Everything was such a whirlwind when I moved to NYC that I honestly never fully unpacked. Instead I pushed everything behind closed doors and as long as the doors could close it was fine. Turns out, that’s not a great way to live… who knew?!
Part of my goal for this year is to get more organized and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than my closet. It’s wasn’t an expensive or glamorous makeover, the whole thing cost me less than $100, but it has kept me neat and tidy ever since which I consider a win. So here it is, my closet makeover:
There’s the before mess, which is slightly embarrassing considering this was my day to day for months. As long as I could shut the doors, it didn’t matter what the inside looked like. After a while of digging through a box for my shoes and not being able to find what it was I wanted to wear, enough was enough. I was ready for something functional, so here’s what I did:
1. Clear Clutter. Before starting any organization project, it helps to go through your items to determine what you really actually like and what you’ve been holding on to for that “one day” that you’ll end up using it. I went through and got rid of all the pieces I hadn’t worn in the last 1-2 years which helped me clear space.
2. Change Hangers. At first I thought having multiple colors of hangers would be fun, but it really made the space feel more chaotic than it needed to. As much as I wish I could’ve sprung for all wooden or copper hangers, it just wasn’t in the budget. I’d rather buy new clothes than new hangers to put old clothes on, ya feel me? Instead I found these fun blue ones at Target for $2 a pack. What’s great about going this route is that I can change up the color at anytime without feeling guilty (I just donate the previous hangers to a local thrift store).
3. Rainbow Order. This sorting system has NEVER let me down (as you can see with my desk and old studio). This gave an overall cohesive look to the closet and makes it much easier to find exactly what I want to wear. It’s also much happier to look at which is an incentive to keep it looking the way it does.
4. Organizational Essentials. Let’s get to the truth of it, sometimes you need a little help staying organized. And while I didn’t buy an entire Elfa system here (hello dream home closet goals), I did find a few items that I think are a must for any closet!
Dividers– the top shelf was just a dumping ground before I got these dividers. They’re a legit game changer! Now everything on the shelf has a place and it’s hard to create a mess outside of it.
Bins + boxes- the perfect way to wrangle up those smaller items. I used my bins for organizing clutches and then the larger gold bin stores scarves, gloves, and hats for winter. The boxes are just old shoe boxes that help me store lose items like jewelry and other accessories.
Shoe rack– getting shoes off the ground and giving them a dedicated space is a sure way to never have waste time hunting down a pair. Plus it helps keeps your floor clean.
And that’s it! I know it’s not the most glamorous but I am living for the practicality of it all. Small changes can often really alter a space and make it functional. When it comes to organization, I think the key is just giving everything it’s dedicated space. After that it’s easier to put items back where they belong and will hopefully help you avoid the clutter pile up.
