Finding the right storage solutions for kids is usually a challenge. Children can be notoriously picky and as they grow, their needs will change.
Choosing a custom storage solution that endures and appeals is essential and a project one of our designers worked on does just that.
That storage solution involved creating kids bedroom built-ins for one Toronto couple’s son and daughter.
Kids bedroom built-ins were perfect for this project
Our client had two adjacent bedrooms for their children. In typical Toronto housing style, each bedroom’s closet was nestled against each other.
This limited the storage space available in each bedroom, as the other bedroom’s closet essentially backed into the room. The client had their contractor remove the defined closet spaces by taking out their walls, which freed up more space for functional storage in each room.
Bedroom built-ins were ideal for this project. By installing built-ins for each child, we were able to not only make more efficient use of the space, but the staggered depths of the built-in cabinets helps prevent the space from being taken over by the custom cabinetry.
This project illustrates the benefits of working with a design professional who can address the unique needs of a remodelling project. It also showcases how incorporating custom built-ins into a room’s design can create a seamless appearance that makes it look like a part of the room’s existing architecture.
Let’s take a closer look at these kids bedroom built-ins and how we customized the designs for each room.
Built-ins for a girl’s bedroom
For the bases in the daughter’s room, the wardrobe toe kicks and the side of the drawer pedestal under the desk are recessed. This helps keep people from stubbing toes and also adds visual interest.
As with many older houses in Toronto, the walls and ceilings jut out a little bit. While our custom cabinets are square and have right angles, maybe your room doesn’t have the same layout.
The cap shelf applied above the wardrobe cabinet helps minimize the fact that the ceiling slopes upwards towards the wall on the right in the photo below.
The exposed wall area behind the desk was painted out by the client to complement the walls adjacent to the custom cabinetry, creating additional visual interest. A glass desktop allows for their daughter to display some of her favourite things on her desk while she does her homework.
For the son’s and daughter’s wardrobes, we installed slightly different interior configurations that were tailored to the kids’ needs.
Recessing the toe kicks prevents stubbed toes and adds visual appeal. Using a cap shelf across the tops also adds visual interest.
Built-ins for a boy’s bedroom
In the other bedroom, we mostly replicated the design with a mirror image of the layout that includes a custom built-in wardrobe, desk, upper cabinets, and a shelf above the desk. For the boy’s bedroom, a different colour scheme was selected, naturally.
As with the girls’s room, the exposed wall area behind the desk was painted with a complementary colour. The built-ins for both kids feature factory-painted exteriors, which is a great choice for any built-in.
Pick a colour and our manufacturing facility will add the finish to your custom cabinetry. Not only do you get a gorgeous finish, factory-painted cabinets also offer more flexibility to perfectly match a room’s decorative details like trims and mouldings.
The son’s cabinets were painted Chelsea Gray as a bolder contrast to his wall colour, while the daughter’s cabinets were painted Chantilly Lace as a softer contrast to the bright hues in the room.
Pullout drawers and shelves in each bedroom’s wardrobes provide easy-to-access storage space.
Creative colour selection for the exposed wall above the desk adds depth and visual appeal.
Choosing paints and finishes for these kids bedroom built-ins
Aside from the exterior colour, the other main difference between these two kids bedroom built-ins is what happens inside the custom cabinets.
As with any factory-painted built-in, it’s commonly just the parts of the cabinetry that are most visible that get painted. This includes the doors, sides, trims, drawer fronts, and any exposed shelves or surfaces.
For the interiors, we usually use a standard melamine finish (white in this case), as that keeps costs down. As the interior surfaces get more contact from use over time, melamine will wear better as well.
If you look closely at the photo below, you’ll notice that we did paint the leading edges of the shelves and side panels, as small aspects of them are visible around the doors and would otherwise stand out.
Kids bedroom built-in solutions for sleeping
If you’re looking for additional kids bedroom built-in ideas, the room’s sleeping space is a great area to upgrade.
Built-in bedroom storage that is designed around the bed maximizes the room’s storage space by making the bed multi-task.
