I always dreamt of an elaborate "dressing room" with girly accents, mirrors and pretty clothing hanging in an organized fashion. For years I settled for haphazard hangers, little organization and random floordrobes. Basically, just a drab closet feel that was more of a necessary place to change in than a relaxing haven. Finally, I took the plunge and color coordinated, organized and decorated my closet so that I don't ever want to leave it!
Below, I'm going to share some quick and easy tips and tricks to arrange your closet and make it an attractive place to relax and change in, no matter how small!
1. ~REMOVE~ Remove everything. Clean out closet. Vaccum the crevices, dust the hidden corners. Find something great things that have been missing for a while. It sucks. Do it anyway. Once it's done, you have a clean slate and it will feel so cathartic.
2. ~HANGERS~ Remove all old mismatched hangers and invest in matching same color Velvet slip free hangers. I love ivory for this because it can brighten up the space. Do not use wooden hangers--Although they are elegant and sturdy, they take up way too much room and don't allow a streamlined look.
In addition to the ones linked above, you can find them in bulk at places like Costco and Homegoods.
3. ~INVENTORY~ Go through all clothing. Anything you haven't worn in the past 12 months goes to the donation pile (or consignment store/facebook marketplace if it's a nicer item). 12 months. No exceptions. If you haven't ever wanted to wear it over the last 12 months, you are NOT going to pick it ever again. Exceptions are things like fancy clothes - that little black dress you can still fit into. If you can't fit into it, and it's too big or too small, don't keep it.
4. ~DIVIDE~ Divide and organize the clothes into the following categories.
- Shirts/blouses/tanks
-Blazers/jackets/sweaters
-Dresses
-Skirts and Pants
-Scarves
5. ~COLORS~ Color coordinate each clothing division into three categories: 1. lights/neutrals 2, darks 3. colorful brights.
Place the light and neutral colors in the middle of the closet. Darks and brights I place on the edges and periphery to create a visually pleasing look in the middle. I personally love arranging the colors in an ombre like effect in this order: white, beige, blush, taupe, and grey.
6 ~PANTS/SKIRTS~ I hang all my pants on the same hangers as well. Skirts I fold in half and hang on a hanger. This way they take up less room.
7. ~SCARVES~ I found these handy dandy organizers for scarves
8. ~UNMENTIONABLES~ Find some cute boxes for placing socks, bras, leggings, tights, any random clothes you don't feel like hanging. I have one box for bras, one box for all my tank tops and yoga pants, and one box for leggings and tights. These all can go underneath your pants or longer clothes. This way they are still organized but hidden from plain view.
9. ~EMPTY SPACE~ It's good to clear out some empty space. It helps relax the eyes. So if there is anywhere you can have an empty space, leave it. No need to fill every nook and cranny. I left the space above my mirror and surrounding it empty to allow for a more boutique vibe.
10. ~DECORATE~ If you have room, place some beautiful vanity style mirrors in the middle of the closet, a tufted ottoman and a sheepskin rug for an extra luxe feel.
I was lucky enough to have some built in shelving, where I can organize my shoes. I don't have a door to my closet, so I was also able to place a mirror at the hallway on the end, to reflect light and make it that much more fun to try on clothes.
I hope these tips can help you turn your closet into an esthetic pleasure haven where you can relax. If not, I have added on some amazing closet inspirations below, take a look.
**These inspirations are not my images and each picture will click directly to the original source and link.