Is your closet a wasteland of clothes you haven't worn in years? Do you wade through piles of shoes, handbags, scarves and more every time you need an outfit? To make it easier to find your favorite jeans or the perfect shoes to match that new jacket, it might be time for a closet upgrade.
Even if your closet is relatively neat and clean, overstuffing it or storing things willy nilly can mean an upgrade is in order to optimize your organization. You should love your closet, not curse it for wasting your time. These easy style and organization upgrades will help you create a space you can't wait to get into every day.
Not everyone has a closet in their home, so first, say a quick thanks that you do. Now, take a closer look at the clutter that has potentially built up. There's definitely stuff in there you never wear, so stop hoarding and start decluttering. It will surprise you how much extra space you can create by simply getting rid of some of those clothes you never wear.
Since it's estimated that we only use about 20 percent of the things we own, you can spare at least a few things from your closet to donate or toss. Anything you haven't worn in the last year, or that doesn't "spark joy" you can triage out. If anything doesn't fit, get rid of it. Make two piles. Toss out anything with stains, tears or other damage. Donate the rest.
If your closet door is more of a problem than what's inside, focus your upgrade there. If it's always slipping off the track or won't open properly, talk to your property manager about a replacement. A door that works right, and looks good, can make a huge difference.
If the door works fine but is an eyesore, check with your property manager about some DIY upgrading. See if you can paint the door to give it a fresh look. If that's not allowed, consider hanging some curtains to frame the door for a classy upgrade.
If your closet is a hodgepodge of clothes, shoes and accessories, getting organized can go a long way to upgrading your closet's look. Some tactics to try:
A few additional organizational pieces like plastic containers, wire shelves or hooks can help you arrange your closet and makes for an orderly closet upgrade.
“Color coding your wardrobe in your closet makes it simple to find the clothes you're looking for, coordinate your outfits and creates an order to your hanging and folded clothing that is deeply pleasing to the eye," says Closet Factory. A quick closet upgrade that doesn't involve a lot of effort but makes the space feel much more luxurious is to color code the clothes inside of it.
You can also arrange everything by type of garment (long-sleeved shirts, short-sleeved shirts, tank tops, skirts, etc.) or by occasion (work clothes, weekend clothes, evening clothes). This lets you take your closet organization one step further and create something soothing to the eye.
If you have a walk-in closet or any extra closet wall space that's going unused, take full advantage of it. Hang hooks or baskets to organize your jewelry, accessories or those items you are always looking for but can never find. A favorite purse or jacket, hung alongside the rest of your closet items, makes it easy to grab whenever you need it.
The space can also double as an area for an artistic accessory display. Set up a bulletin board and hang your necklaces in a fun pattern using decorative tacks. Display your rather large sunglasses collection on some floating shelves. This empty closet space is waiting for you to give it a little personality, so don't hesitate.
Adding another rod to your closet gives you a closet upgrade for a few reasons. You not only get extra storage space but can spread out your clothes so it's easier to see what you've got and vice versa. Being able to look at all your clothes at once means finding where the holes are in your wardrobe. You can easily see you're missing a black pencil skirt, so you can then go out, buy it and have a place to hang it.
Closet rods don't have to extend across the entire closet. You may only want a partial rod, so you can still hang long dresses. You have a couple of options. If you have a sturdy wooden shelf or dresser in your closet, you can install a smaller rod between one side of the shelf and the wall. There are also floating wire shelves that have curtain rods attached to them, which you can buy if you'd prefer. You can also hang a shorter, secondary rod from your permanent rod.
It's never pleasant to go into your closet and catch whiffs of bad odors from old shoes or your dirty clothes hamper. Upgrade your closet by giving it a clean, fresh smell. Tuck small satchels of potpourri or other scented herbs like lavender into your drawers and shelves. You can even DIY your own deodorizer to either spray inside your closet once a day or leave in it as a diffuser.
If the smell is coming from your clothes hamper, you may want to upgrade that, as well. Swap out a basic laundry basket or open hamper for a nicer lidded version. It will add style and keep that dirty clothes smell contained.
Once your closet feels organized, consider making an upgrade that's just for style. There are some smaller closet upgrades that can add an amazing sense of luxury and style without taking much time.
You can replace your wire and plastic hangers with padded cloth, velvet or wooden versions. If you have drawers, line them with velvet inserts or pretty shelf paper. If you have a closet with overhead lighting, see if you can upgrade the fixture to something a little more elegant.
The real secret to upgrading your closet isn't to just do one of these things, but as many as you can. If your closet is in real need of help, combine decluttering with improved organization and some stylish finishing touches.
Take on your closet as a weekend project and really make it functional. Stop running late because you can't find your pants. Give yourself the closet upgrade you deserve.