Closet Organization 101

What? You don't have a wing of your house dedicated to storing your clothes?
I admit, I have been begging my husband for the chance to turn a room in our house into a giant walk in closet. Lately having a dream walk in closet has become every girls #1 goal. Pinterest and Instagram are flooded with images like the above closet. Wall to wall shoes, sleek white shelving, accessories out on display. Who wouldn't want a room in their house just like this? 

Well, my husband for one. It seems not everyone is on board with this trend. As a result I have had to improvise, with a very, very small space. My closet is actually a former broom closet in our upstairs hallway. Its hardly "walk in" , its more like step in, but I had to make it work to store all my clothes, accessories, shoes and bags. 

My intent when getting all of the above into such a small space was to become more organized, be able to get dressed quicker, and facilitate better outfits by keeping items I don't usually think of within reach. I really wanted to be able to see everything so that I don't fall into an " I have nothing to wear" funk every single day.

To accomplish all of that in a teeny, tiny, small space I set some rules, which I am sharing today.

1. Protect the good stuff: I know its cute and "cool" to have your shoes on display in cubicles or book shelf type displays, but that idea actually makes me cringe. My shoes are my babies and are too precious to allow them get dusty on shelves. I keep them in their original boxes at all times. Its a closet, not a museum, I know whats in those boxes. 

2. Put away the stuff you don't use frequently: I had to store my dresses, winter boots, and all my coats and jackets and scarves in a different room because the space here was so limited. I hardly go into the closet to grab these items so it was a no brainer. There are three seasons out of the year where you don't even want to look or THINK of winter boots so why let them take up space in your main closet?

3. Don't be afraid to get rid of items you have not worn in three seasons: This one is so important! I used to be afraid to get rid of clothing because buyers remorse kicked in right as I was shoving the item into a trash can, but of course always donate don't toss in the trash and you have a much less guilty conscious after a large closet purge. THREE SEASONS is key if you haven't worn it by now you WONT wear it. I promise.

4. Fold some stuff: Sweaters, jeans and tshirts should all be folded in order to save space for the items that wrinkle easily. 

5. Display items that are inspirational for outfit building: These are my favorite handbags, the colorful and more interesting ones that I don't use on the daily but provide mega inspiration whenever I need an outfit for a night out, or Fashion Week for example. 

6. Use your walls: I literally hammered a few nails into the wall (got in trouble with the husband) in order to hang my hats because I didn't want them to be squished or accidentally stepped on. My wall space became very valuable since I have hardly any floor space, every little bit of wall counts. You can hang hooks and small coat racks on the inside walls of your closet for belts, scarves, hats or bags. 

7. Keep things fresh: especially in a small space, I like to keep a few satchels of lavender in my closet to add a bit of a fragrance. I also have cedar planks hanging with my knits and with my folded sweater to protect them. 

Do you have your own tips for keeping your closet organized and your clothes accessible? Have you tackled a small closet space as well? If so share your tips in the comment below.