape, or no longer fit, remove it from your closet immediately. Practice keeping a basket or nice-looking bag in your closet to place these items at once.
Assess The Space & Inventory Your Stuff
Consider the type of item you’ll hang versus what you’ll fold, the number of items in each category, and the area where each group should go. These elements determine the type of containers, sizes, and style. So, this step comes before buying any storage solutions.
A common mistake is to buy containers before doing the work with decluttering, sorting, organizing, and allocating spaces for your things. First, you must assess what you’ll need to contain and where these things will live. To determine this, you must remove what does not belong in the closet and re-evaluate the clothing. This is the only way to know, realistically, how many hangers you need, how much long hanging, short hanging, or double hanging space you’ll need, for example.
In considering storage space available, it is common to overlook vertical space. However, some walls and behind doors are suitable areas where we can store many items. Just ensure that things placed behind doors don’t interfere with those doors opening freely.
Crafting The Closet – Must-Haves
Lighting
Chandeliers, track lights, light inside closets, and under-shelf illumination are some options that make a closet look magical. At a basic level, the closet space needs good lighting. The lighting system you choose must increase functionality but also enhance the ambiance. That ambiance is all in the lighting! Usually, a mix of yellow light and white light works best.
Body-Length Mirror
A body-length mirror is a must in every closet. It serves a practical purpose because you must see the whole outfit on your body. But a long mirror also helps create that elegant atmosphere we all admire in amazing closets. The location of this mirror will depend on the space available. It can be installed on a wall, behind the closet door, or free-standing against the wall. However, the larger, thicker frame, the more elegant your mirror will look.
The Personal Touch
There must be space to express who you are. Make the closet your special place where you are glad to be. Use framed pictures or knickknacks that remind you of notable people and moments. Use these strategically and tastefully.
Wastebasket
A wastebasket is necessary for every closet (and in every home space, actually!). Get a wastebasket that complements the space décor. To make things easier, consider a trashcan with no lid.
Hamper
Have one hamper per person sharing the closet. Make the hampers look good in the space.
If closet space is limited, place hampers in the bedroom. However, hampers should preferably be where you change clothes.
You may need a place to sit to put on your shoes. This seat could be as simple as the tiniest ottoman or stool to the most oversized armchair (space and style permitting). Ensure your seating option fits the room in style, size, and color.
Hangers
The difference in having all the hangers look the same is incredible.
We recommend space-saving hangers because they prevent clothes from falling off the hangers or losing their shape. In addition, they save at least one-third of the space in your closet (just by switching hangers!).
And if you get the appropriate clips to transform these hangers into a skirt or dressy short hangers, all hangers will look the same in the space.
Having the same hangers throughout prevents hangers from tangling and provides a more efficient experience in your closet.
Sports shorts usually go in drawers, but dressy and cargo shorts should go on hangers to avoid wrinkles and save space in your drawers.
Pro Tip: Use two space-saving hangers for heavy clothing such as coats or jackets. That way, your hanger collection remains uniform.
Garment Bags
Some pieces of clothing deserve the protection of a garment bag. However, avoid plastic garment bags because plastic is detrimental to the fabric. Instead, replace plastic garment bags with fabric ones.
People seem surprised to learn they should remove plastic covers from their clothes when they bring them home from the cleaners. This is because the plastic used by cleaners is detrimental to the fabric. The plastic also traps the chemical residues of the cleaning process.
Drawer Dividers
If you have drawers, you need drawer dividers. It is that simple.
Dividers make a considerable difference in the maintenance of drawers and hold us accountable for the amount of stuff we keep in those drawers.
Measure drawers before buying dividers because these come in different widths and lengths to fit every kind of drawer. Keep in mind that drawer dividers come in various colors to match the inside of your drawers.
Baskets, Bins, Containers
Accessories may end up in baskets or containers. So, where will those be? Use baskets to contain anything folded on shelves and small accessories. But you want solutions that look like they belong in the closet, not like a random selection of last-minute solutions. Use the same type of basket throughout the closet. Using baskets on shelves and niches will give your closet a uniform, elevated look.