Custom-made underbed drawer storage is a nicer, more efficient storage solution than using those flat plastic storage containers with wheels that are covered in dust when you roll them out from beneath a bed.
Incorporating cabinetry around and above the bed improves the room’s functionality and adds a stylish décor upgrade, as you can see below.
Learn more about our built-in storage solutions
Kids bedroom built-ins will make it easier for your children to keep their rooms organized, while also making the décor in these parts of your home look more appealing.
Our built-in cabinetry offerings aren’t limited to just kids bedrooms – we also design and manufacture built-ins for mom and dad’s bedroom and closet, home offices, laundry rooms, the living room, and additional areas of your home.
Schedule a free design consultation with us and let’s start discussing how Organized Interiors’ built-in storage solutions can enhance your home’s functionality.
Now more than ever, we look towards the home for stability and refuge and home improvement moves to the top of the to-do list.
Maybe dad or the man in your life is at home right now like so many others and doing his part to flatten the curve. Perhaps he’s on the front lines as an essential worker and helping to keep things operating.
With so many changes to our day-to-day lives, keeping a man’s closet effectively and stylishly organized is key to keeping his space – and him – calm and collected.
Every man needs a closet room design that is structured and organized to maximize order and efficiency. With the help of your Organized Interiors design consultant, you can take his closet to the ultimate level.
One of our design professionals provides ten men’s closet design tips to help you create the ultimate closet for him.
Declutter to make space for your men’s closet design
Improving his closet starts with decluttering so his new closet organizer and storage systems can provide maximum functionality.
Declutter his closet space and set aside old clothes, which will free up space for organizing what you really need. After all, there’s no point in creating organization systems for things that he never wears or uses.
Many businesses and services that ordinarily accept donations of old clothes aren’t currently available, but they will certainly need them eventually. Until you’re able to drop off your unwanted clothes for donation, set them aside for now.
Repurpose some of his other unwanted clothes for some practical uses. Unneeded sport socks and t-shirts make excellent rags and old t-shirts and dress shirts (specifically cotton and linen) are excellent sources of fabric for making your own face masks.
Below is an example of how decluttering and the perfect men’s closet design can combine to make his custom closet space super-organized and stylish.
Work with a pro for your men’s closet design
Connect with an Organized Interiors design consultant to discuss his closet needs and your designer will develop a custom solution that speaks to his requirements, his style, and his space.
Every custom Organized Interiors closet solution is as unique as every client and is tailored to make your life easier and better, whether you have a walk-in closet or reach-in closet.
The ultimate closet for him solves his organizational needs, is personalized for his lifestyle, and turns this challenging space into his own personal statement.
We provide an installation guarantee that ensures every project we work on is installed and completed with the highest standards and to our clients’ full satisfaction.
Get creative with the closet’s hanging space
The biggest piece of real estate in any custom closet is how much space you devote to hanging your clothes.
Double hanging his short clothes (such as shirts, jackets, and folded pants) leaves room for hanging more items, plus it reserves space for additional shelves and drawers.
Get creative with how things are divided: separate work attire from casual clothes, formal wear from holiday wear, etc. Does he hang his pants straight by the cuff? Specify an area for hanging items with a medium and long length.
Pro tip: folded pants require less vertical space than shirts and devoting an entire closet rod for folded pants allows you to position it so that additional space may be used for other purposes.
A tie and belt rack are must-haves
Whether his office has moved to casual dress or work-from-home, he still owns neckties as distinctive as he is.
Organized Interiors’ high-quality pullout tie rack tucks neatly alongside clothes hanging areas, features a whisper-quiet action, and holds up to 18 ties.
Hanging his belts helps to minimize the curve that can develop from keeping them looped in your pants. Our premium belt rack features enoughinsert hooks for formal and casual belts.
Customize your closet with decorative hardware and men’s closet accessories
An awesome men’s closet design isn’t complete without those all-important final touches and Organized Interiors offers the widest selection of men’s closet accessories and decorative hardware around.
