Client Before and After: Personalizing the layout for a busy working parent

If you don’t love your closet then you can probably relate to the “band-aid” fixes. You know, the products that you think will solve your problems and while they might work a little bit, sometimes it’s the closet itself that needs to get re-done.

We recently redesigned our client’s closet because–like many of our clients–she knew that there had to be a better layout which would make it easier for her to keep up with. The thing is, not all closets are created equal. Some closets have a combination of long hang and short hang, shelves and shoe racks, but more often than not is a closet perfect for your needs without a little bit of tweaking.

Sure, there are bins that can be added and shelves that can enhance the vertical space, but after each of those attempts have failed you (like they did for our client) it can be easiest to start with a blank space.

Here’s the before of our client’s closet. As you can see, there was a decent amount of hanging space, but not a lot of breathing room and overall it was difficult to navigate. Our client is extremely busy and rarely home, so the least amount of time spent in this space the better which meant that at times the shelves were used as a holding spot until she had enough time to hang the clothing back up.

Our job was to create a space that was easy for her to navigate and keep organized and in turn saved for time every day when she gets ready in the morning.

Once we re-designed this space we added storage options that are easy to keep up with, which meant changing the bones of the closet. With very little time to focus on folding clothes and even dedicating “me time” for this busy professional and hardworking mom, we added deep bins so she didn’t have to worry about maintaining the space and getting everything back up on hangers.

We swapped the wire dry cleaning hangers with velvet non-slip options because they keep all articles of clothing in place (not to mention don’t damage the shoulders and fabric like the wire alternatives can do).

I know that we’ve all probably been in a place where we’ve tried the quick fix solutions in our closet, and I understand that each failed attempt can be frustrating (and sometimes costly if you’re purchasing products). If you aren’t in the market to complete change the layout of your closet, there are a couple of products that we lean on time and time again that may help your situation.

4 GAME-CHANGING PRODUCTS TO ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET

• Deep bins. Like we did in our client’s closet makeover, deep bins mimic the functionality of drawers in keeping categories contained. Plus, if you are short on time and can’t get to hang the clothing up or make it perfectly folded the bin will help to catch the clothing, keeping it contained.

• Hanging storage. Depending on your needs, a hanging shoe organizer on a door (or even a wall) adds extra space to get your shoes up off the floor. Or, use it to hold scarves, belts, and hats, that can be tricky to contain. Need more shelf space for folded clothing? Use a hanging sweater organizer for extra storage.

• Double your hanging space. We see it all the time: a single long hanging bar. But, what if you have more clothing (or no short hang at all)? By using a rod extender you’re able to instantly double your hang space. We love to use these in kids closets so that the hanging bars become easier for kids to reach.

• Shelf dividers. Tired of having your folded clothing fall over on the shelves? Add a shelf divider to keep your stacks staying upright.

I’d love to know: what’s one thing about your closet that you’d love to change? Let me know in the comments section, and if you have any closet organization questions please leave them there as well!

CLOSET ORGANIZATION FAVORITES