When choosing baskets, bins, or containers for the closet, measure the spaces where these will go to ensure the right fit. You must also assess the areas to determine materials, color schemes, style, and what these will hold.
Best Practices – To Hang or To Fold
Hanging
Go for it if you can hang most of what you usually fold. It is easier to see all your clothing when everything is on hangers. And thus, you wear more of your clothes more often. Putting the laundry away by hanging it is also easier than folding it. But, of course, underwear, PJs, sportswear, swimsuits, and socks should go in drawers.
In hanging your clothes, classify them by type and then by color. For example, place all casual tops, jackets and blazers, skirts, denim, slacks, etc., together. You will efficiently select your outfits and enjoy how everything looks on hangers.
Place all your hangers in the same direction. Then, when hanging back those pieces, have the hanger facing the opposite direction. This system will let you know that you wore that item. In addition, the method lets you notice what you do not regularly use, giving you a clue on what to discard. It also helps you rotate your wardrobe more often and get creative with mixing and matching your wardrobe pieces.
Pro Tip: Always place empty hangers in a single location to avoid having to fish them out when putting laundry away. Also, your closet will look better if you isolate empty hangers.
Pro Tip: When clothes come home from the cleaners, switch out the hangers! Cleaners always hang clothes facing left, which is the opposite direction of what most people desire (if right-handed). Also, they use wire hangers, which lose their shape, get rusty, get tangled, and make the clothes lose shape. Wire hangers are the least desirable kind of hangers. Besides, you want your hangers to match your closet. And by the way, the cleaners would like their hangers back!
Folding
Whether you have drawers in your closet or a dresser in the bedroom, some clothing categories are better suited to live in your drawers. These categories are loungewear, sleepwear, sportswear (including swimsuits), underwear, and socks.
Drawer dividers have a stellar role when dealing with these categories. They will keep the contents of your drawers organized and manageable.
Spend the necessary time to fold things appropriately, though. There are also options in terms of folding. You can go Konmari-style or roll each piece of clothing. The rolling method is quick and avoids wrinkling of the clothes.
And whether you believe that the dryer “eats socks” or socks run away from you, your missing socks are probably not coming back. So, stop wasting space and effort keeping an assortment of unmatched socks. Socks are cheap, and your time trying to match them is much more valuable than the cost of a replacement pack.
Also, consider donating all your mismatched socks to a shelter. Did you know that socks are among the items shelters need the most? And when the weather is cold, having socks on your feet is invaluable. Nobody would complain of mismatched socks at that point.
If seasonal clothes take up too much space, consider packing them in air-tight bags to store underneath the bed or on a higher shelf. Since those bags get random shapes when extracting the air, consider placing them in bins that fit the area where you will store them. Bins stack neatly.
Organizing Your Closet Stuff
Accessories
Organize accessories in soft baskets that go well with the closet décor. These baskets are ideal for collecting items in some closets’ built-in niches. If you do not have those in your closet, these baskets can live on shelves. They will still provide an easier way to group accessories by category and allow easy access by pulling out the needed basket.
Consider dedicating at least one of those baskets or bins to small items needed where you get dressed, such as the lint roller, extra bra straps, collar stays, chaffing tape, heel tape, body and cloth tape, insoles, handbag replacement items (like small hand sanitizer, breath mints, mini note pad), and the like.
Handbags
Handbags stored in a drawer or a closet cubby or wilted on a shelf can quickly lose shape or become ruined by creases or rubbing against each other. However, you can preserve your bags and make them look fabulous.
You can stuff your handbags with quilted shapers that preserve their shape, protecting your investment and giving the closet that coveted boutique look. In addition, it will be a more joyful experience to look at your bags while deciding which one you will take out for that day.
If you like that idea but feel the investment is for someone else, achieve the same result by inflating Ziplock bags to the appropriate size and stuffing them with them. Packing paper and bubble wrap do an excellent job as well.
You could also place your bags on special purse hangers or place your folded handbags in baskets or bins on your closet shelves. However, this last alternative is better for synthetic material bags.