A retractable valet rod is a perfect addition that allows for temporary clothes hanging. Use it for organizing your next day’s power suit, your weekend wear before your early drive to cottage country, or your gym bag for your pre-work fitness routine. When not in use, it tucks neatly away for safety.
Here are a few more men’s closet accessories you can add to tailor the storage space to his needs:
pullout laundry hampers
watch winders
a pullout pant rack
four position hangers
a drawer safe
Upgrade his clothes hangers
Consider upgrading the clothes hangers within his ultimate closet. A consistent model of hanger in a closet not only adds visual appeal, it also helps maintain order.
Consider our beautiful soft-touch hangers, which feature a slip and crease-resistant bar for hanging folded pants and smooth shoulders for hanging shirts and jackets alike.
Keep his shoes organized
Whether he has four pairs of shoes or 24 pairs, Organized Interiors will ensure he has them organized and at-the-ready for work, play, and travel.
Larger shoe collections can benefit from a tower of pullout shelves adorned with shoe fences to keep things tidy and to lend that elegant touch.
Smaller collections can take advantage of space below clothes hanging areas, either at the floor level or by adding a shelf or two. Even if he keeps his everyday shoes in the front closet or mudroom, designate a place in his closet for special occasion and vacation footwear.
Add drawers for more storage flexibility
Drawer space in any closet is essential for organizing socks, boxers, folded shirts, and pants, but it can be so much more.
Add a convenient tilt-out laundry hamper to a drawer tower, so as he goes from work mode to workout mode that transition happens in a flash.
Velvet-lined dividers help his cufflinks and tie clasps stay organized. If he wears bracelets or chains, a jewellery divider is perfect for those, too. Consider larger acrylic drawer dividers for his watches and fitness trackers so he always knows what time it is, where he’s been, and where he’s going.
The supreme watch accessory for his ultimate closet is the Orbita watch winder, which can be fitted to a custom drawer or even as a standalone countertop feature.
Create a comfortable dressing space
The ultimate closet for him can include a dressing area. Take advantage of the wall space on the side walls, behind doors, and above the lower storage for custom mirror boards.
Need a space for grab-and-go things like his favourite hoodie, his sport jacket, or his camera bag? Add a custom hook board.
Need both? Consider a custom mirror-and-hook board, with beautiful melamine finishes to match and hardware finishes to complement his closet space.
Add custom cabinetry to your men’s closet
Not every closet (particularly a reach-in closet) has space for enclosed cabinetry, but consider adding cabinet storage in his closet if possible. Keeping things behind doors and out of sight not only reduces visual clutter, but provides him peace of mind.
Interior shelves can be a supplementary dressing station for him or where he plans his “go bag” for last-minute trips to the cottage.
Add a safe to a custom cabinet either behind the doors or within a drawer to protect valuables, papers, travel documents, and more. He doesn’t have to be a secret agent to appreciate hidden storage and added security, but you can make him feel like one!
Upgrade your men’s closet space
Our designers can work wonders with your men’s closet space or configure a shared closet space so you and your significant other can manage your wardrobes more efficiently.
Once your Organized Interiors design consultant has prepared your design layout, we can produce and install his ultimate closet in as little as a few weeks. Give the man in your life the space and the storage he deserves in his closet.
As the weather warms up, more of us will be switching out our winter clothes for our lighter spring and summer wardrobes.
If you lack a winter clothes storage plan or a plan for storing your warm weather apparel when the fall arrives, it can lead to messy closets and drawers, misplaced items, and damaged clothing.
Taking the time now to store your winter clothes properly will result in a more seamless, straightforward transition when your summer clothes are swapped out in the fall. You’ll also be extending the lifespan of your cold weather clothing.
Here are nine winter clothes storage tips that can also be applied to the storage of warm weather clothing.
1. Decide what deserves winter clothes storage space
A National Association of Professional Organizers study found that 80% of your clothes are only worn 20% of the time.
How much of your winter clothing just isn’t getting worn, for whatever reason? It doesn’t make much sense to take up any of your winter clothes storage space (which may be at a premium in your home) with things that won’t get worn when the cold weather returns.
Being proactive and curating your winter wardrobe now will mean you know that everything you have stored is good to go in the fall and winter.
Start sorting through your wardrobe and separating items that are worn out, damaged and beyond repair, and things that have been outgrown or no longer fit.
Get rid of items that were bought on sale years ago and never worn. Any wardrobe pieces that simply don’t speak to your style any more can be added to your “donate” pile, too. Try to adhere to the “one year rule” when purging a closet, meaning that you should remove any items that haven’t been worn in the past year.
While paring down your winter wardrobe before storing things away, try to find time to do the same with all of your home closets’ contents. Closet decluttering should be done once or twice a year to help your closets function more efficiently.
2. Pick the right winter clothes storage spots
Clothing can’t just be stored anywhere in your home. Ideally, clothing that is being stored away for months should be kept in a dry, climate-controlled environment that has good ventilation. Stored clothing should also be kept away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
The attic and garage aren’t recommended for winter clothes storage for a few reasons:
these rooms are prone to excess humidity, condensation, and other moisture issues (which can cause mould and mildew problems)
they typically don’t maintain stable temperatures, especially the garage (very high temperatures can cause stored clothing to become more brittle)
pests favour these areas of the home
The basement is a good winter clothes storage space if there are no pest or moisture issues. For extra peace of mind, you could run a dehumidifier in the basement in whichever room your seasonal clothes are stored in. Aim for maintaining a humidity level between 30-50%.
In a perfect world, you’ll have enough space in your closets to handle storing both your everyday clothes and your seasonal wardrobe. A professionally designed closet organizer system can help to maximize your wardrobe storage space. A wardrobe/armoire and built-in bedroom cabinetry with underbed storage drawers are additional winter clothes storage solutions worth considering.
If you’re really strapped for winter clothes storage space and you’re not going on a vacation anytime soon, even your luggage could be used for extra winter clothes storage. Make sure to label the suitcases with their contents to make finding things easier.
Built-in bedroom cabinetry with drawers and cabinets under and around the bed can be used for storing your winter clothes.
3. Wash or dry clean your winter apparel
A big part of a proactive winter clothes storage plan is to wash or dry clean things before storing them, particularly if they were worn regularly during the winter.
Even if a piece of winter clothing seems clean, it’s a good idea to wash it before storing it away for a few months. Stains from perspiration can be hard to see initially and become more visible over time. The longer they remain untreated and set in, the harder they are to remove.
Odours from our bodies and perfumes or colognes that remain on clothing also become more difficult to get rid of the longer they remain on the clothing.
Taking care of any stains and odours on your winter clothing before packing them away minimizes the likelihood of encountering any pest issues as well. Insects such as closet moths and silverfish are attracted to body oils, microscopic dead skin cells, and residue from food that is left on your clothing.
Once again, a time investment now to wash or dry clean your winter clothes will mean less time sorting through things later in the year.
4. Repair and mend damaged clothing
As part of your effort to store your winter clothes in as good a condition as possible, spend some time repairing and mending the items that need it.
You may find that some pieces of winter clothing are beyond repairing and not worth the storage space. It’s better to make that determination now instead of the fall.
If you have decent sewing skills, repairing small holes, sweater pulls, and broken zippers should be manageable. If not, seek out the services of a seamstress or tailor.
To get rid of pilling on your favourite fleece pullover or sweater and other fabrics, there is no shortage of solutions available. Some household items like a sandpaper sponge, shaving razor, or a strip of Velcro can remove those annoying fuzzballs. You’re better off using a more dedicated tool like a lint remover, sweater comb, sweater stone, or a fabric shaver.
You’ll want to store clothing that won’t be worn for awhile in clean plastic storage containers instead of cardboard boxes because:
cardboard is more susceptible to infiltration from pests
storage bins provide an airtight seal that keeps out dust and moisture
white or yellow stains can develop on clothing that is stored in cardboard boxes for long periods
plastic storage bins are sturdier and can be stacked more safely than cardboard boxes
It’s imperative that any winter clothes that are being kept in storage containers be completely dry. As much as plastic storage bins keep outside moisture from coming in, they also keep any existing moisture in a container trapped. That can lead to nasty mould and mildew issues that may ruin some of your clothes.
Don’t fill up your storage containers to the point where they are overflowing, particularly if they are storing a number of clothing items made from natural fibres. Some air circulation will help the fabrics breathe a bit. Clothing that isn’t crammed into a tight storage space will result in less creases and wrinkling to deal with later as well.
Here are a few more winter clothes storage tips if you’re using plastic storage bins:
label the containers to make finding things easier
pack bulkier winter clothing on the bottom of the bin and lighter items on top of those
if moisture issues are a concern where your clothes are being stored, add silica gel packets to the containers to absorb excess moisture
6. Use garment bags, not dry cleaner bags
For any items that have been dry cleaned, ensure that they get removed from the plastic bags that your dry cleaner has covered them in.
The dry cleaning process actually involves the use of liquid chemicals. If your garments haven’t properly dried and remain wrapped in plastic that traps any moisture, the fabrics can yellow and – even worse – mould and mildew can form.
Buy some good garment bags for long-term storage of your winter coats, suits, and other clothing that doesn’t get worn very often.
A breathable garment bag will ensure these items stay fresh, wrinkle-free, and protected from moths and dust.
7. Keep the pests away
We’ve already covered some ways to keep your stored clothing safe from pests, but there are additional protective measures you can take.
One thing you can do is to vacuum regularly in your closets or wherever your winter clothes are stored.
Closets often get overlooked when it comes to doing home cleaning and rarely get a good deep cleaning. Doing so regularly will keep your storage areas less prone to accumulating food particles and other things that attract insects. Frequent cleanings can also help you spot early warning signs of a pest problem, such as flying insects, holes in clothing, and bug droppings.
Mothballs are effective at repelling pests, but they have two big downsides: their scent is not for everybody and they’re a pesticide. Chemical-free mothballs are available, but what are your other options to keep the pests away? Here are some alternatives to using mothballs:
cedar-lined storage chests
cedar blocks, balls, and chips
cedar rings that attach to your clothes hangers
cloth satchels filled with aromatic dried herbs like lavender, rosemary, cloves, or thyme
Keep in mind that mothballs, cedar products, or herbs will become less effective for controlling pests over time as they lose their smell and potency.
8. Think twice before vacuum sealing your winter clothes
Vacuum sealing seasonal clothing with a hand pump device or an attachment on your vacuum will save you storage space. It might seem even more practical for your winter clothes storage needs, considering your winter apparel is bulkier and takes up more storage space.
Vacuum sealing isn’t always clothing-friendly, however. Leather products, down jackets, and clothing items made from natural fibres like wool and cashmere should not be vacuum sealed.
Doing so doesn’t allow the fabrics to breathe and can cause the natural fibres to become overly compressed. This makes the clothing (plus other “puffy” products made with fabrics like pillows, sleeping bags, and comforters) lose their natural form. After being removed from the vacuum seal, these items usually return to their original form slowly, but sometimes they won’t.
9. Fold instead of using hangers where necessary
Another storage mistake that can lead to clothing getting damaged is hanging up things that should really be folded.
Thick winter knits like sweaters will maintain their shape better if they are stored in a drawer, wardrobe closet, or storage container.
There is a proper way to hang a sweater on a hanger, but if a sweater is hung on a hanger the traditional way (and especially on a cheap wire hanger), it’s sure to get stretched out and maybe even ruined.
This walk-in closet provides a wealth of hanging storage space. Plenty of drawer and open shelving space is available for items that are more suited to folding storage, such as sweaters.
Stay organized with our winter clothes storage solutions
We know how challenging it can be to organize a closet space and keep it tidy, especially when you’re trying to find extra room for storing your winter and seasonal clothes.
When asked what their home’s most cluttered space was, 67% of the respondents in a survey by MakeSpace said it was their bedroom closet.
Allow us to help you make more space in your closets and other areas of your home to satisfy your storage needs. Just request a complimentary design consultation with us to begin addressing your family’s organizational challenges.
If you’re anything like me, you have a family or you work from home and are no stranger to multi-tasking throughout most of your day.
I was initially doing my work on a tiny desk in the kitchen. Then the dining room table eventually became my “home office space”. My work area became very cluttered, which took away from my concentration.
Each time a task was completed or a family dinner took place, I had to pack up all my paperwork, laptop, and work supplies.
Notes and documents would go missing and my productivity suffered. It was difficult and challenging working this way on a regular basis and my frustration only grew with each passing day.
My need for a home office space became obvious
All of this improvising and the lack of stability when working made me long for my own proper home office space where all of my things could have their own place.
I was tired of “just getting by” having a working environment that wasn’t ideal and experiencing what happens when such a setup is used – too much lost time and a level of work efficiency that could be much better.
Things needed to be more organized and functional. Ideally, I’d have enough space for a printer, shelves for books, and a comfortable amount of desktop space for papers, supplies, and my computer. I love to have pictures, mementoes, and knickknacks close by as well.
I knew that I finally had to seriously address my need for a home office space that made more sense for my work routine.
How a proper home office made a huge difference for me
Working with a professional company like Organized Interiors to design a home office space has made all the difference in the world to me. They were able to accommodate all my needs and offered a great selection of styles and colours for the room.
Using a spare room, we added a desk with a computer station and an ample work surface. Drawers keep supplies hidden, within close reach, and off the desktop. Additional built-in custom cabinetry creates storage room for files and additional supplies.
Deep shelving provides valuable storage space for my books and magazines, which are convenient to have at my finger tips. There’s also room for my personal effects and a printer. All of the wiring for the work setup is neatly tucked out of sight.
It’s wonderful upgrading to a room dedicated to getting the most out my work. Having a clutter-free space has cleared my mind and given me back the time I would waste looking for misplaced items.
I now know where everything is and my desk area makes it easy to write in the evening with a built-in light valance. Creating my personalized home office space has been well worth the time and expense.
Boost your productivity with a proper home work space
11% of Canadians work exclusively from home and 47% of Canadians work remotely in some capacity. Having a dedicated home work space will make a noticeable difference to your day and how productive you can be.
Routine is important so one can focus on the task at hand. If your work day has no structure and is dictated by too many other factors (like “is the dining room table available for me to try and get some work done?”), it’s difficult settling into a workflow that ends up being productive enough.
Whether you’re working remotely or desire a proper home work space for doing your taxes, managing your finances, or giving your kids a private study area, here are some tips for setting up the perfect home office space, just like I did.
Use a spare room for a bespoke home office
The most ideal situation is to use a spare room to create a home office. A spare room is wasted real estate that typically becomes a dumping ground for a home’s clutter.
Giving it a higher purpose as a private work space gives a home office design professional ample freedom to shape the room into the dream home office you have always wanted.
While you won’t have much say in where your spare room is located, keep in mind that the location of a home office is important.
The more privacy, the better. Having a home office located right beside a noisy laundry room or home entertainment room, for example, would not be ideal.
Your family responsibilities will also have to be taken into consideration. Although having as much privacy as possible is desired, you may have to balance parental supervision duties with your work duties. In this case, having an office space that is too separated from the rest of your home likely won’t work for your needs.
Create a multi-purpose room
What if you don’t have a spare room available? In this case, consider doubling up on a room’s duties and creating a multi-purpose room that includes a home office space.
The home office/guest room is one smart way to get more out of your living space. Having a dedicated guest room may not be practical if you don’t have the luxury of a lot of square footage or only have overnight guests a few times a year.
Have a room redesigned to incorporate a comfortable work space you can use year-round that can easily be called upon to house overnight guests when needed.
A Murphy wall bed is the “MVP” of this type of room setup. The bed stays hidden and folds up into the wall until guests need it, which means your room provides plenty of open space during the majority of time when you’ll use it for working.
The wall bed can be designed with built-in storage that beautifully complements the custom cabinetry designed for the home office area of the room, creating a seamless, stylish aesthetic.
