Closet Storage Ideas

The best way to make your closets as efficient as possible is to allow only as much headspace in any area as you need to get things in and out. Try to fill up the spaces efficiently. There are so many good closet storage ideas that there is no real excuse for a truly inefficient closet anymore. Put shelving at reasonable intervals. You don’t want to have things stacked so high the stacks collapse.

What your closet storage is made of is not important unless you’ve got some kind of competition going. How well your closet works for you should be the only consideration. Don’t forget the closet doors if you’re lucky enough to have doors that open rather than slide or fold. If they’re sturdy enough you can mount hooks, baskets, and mirrors on the insides of the doors and really get organized.

How elaborate you get is really between you and your budget. You can get coated wire closet units that you configure yourself, or you can use kits. You can have a closet specialty company install pre-fab units, or you can pay a cabinet maker a fortune to build custom storage in your closets.

Shoes—clear plastic shoeboxes keep your dress shoes dust free, and you can see exactly what you have and where it is. For shoes that you use all the time, some kind of rack is in order. For each pair of leather shoes that you really like, get a pair of shoe trees.

Out-of-season clothes storage—use fabric, not plastic storage bags for clothing. For wedding gowns, have the gown cleaned after wearing. If the cleaners have a storage box, have them pack the gown. Given the number of wedding gowns being sold in thrift stores and online auctions, does anybody save a wedding gown anymore? With our divorce rates, maybe it’s not such a sentimental thing these days.

If you have really good clothes, or if clothes are precious to you, it pays to take very good care of them. Only store clothing that has been laundered or dry cleaned beforehand. Beaded clothing should be rolled and stored in tissue paper on a shelf or in a fabric garment bag. Do not use plastic bags for long-term storage or furs. Furs should be kept in fur storage over the summer.

For things that you use only rarely or seasonally, like holiday decorations, you can reserve the awkward storage areas like the under-the-stairs closet behind the coats, or even the attic if you put down some kind of flooring around the access hatch. If you only use something once a year, using a stepladder to get it shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience.

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