A master closet should be spacious, welcoming, and the perfect place to pick out your best outfit. However, most of our closets end up becoming a cluttered tornado of clothing we never wear and the safe haven for old keepsakes. When your closet is calling for a good overhaul, there are two things that will be your best friend in this endeavor: organization and interior design. Feeling daunted? Don’t. We have the perfect guide to mastering your master closet!
Clean It Out
Seems like a logical first step, but actually getting everything out of your master closet may be a bigger task than you’d initially think. There’s always more in there than you expect. As you begin to remove items, be systematic in how you place then in your bedroom. Make labels for shirts, pants, dresses, and other clothing items, keeping everything with its own category.
The chances that you’ve been able to fully clean the floor and shelves of your master closet are slim. Giving your closet a deep clean is a must, so vacuum, dust, and look for scuff marks, scratches, and other imperfections that you can take off while the closet is empty. Most closets are rather drab in color, so take this opportunity to give yours a new life. Professional painters recommend using a clean and vibrant semi-gloss paint, you’ll not only brighten up your closet, reflective light will give the appearance of more space and better highlight your clothing options.
Keep, Donate, Purge
If you’ve kept everything in categorical piles, this will go relatively quickly. Now it’s time to decide what’s staying and what goes.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- When was the last time I wore this?
- Does this fit me anymore?
- Do I like how it looks?
- Could someone benefit from this more than me?
- Is it damaged in any way?
How you answer these questions will determine which pile the item goes into. Items you’re keeping, set aside in one area, those you’re donating, keep to another, and things that are damaged or of no good to anyone, place them straight in a trash bag. If you have any doubts about an item, don’t keep it.
Visualize Your Organization, Then Make it a Reality
Take a good, hard look at your empty master closet. What organizational options do you have? You’ll want to use all available space. Get hooks and a rack for the back of your closet door, or perhaps a hanging shoe rack instead. If you have drawers, maximize their storage capabilities with dividers or even shoe boxes to keep items separate.
If you keep items like jewelry, watches, and hair scarves in your closet, you can use ice cube and cutlery trays to keep them organized. Also, if you have shelves in your closet, invest in some canvas storage bins or baskets to keep items in and add a clean, uniformed look to your closet. A great way to make it seem larger, other than that semi-gloss paint, is to hang a mirror or two. Not only will you be able to check yourself out, it’ll make everything seem more spacious.
Keep Things in Season
Get used to the idea of rotating your wardrobe twice a year: Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. Depending on when you’re taking on this task, store away clothes of the opposite seasons in totes that can easily be stacked in the closet or under your bed. This way they’re out of sight, out of mind, and it’ll trim down the cluttered feeling in your closet.
When you are changing your wardrobe over, repeat the process of keep, donate, or trash. If you didn’t wear an item over two seasons, chances are you’re not going to wear it next year either. By constantly trimming and filtering your clothing, you’ll stave off another cluttered fiasco down the line.
Or, Hire an Extra Hand!
Coming to terms with letting items go can be a difficult and emotional task for some. If this is the case for you, it may be best to consult with a professional organizerwho can help both with decluttering, organizing, and designingyour newly transformed closet!