Boots
There are many products in the market to preserve the shape of your boots. But the same company that makes the quilted stuffers for handbags also makes them for boots. Also, try these. However, rolled magazines and stuffing paper will also work (not very luxuriously, but they work – ensure they are not visible inside the boots).
When no shelving or cubby space is available to display your boots, hang them with special boot hangers.
Shoes
Shoes should be off the floor, preferably on shelves. This way, they are easier to access and don’t get lost in the infinite depths of your closet, gathering dust. You are more likely to rotate their use this way as well.
Some closets already have unique shelving or cubbies for shoes. But if this is not your case, you can incorporate a shoe rack that makes selecting your shoes more accessible.
Sometimes, removing a closet rod and making space for a shoe wall makes sense. We know of an excellent company that specializes in walls of shoes! 😊
When space is an issue with the closet, a clever shoe solution is the over-the-door hanging shoe bag. This bag utilizes the door space to store your shoes. Please note this alternative works best when the shoe collection is small!
If your closet has shelves, particularly the highest shelf, you should have stackable shoe boxes. These protect your shoes from dust but let you see the contents. You might incorporate shoe boxes with lids or boxes with front lids that eliminate the need to remove boxes above to get that fabulous pair you want to take for a stroll. The shoe box option most uses the vertical space above your highest shelf.
Scarves
Scarves can go on hangers in your closet, in front, or behind your tops section.
Hanging your scarves prevents wrinkles and gives them greater visibility so that you might use them more often. Try using a hanger per piece.
You may choose to store your scarves in a drawer. If so, fold them neatly or roll them to avoid wrinkles. Then, place them in a divided drawer container or insert, preferably in a shallow drawer.
And how about repurposing an old shoe rack to create a formidable scarf display? We did that for a client once, and the result was exciting.
Belts & Ties
You need special hangers for belts and ties if you or your partner wear belts or ties. But belts bunched on a wire hanger or ties sliding off improvised solutions don’t work.
Drawer space permitting, you could roll each one of these items and place them in a shallow drawer fitted with the right divided drawer insert. Rolled ties and belts in a drawer create a colorful, accessible display.
When the drawer option is deep, make two or three layers of inserts per drawer.
Hats
If you own large hats, consider using hat boxes. These preserve your hats’ shape and protect them from dust.
When space is a concern, use wall space to install hooks to hang your hats. This idea works great for caps as well.
Jewelry
Jewelry Trays – The Container Store
Would you prefer your jewelry in stackable trays in your closet or your dresser in the bedroom? Or would you rather have a utility board on the wall to enjoy an artsy jewelry display?
If your closet is ample, you might have space to create a jewelry section. There are countless ideas to design this space so that you can enjoy your jewelry. Just check on Pinterest and be overwhelmed!
On the other hand, if your closet lacks the space to include jewelry, consider using stackable trays. Stackable trays are versatile, adaptable to your needs, and sit over your dresser or another flat area.
Before you decide on a jewelry system, though, make sure to edit your jewelry collection. All too often, jewelry is a forgotten category of items, and we tend to accumulate it without purging it.
After deciding what is still relevant, select the system that will hold the kind, size, and amount of jewelry pieces you keep. The critical factor is to have all your jewelry in one area, preferably using a single storage system.
Travel Bags & Suitcases
Only put away your suitcases and bags after emptying them first. The amount of trash collected from our clients’ handbags and suitcases is astonishing. Things get easily lost this way. Emptying suitcases and bags after every trip makes packing easier for the next one. It is easier to start fresh than to grapple with all the junk and expired products that remain in the bags from your last trip.
Befriend Your Closet
Avoid a closet that laughs at you in the morning and yells, “Ha! Good luck finding something nice to wear here.” Instead, every day, your closet should invite you in. But it is up to you to make this happen.
Keeping it in order is essential for your peace of mind regardless of your closet size. Getting ready in the morning sets the tone for your day.
Start your day with a beautiful and organized closet.
Not sure you can do this on your own? You don’t have to! Contact My Space Reclaimed, LLC, to get professional organizing assistance.
