What's The Best Way to Arrange The Clothes in My Closet?

Group Items Together in the Custom Closet

Closets in general tend to be the worst offenders for an “anything goes” mentality.  They inevitably become catchalls for daily life. 

Taking stock of your clothing inventory and grouping similar items together, like t-shirts with t-shirts, pants with pants, and sweaters with sweaters can make finding what you want when you want it an easier task. It's also more aesthetically pleasing to look at shelves and hanging items that are coordinated using the grouping technique.

Color coding is an additional way to complement grouping apparel by categories.  If you hang or stack by item then color, in rainbow order, the visual effect can be stunning.

Check out this piece by InStyle that includes a few ways to go about grouping or classifying things in your closet by color including using color-coordinated hangers.

It’s All About The Zones

Mapping out specific zones in your closet can help every item find a place to call home.  When clothing items don’t have a dedicated location to be put back, it most likely doesn’t get put back.  The tizzy of trying to find what you want when things are piled up or strung around can be a significant pain point when it comes to closets. 

Most closets have similar configurations even when sizes vary, so the following common zones are recommended. 

Zone 1-Shelves-No matter how much shelving you have, you can double or even triple the square footage by incorporating shelf dividers and racks that increase your vertical space on shelves as well as keep your folded and stacked clothing tidier.

Zone 2 -Wall Space-Nearly every closet has four full or partial walls.  Unless you have floor-to-ceiling units on all of them,  you have a lot of under-utilized space.  Get creative and find some hanging or mounted wall organizers that fit those empty closet areas. 

Zone 3 - Hanging Rods-Most closets don’t maximize the full height of a closet.  If you have an extensive need for hanging clothing, you can raise the rod and add additional ones underneath as a second row for items that don’t require as much space.

Zone 4 - The Floor-Floors are often dead spaces left to become a depository of random closet clutter. Don’t let this space go wasted -- there are plenty of storage solutions that allow your closet floor to earn its keep.

Zone 5 - Minimal use/off-season items-Clear storage bins or vacuum-sealed bags are terrific options for infrequently used, special-occasion, or off-season items.  They allow for easy storage and retrieval at a glance when you need them. Tuck these items in corners or up on higher shelves until needed. 

These zones are merely suggestions and should certainly be altered to fit your wardrobe’s needs. Emptying your closet entirely and sorting into the above zones can be a big help in determining how much of each area your apparel requires.

Use Every Inch

It is amazing how much a standard closet can hold when outfitted properly to optimize its storage capacity.  Many homeowners don’t realize how much additional real estate could be found if they incorporated an adjustable storage system measured to span the full width, depth, and height of a closet area. 

View your closet from a different perspective by looking at all of its surface areas including wall space, vertical space, the floor, under shelves, and the back of doors.

Hooks and decorative knobs are great for grab-and-go clothing like a jacket or handbag. Corral smaller personal odds and ends  like socks, belts, and scarves in hanging organizers.

On the floor, tiered shoe racks are wonderful storage solution, especially if you have a lot of footwear to keep in order.  They can also work to store a collection of hats or purses. 

Placement Matters

It might require some finagling to find where the best location  is for something to be placed.   No one closet's contents are the same so your closet arrangement is unique to whatever particular items and accessories you own. 

That means for some closets, the choice of hangers is really important.  For other closets, the addition of dividers for folded clothing is more of a priority.  If you are finding that items are not being hung back up or that your closet floor remains a dumping ground, then the problem is that your storage solutions are not working.

Define your individual clothing inventory and storage needs, and arrange your closet space to best meet those needs.  It takes some trial and error but once you find the sweet spot, you'll know it.

Final Thoughts

Closet organization and clothing arrangement is a universal woe that we all experience at one time or another.  Most of us have to work with the closets we have; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. There is a ton of inspiration you can find online on how to store clothing in the custom closet.  Just keep in mind your specific items and your particular space to come up with the best solution for you.

Sources

• https://www.instyle.com/fashion/color-coordinated-closet-ideas