5 Tips for Organizing a Small Closet

Whenever you go through a move, it really gets you thinking about all the things you've accumulated over the years.  It also gets you thinking about reconfiguring what you have to fit your new space.  Sometimes that space can be larger (in our case, we upsized our living space) or sometimes it can be smaller (we downsized our closet space).  It forced me to figure out how to start organizing a small closet space.   Have you come face to face with that dilemma?  If so, here are some helpful tips for organizing a small closet that I've put to good use over the last two weeks.

Moving can be overwhelming, yes, but it's great for re-evaluating every single thing that you have in your home.  (Side note: If you're ever in need of a huge purge, by all means, go through a big move!)  While we don't all need to take such drastic measures, the point is that moving has a way of making you really really look at what's necessary for your home & closet.  In this instance, let's chat about your/my closet space during the move we made from Toronto back to San Diego this past month.

We were lucky enough to have movers pack up all of our things but when they arrived in their boxes in San Diego and I unpacked and opened up every. single. one of those boxes, I started taking stock at all of those pieces and thinking about how I was going to fit it all in my new closet space.  My closet space simmered down a bit, I'll say, from the spacious closet(s) I had back in Toronto.  I now have one 9" x 3" closet that I have to figure out how to fit everything in.  I wish I had some magical, Carrie Bradshaw style walk-in closet, but alas such is not the reality.  For most of us it isn't, am I right?

So for all of us out there who aren't as fortunate as Carrie, here are a few tips for making the most of your closet space.  Cause that's what's on my mind right now, as I'm going through this 'purging and reorganizing' portion of my life.

tips for organizing a small closet space

1 || Buy a double hanging closet rod || And try on all your pants, consign ones that don't work for your lifestyle any longer.

These are life savers and I swear by them.  Rather than try to cram everything in on one top closet rod, for organizing a small closet, I buy one or two double hanging closet rods and use them to create a second "shelf" to hang all my pants and skirts.  It maximizes the use of a small closet space so you can easily see & organize your tops and pants in one space.  They're genius! 

2 || Use two-shelf shoe racks ||  And while you're at it, reorganize/discard/donate your shoes

Please, oh please, do not hang your shoes on the back of your bedroom door....Use these inside your closet instead.  Two shelf shoe racks take up less space and rather than piling all of your shoes on top of one another, you can stack the shoe racks on top of each other to create a shelving system for your shoes.  When you are organizing a small closet into sections, these are so, so helpful.  It also helps you put the shoes you wear most often, front and center.  (Next tip is for shoes you don't wear as much...)

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image via: Urban Outfitters

3 || Buy stackable clear storage || Organize & label your things by 'seasons'

One of the best things you can do to streamline and organize a small closet is to pack things away that are not seasonally appropriate.  I am currently in the midst of trying to find space to put all of my winter clothes and I found that storing them in airtight containers (with cedar balls to keep away the moths) is the best way to make the most of the minimal space I have in my small closet.  I store them above on the highest shelf, pushed either to the back or stacked on top of one another to one side.  Then I store my bags and purses on the other side.

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4 ||  Clothing hooks are your best friend ||

Clothing hooks are the answer to helping with organizing my small closet because I use them to hang all of my purses and hats on the sides (or on the insides of the closet doors).

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image via my scandinavian home

5 || Bring in a clothing rack || You can DIY it!

This is something I take great advantage of with a small closet.  I can use a clothing rack for anything from hanging my next day's outfit to pulling and hanging all of my seasonal clothes I want to start using/put away in bins.  Ikea has a clothing stand for $45 dollars or so and it's perfect if you want to juuuuze it up with some copper colored spray paint or wrap it up with some yarn.

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Hope you find those 5 tips for organizing your small closet super helpful!  I've put them to use and so far, I haven't lost my mind in closet disorganization, so I'd say it's been a success.  Have any helpful tips?  Or even closet questions? Leave me a comment and let me know!

xx,

Conni

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