3 Organization Tips for Keeping Your Bedroom Closet Tidy

We start and end our days in our bedroom closets (with bathrooms being a close second!) You shouldn't cringe when you walk into your closet - instead, you should walk in with confidence, knowing that you can easily find exactly what you need to start your day.

Having every article of clothing, accessory, and pair of shoes at your fingertips will allow you to get ready quickly, get out of your house, and on with your day. And at the end of your busy day, everything you take off has a spot where it belongs. Ahhhh, can you feel the relief?

Tip #1: Invest in a Custom Closet

If you can make it happen, take the plunge and invest in a custom closet. You can do this during the build phase of your new home or a renovation of your existing home. Custom-designed closets will give you exactly the storage you need for your wardrobe. These designs should include a combination of hanging racks, adjustable shelves, and cabinets with drawers.

If working with the contractor-grade closets you already have or another existing system, you can add on these features with little research and effort  - or let a professional organizer help you. 

Either way, think about how you want to store and access your clothes. The closet company you choose, or a professional organizing company, can help you design your closet. Do you love to hang everything? Or do you prefer to fold most things? Just because you have folded your jeans forever doesn't mean they can't be hung just as easily - on a pant hanger, allowing you to see all of them at once. 

If you have enough hanging room, you can hang your big bags from tote bag hangers and store the smaller ones in acrylic dividers or a pretty bin. Custom closets can include features like jewelry storage in drawers and built-in hampers. Consider your current storage methods for your wardrobe and your ideal storage for each category, then design your closet organization accordingly.

Tip #2: Utilize Your Closet Door

It is important to maximize the vertical space in your closet, and the back of the closet door is no exception! This area is great for storing smaller items like shoes, hanging belts, rolled-up scarves, ties, purses, and jewelry.

I particularly love the Elfa system from The Container Store. You can install the door system with "over-the-door hooks" (non-permanent) or install the main rod directly onto the door (permanent). There are so many options when it comes to the height of the rod (cut to size or extra tall), the texture of the add-on metal baskets (mesh or wire), sizes of the baskets (regular or narrow), and add-ons like pegboards with hooks and shoe racks. 

If you want to keep the door super simple or space is too tight for a door system, at the very least, you can add a hook or two for a hoodie, bag, or whatever you want to hang quickly.

Tip #3: Create Zones and Keep Your Clothing Visible

Each part of your closet should be a designated zone for each category of your wardrobe. Once this is established, some things will be hanging, others will be folded, and others can be in a drawer, folded or not (but adding drawer dividers will be a game changer for keeping them neat). And whether you go the custom route or not - at the very least ditch the plastic hangers and invest in all new, matching non-slip hangers in a color of your choice. You can choose velvet to save space and add a touch of luxury or choose wood and even acrylic options.

All of your clothing should be visible, and the most frequently used things should be at your fingertips. Those items that are visible but not hanging or in drawers will need to be contained to keep them neat. Clear storage or closed storage with a label will help achieve that.

You can use a beautifully lined basket, a simple shelf divider, or even closed containers to store seasonal items or protect things you don't want getting dusty (like infrequently used bags). Baskets and bins are great for containing bulkier items like sweaters, hoodies, and bags. 

Bags, belts, and hoodies can also be hung for easy storage and access. Shoes can be stored simply on shelves, in open stackable bins, closed stackable bins, open on a shoe shelf on the floor, or even on the back of the door on a shoe rack. Hats work great in bins (especially caps) but consider hanging hats like fedoras on the wall using simple command hooks - this utilizes vertical space and adds an element of decor! My clients love when I display their hats like this.

Lastly, I love to add a bin specifically for "re-wear" (and labeled as such!) for clothes that either will be worn again or need to be put away when you have time. A re-wear bin keeps items off the floor and out of the hamper and reduces mess in the closet until you can catch up with the housekeeping. 

Lastly, adding a valet hanger to your closet design is a tiny add-on that packs a big punch. These can slide out or be stationary, but they allow you to hang clothes from them as you plan out outfits. Alternatively, to achieve the same purpose, you can add a hook to the wall anywhere you have space or use a shelf divider that has a knob at the end of it (iDesign by The Home Edit makes a great one).

A well-organized wardrobe

Taking the time and spending the money to design and organize a bedroom closet that functions well is something you will not regret. You use your closet daily and often share it with a partner, so you deserve to have a closet that makes you excited to get ready in the morning.

The key to a functional closet is to make everything visible and identifiable so you know exactly where everything is and have easier access to the items you frequently wear. 

If you're tight on space, consider swapping out your clothing seasonally. You can store these items up high or down low in corners or elsewhere in your home, like a spare closet or basement storage. 

Add a simple step stool that folds up and a small trash can to collect clothing tags. You should also try to keep things out of the closet that don't belong there- miscellaneous things we collect there like greeting cards, shopping bags, and winter coats.  

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the key to keeping your closet functioning well all year long is to continuously edit your wardrobe. Each season change is a great time to reevaluate the clothes you put into the rotation and remove worn-out items and things you no longer like to make room for your new purchases. 

If you get rid of the old things you'll likely never wear again and store away the rarely used items, you'll be able to find and wear what you love more often.

Want your bedroom closet (and every other room of the home) to stay organized all year long? Looking for more insight into how Organized with Meg will transform your Denver area home and life? Join our mailing list to get inspired and grab your behind-the-scenes guide here.

Sending you organized vibes,

Meg