Closet Planning

A closet is not short of space as often as people think. It is usually short of the right kind of space: too much hanging room, not enough shelf, and one deep useless gap at the top.

Start by taking out what is not clothes

Bags of cables, old paperwork, a broken lamp. Almost every closet is doing a second job as a loft. Move that out first and see what you are actually working with.

Hang what creases, fold what does not

Shirts, dresses, jackets and trousers hang. Knitwear, jeans, t shirts and anything heavy should be folded, because hanging stretches the shoulders out of them. This alone frees up a surprising amount of rail.

File clothes in the drawer, do not stack them

Fold into a rectangle and stand them upright in a row, like files. You can see every item without lifting the ones above, and the drawer stops being a pile within a week. Fabric dividers keep the rows from falling into each other.

Divide the drawer before you fill it

Socks, underwear and small things need walls. Without them, one drawer becomes one pile no matter how carefully you start.

Use the shelf above the rail properly

That top shelf is deep and awkward, which makes it perfect for the things you touch twice a year. Put them in labelled boxes rather than loose, so getting one down does not bring three with it.

Shoes need a floor plan

Loose shoes on a closet floor spread. Either a low shelf, a rack, or a row of boxes. The worn pair by the door does not count and never will.

Keep an out box

One basket for the things you have stopped wearing but have not admitted it yet. When it fills, it goes. This is what stops a closet quietly refilling six months after you sort it.

Not sure what will fit your rail height or drawer depth? Tell us the measurements and we will help.