Creating your dream closet

I am definitely a person who prizes organization over many things. I like to keep lists close at hand, and I hate having a mess in my room. When my shoes are not beautifully lined up on my shoe rack, it drives me a little crazy.

That being said, a closet is a place where a lot of messy things can happen, if you let them. You know how it happens. You wake up late one morning and have absolutely no idea what the weather is like, what kind of shoe it requires and if you need to wear pants, or if a simple dress will do. All of a sudden, you're pulling clothes off of the hangers and leaving them intertwined within your neatly hanging clothing, and shoes are flying left and right... It happens to the best of us.

I know that it happens to me, at the very least, so I like to make sure that I keep an organized closet. If I know where everything is, I can make my hectic mornings a whole lot easier.

Here are my tips and tricks for keeping a neat (and pretty) closet!

1. Color code.

Most people separate their closets by item, at the least. Shirts to the left, then pants, dresses all the way to the right. But I have found that keeping the colors in order within these sections helps a lot. It may sound extremely Type-A (and it is), but think about how easy it will be to find the shirt you want if you can simply look by color!

2. Use storage wisely.

Keeping wool sweaters in my closet past April is a big no-no to me. If I have too many extras hiding in my closet, it only makes it harder for me to find the blouses and tees hiding behind the chunky pieces. And let's not forget, by looking through your closet every season and putting the opposite season's clothing into some stoarge totes for later use, you can have more space for the new purchases for the season.

3. Hooks are your friend.

I don't know when it became apparent to me, but 3M hooks are the best. You can use them for everything and anything, as they come in all shapes and sizes. I suggest the small ones for hanging jewelry or belts, and the larger ones for a place to hang your scarves or a robe!

4. Open storage is great, too.

Baskets are nice for many things. I like having one for sandals in the summer, as I tend to rack up quite a few. You could also use them for storing rain boots, folded up T-shirts, or just about anything else you can think of. I always get mine at Target or Michael's, as they have great prices for cute baskets! (I especially love this one!)

5. Everything should have its place.

I find that this is where I tend to fail. I run out of hangers, so a skirt lays across the back of a chair for a week. I forget to put a shirt back that I tried on, so it ends up in the laundry hamper and I do twice the work! Make sure that you have a place for everything to go, and put them there. (This is pretty much the key secret to organization... Go wild with it!)

               

xo

Amanda