Welcome to the 30 Days to Less of a Hot Mess Challenge! We’re clearing clutter, getting organized and breathing fresh air into a home we love. If this is your first time joining, you may want to start here at the beginning. Affiliate links used for your convenience.
**************************************************************
What is one place in your home you use every day? Your closet, of course! Its organization matters so much for your mornings and how your day goes. I know that if my clothes are in disarray, I usually can’t find what I’m looking for and I start the day frustrated.
But imagine if you decluttered your closet. Everything has a place, and you can start your day with ease. That sounds a whole lot better, doesn’t it?
Closet Systems
Let’s start with your closet system. We haven’t put a closet system into our master closet (yet) because what came with the house works fairly well for us.
It’s a wire shelving unit that spans the left and back walls of our walk-in closet. It has 2 levels for hanging pants and shirts for most of it, and one small section has just a top rack for longer clothing like dresses and suits.
The remaining wall was empty, so we put our dresser there. It holds t-shirts, underwear, socks and a few of my sweaters and nicer shirts that I fold.
We did install a closet system from Lowe’s a couple of years ago in my daughter’s closet. I absolutely love this system for her clothes. The Rubbermaid HomeFree Closet System line comes in several configurations. It’s a wire shelf base, but you can add wooden shelves, drawers, shoe cubbies and more to suit your needs. We still love it as much as the day we first installed it!
My good friend Emily built a closet system for her and her husband’s master walk-in closet. She used the Ana White plans found here. It’s such a great option for customizing your closet on a budget!
She said it was very easy to build, and it’s their favorite room in the house! They’re planning to add a shelf along the back wall of the closet very soon, too!
So I highly suggest that when you declutter and organize your closet, you take some time to think through your closet system. Is it working for you? Is there a better way to use your space?
How to Organize Your Closet
OK, now it’s time to talk about the actual decluttering and organizing of your closet. This was the very first KonMari task I tackled, because, well, that’s what she suggests starting with!
I already shared my process in a post, so I won’t rewrite it here, but you can hop on over and see how I took my closet from looking like this …
RELATED: Decluttering the Master Closet
Much better!
One thing I did keep when I decluttered my closet last year was old clothes that no longer fit. I kept them because they’re nice, good-quality pieces. But here’s the deal. I’m not sure that 1) I’ll ever be that size again, and 2) if I lose the “baby weight,” my shape is going to be very different from what it was when I was 25. So it’s time to let those clothes go to a new home. Instead of sitting there telling me I’m not thin enough, I’ll pass them along to someone who CAN wear them today!
The Messy Work: Remove everything from your closet. Pick up each item and ask yourself: does it fit, does it look good on me, and does it bring me joy, or do I use it? Anything you have to answer “no” to needs to go!
Messily yours, Laura
More Posts You’ll Enjoy:
