"Your home is a reflection of you." This is a saying that I have heard numerous times. For the most part, I have embraced the saying because the majority of my house was well kept and tastefully decorated. The problem was that I wasn't looking at the whole picture. The truth was that while my living spaces were immaculately kept, my clothing drawers and closet were disaster zones. Drawers couldn't shut because I had packed them full of way too many clothes and my closet was a space that I would avoid letting anyone see because it was filled with chaotic clutter. Last weekend, I finally became fed up with the disaster that was my closet and decided to do something about it. So where did I turn for closet organization ideas and inspiration? Pinterest of course! I had a great deal of success mining ideas for how to tackle my closet and have compiled a list of my top favorite tips and ideas for organizing your clothing storage.

Shoes: Heel to Toe

This was a concept that I had always seen in really fancy closets filled with very high end designer shoes. I had just assumed that it was a way to artfully display gorgeous shoes in custom closets, so I never really paid much attention to it. Only recently did I realize that the reason for displaying shoes heel to toe was actually to increase storage space! By organizing your shoes in a "yin-yang" fashion, you are maximizing the storage space allotted to your shoes and thus able to fit a larger number of shoes into a smaller space without the crushing (and potentially damaging) effects of stacking shoes! Genius!

Creating Visibility in Drawers

These folding techniques that I discovered thanks to Pinterest are absolutely life changing! Not only have the techniques provided me with visibility of everything in my drawers, but it has also freed up quite a bit of space in drawers that I used to have a hard time closing (see pictures above)! There are three folding techniques that I use for my drawers to achieve this aesthetic/spatial maximization. Super easy to do and the difference in my drawer space has been remarkable.

Folding Shirts to See Everything- Tri-Fold and Store front to back not bottom to top
Socks- Cross Fold and Tuck
Pants, Shorts and Pajamas - Fold them in half and roll them!

Huggable Hangers

A product that has been on the market for a long time and yet I only took notice of them recently. Desperate for additional hanging space in my closet, I decided to put them to the test. You can find these velvet (anti-slip) skinny hangers at a variety of stores like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, Home Goods, The Container Store, but the best deal on these hangers was without a doubt from Costco (35 hangers for $9.99!). After swapping out my old hangers for the new huggable hangers, I can honestly say that I noticed a difference in the amount of breathing room I gained in my closet just from changing out the hangers!

Extra Shelves and Accessory Organizers

I know I mentioned my love of stackable shelves in this recent home improvement post, but there is a need to re-emphasize their fabulousness. Had I not used these shelves, there is no way that I would have orderly sweaters and enough room for my shoes. These shelves are inexpensive and come in a variety of sizes and colors. A closet organizing must for me and any one lacking ample shelf space in their closet.

In addition to the shelves, I have recently discovered the power of the handbag organizer. The handbag organizer is essentially an oversized magazine holder, but what makes it so great is that you can flip the box onto different sides in order to fit the width of your shelves while upholding its primary purpose, to organize handbags! This organizer is also great for storing winter accessories, belts, hats, etc. My linen handbag organizer (pictured above) is currently on sale at The Container Store for $14.99. In my opinion, worth every penny!

Hooks

Whether your preference is an over the door hook or the type of hook you drill into the wall, hooks are a great way to organize and store belts, bathrobes, handbags, etc. I have used over the door hooks on my closet to hang my bathrobe and organize my belts. Have hooks on the interior of my closet doors is a great place to store items I use frequently. Hooks are inexpensive and have been critical in helping me to maximize closet storage space and improve functionality.

Additional Tips

Get rid of clothes that don't make you look your best- I have fallen victim to this time and again. Feeling obligated to hold on to a garment because it either cost a lot when you initially bought it or has sentimental value. If the article of clothing doesn't make you look your best then it shouldn't be taking up space in your wardrobe. Either take it to Goodwill, sell it at a Second Hand Shop or put it in the trash. The bottom line is that items you shouldn't be wearing in the first place, definitely shouldn't be consuming precious real estate in your closet.
Assess your space before going out to buy organization products- more often than not I have heard stories (and been guilty of this myself) of people going to the store, buying a bunch of organization products and then going home to find out that nothing really works with their space. Take time to review your space, measure shelves and see where additional storage is needed before heading to the store. This will help to create efficiencies in your organization and save on expenses .
Clothing Care Box- I have a small box in my closet that holds a Lint Roller, Downy Wrinkle Releaser, Deodorant Stain Remover Pads, a Tide To-Go Pen and a Fabric Shaver/De-piller. Essential clothing care items that are helpful to have on hand when getting ready.
Monotony creates an organized aesthetic- using like hangers, organizing your closet by garment type and/or color and similar color/style storage bins, will all help to create an organized aesthetic.

After going through this much needed exercise with my closet and drawers, as well as my husband's closet and drawers, we both have concluded that we now need to buy more clothes with all of our newly found storage space (kidding!). In all honesty it was eye-opening to see how what we had perceived to be not enough storage space, was actually more than enough when utilized optimally. I am so happy I finally addressed the skeleton (aka Clutter) in my closet, and hope that this has inspired you to possibly take a look at your own space and see if there is an opportunity to improve on your own storage situation. This overhaul did take some time to complete, but in the end it was certainly time well spent! *For those of you who are curious, below is a picture of my closet before and after.