Here are five other room uses that can be paired with a home work space:
A Murphy wall bed with built-in surrounding storage provides an always-ready comfortable sleeping surface for overnight guests.
With the wall bed folded up, there’s plenty of room to work comfortably at a highly functional work station that is surrounded by stylish décor.
No spare room? Create a smaller work space.
If your house or condo doesn’t have a spare room available, a useful home office space (or a study space for the kids) can still be customized to fit a smaller area of your living space.
Even a nook-sized office set up in the corner of a room, in an underutilized large closet, at the end of a hallway, or in one of those other awkward “dead space” parts of your home (like underneath the stairs) can work.
Add a built-in small desk with a computer station, a pullout keyboard drawer to save space on your work surface, a couple of desk drawers, and some small shelves for books, knickknacks, supplies, or a printer.
Once again, be mindful of choosing a location that provides some degree of privacy so you won’t encounter too many interruptions while working. Admittedly, this can be especially challenging when creating a work space in a more open area of your home.
Cleaning up that junk drawer in an entryway, home office, or kitchen is one of those unpleasant home organization tasks we usually put off for as long as possible.
Year after year of tossing all sorts of odds and ends into that drawer will eventually result in an overstuffed storage space that will need a good cleaning out.
As easy as it is to procrastinate on tidying up a cluttered drawer, the prospect of decluttering a larger space like a closet or a whole room can feel even more daunting.
A junk closet organization project isn’t nearly as formidable a cleanup task as you might think, however.
Use these tips to turn that messy closet into a tidy storage space that serves your home’s storage needs more effectively.
5 reasons to start that junk closet organization project
As with most decluttering projects, one of the hardest parts of the job is simply getting it started.
Don’t focus on how tedious the job might be or how you’d rather be doing something else that is…well, a lot less “decluttery”.
Instead, visualize the positive outcomes that lay ahead once this junk closet organization project is completed:
You’ll save time by having an organized closet. Think of how much time you’ve wasted looking for a specific item in that junk closet over the years. In some cases you might find it, but there have surely been many times where that needed item is nowhere to be found. An organized closet where everything has a home and is visible eliminates this problem.
Any space that is cluttered causes stress. Merely opening the door to a junk closet and laying eyes on the calamity inside is enough to cause you some degree of stress. Who wants to keep experiencing that? An organized closet is a stress-free zone in your home.
A catch-all closet wastes space in your home by lacking functionality. Although we’re calling it a junk closet, there are undoubtedly plenty of useful things hiding in there that could be useful to you. But if they’re too hard to find or access, they won’t get used and that closet’s lack of functionality isn’t serving your needs.
You won’t waste money on duplicate purchases. Whether it’s clothing, tools, or anything else that’s easy to misplace, an untidy storage area inevitably leads to a few unnecessary purchases of items you already own. We’ve all experienced that deflating moment when you eventually find an item that “fell through the cracks” ages ago that you bought again.
You can stop being embarrassed by your “shame closet”. A closet’s messy contents may have a door that can keep everything hidden, but you’re probably not proud that such a messy space exists in your home. Tidying it up can liberate you from the feelings of embarrassment you might feel if a visitor happened to peek inside the space, too.
Tips for clearing out a junk closet
Depending on the size of the closet and how full it is, a junk closet organization task shouldn’t take more than a few hours to sort out.
You could spend an hour or two on a few days throughout the week to work on the task or get it over with quickly by devoting a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday to overhaul the closet space.
We would recommend the latter approach, as it would allow you to completely empty the closet all at once. This ensures nothing gets missed in the decluttering process.
It also means you can give the closet something most closets rarely get – a good cleaning. Get the vacuum in there to clean up that dusty floor and give every surface (including the ceiling, walls, hanging rod, and any closet organization systems) a good wipe down with a damp cloth.
Another good reason for emptying out the closet is you don’t want to just move around all of that stuff inside the area and reorganize it. To get the best results, some heavy-duty editing of the closet’s contents are in order.
When it comes to deciding what stays and what goes, a number of items will be no-brainers. That big box filled with old cables, wires, ancient computer peripherals, and chargers for devices you replaced years ago is a good example. Non-essential papers and documents can be recycled. Get rid of any boxes or bags with damaged things you meant to fix, but never did. And donate any clothes that no longer fit.
The number one enemy of decluttering is sentimentality. Check your sentimental feelings at the (closet) door and be practical about what you keep.
6 ideas for a decluttered closet space
Once you’ve gotten rid of enough of the clutter that clogged the closet, how do you envision using that storage space?
Here are six ideas for how to use a rehabilitated junk closet:
Linen closet: a dedicated storage space for all of your home’s many types of linens is a great way to use a spare closet. Storing all of your bath towels, face cloths, bedding essentials, and other linens in one area makes them easy to find and keep organized. You’ll also free up space in dressers, bedroom closets, or wherever else your linens were being stored.
A mini mudroom: if that closet is in a hallway near an entrance, convert it into a mini mudroom. Remove the doors, add a bench with hidden storage, and incorporate some dividers on the upper shelf to keep things organized. Add decorative hooks for coats, hats, purses, and backpacks.
Utility/cleaning closet: like your linens, cleaning supplies and tools tend to get scattered around the home. Store them all in one closet that’s outfitted with enough hooks for all of your brooms, dust pans, mops, and dusters. Add a few extra shelves to the lone top shelf in the closet for your cleaning product containers, cleaning cloths and rags, scrubbing brushes, and spray bottles. If space allows, stash your vacuum in there.
A storage space for guest linens and seasonal clothing: your guest linens and off-season clothing might not fill a whole closet space on their own. You could use a repurposed closet to store both things.
Reach-in wine closet: just about any spare closet (even a very small one) can be used for wine storage. The only factor that would make a closet a bad choice as a wine storage area would be if the space was too warm, as the idea temperature range for storing wine is 10-18°C (50-65°F).
A home office or reading nook: like the wine closet, another unconventional way to use a closet is as a home office. Considering its tiny size, calling it a “home workspace” might be a little more accurate, but plenty of homes have made this idea work. A closet could even be converted into a cozy reading nook.
Important design considerations for your new closet
However you plan to use your closet, there are a few important considerations to make involving its layout and design.
Think about repainting the closet with a lighter shade and adding overhead lighting to brighten up the space. Incorporating lighting in storage areas that get the most use will also help you get more enjoyment out of the closet.
To maximize the closet’s vertical storage space, add an extra shelf above the standard single shelf in the closet. Extra hanging rods, hooks, hangers, pullout racks, and baskets or bins to store small items can be used as well.
Organized Interiors can design a shelf tower with drawers that fits perfectly within your closet and matches the surrounding décor. A custom storage solution like this will look much nicer than using cheap plastic storage containers with drawers or build-it-yourself cube storage units.
Although you want to optimize your closet’s available storage space, don’t overload it with storage systems that make your closet feel overstuffed again.
This linen closet keeps all of a home’s linens in one centralized area, which makes them easy to find and keep organized.
How to avoid future junk closet organization projects
The goal is to create a tidy, manageable storage space so you won’t need to undertake future junk closet organization projects.
To ensure success for that goal, a big key is to make sure everything in the closet is given a proper home. That way you’ll always know where to find things and where they should be returned to.
Make your closet as easy to use as possible. Group like items together and prioritize how your things are stored. That means keeping the most frequently used items in the closet easily accessible and stored from waist level to eye level. Items that are infrequently used should be stored up high or on the floor.
Conquer the “I might need it someday” mindset to keep your closet stocked only with things that serve a purpose to you right now. They don’t necessarily have to “spark joy” for you (can a broom really do that?), but they should be useful to you in some way if they’re staying in the closet.
Finally, make an effort to keep as much of your closet’s contents as visible as you can. Even items stored in drawers should be easy to locate when the drawer is opened. It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s true: if you can see something, you’re far more likely to actually use it.
Replace that junk closet with a more useful closet space
If you have a junk closet organization project in the works, give it an upgrade before restocking it.
Organized Interiors can help you create a closet space with a modern look and a high level of functionality that is easier to keep meticulously organized.