Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Design A Walkin Closet For Organization

Whether you are building your home or just remodeling your closet, smart closet design can make a big difference in keeping your home and closet tidy and organized. A walk-in closet can be fairly small or the size of a room, but any walk-in closet will benefit from well-arranged closet rods; plenty of shelving and drawer space; and storage for shoes and accessories. The right walk-in closet design for you should be customized to your personal storage needs and your available closet space. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions


Design a Walk-In Closet for Organization


1. Measure the space you have available. If you are having a new home built or substantially remodeling your current home, use your plans and blueprints for these measurements. If you are redesigning your current walk-in closet without making structural changes, measure the closet itself.


2. Assess how much storage space you will need for each type of item that you want to store in the closet. Do you have a shoe collection to rival Imelda Marcos, or do you live in sweaters and fleece year-round? Either will present special storage needs. Long skirts, coats and dresses will require a single hanging space, while blouses, short jackets, short skirts and slacks can be double-hung.


3. Draw out your closet on graph paper. Consider walking space in the closet, and look at available areas for hanging space. According to Organization-Makes-Sense.com, typical estimates for a well-organized closet include 50 percent double-hanging space, with one high rod and one lower rod; 25 percent single-hanging space with one high rod; and 25 percent shelving and drawer space. These are estimates, however, and may not be ideal for your closet; look at an online closet organizer design tool to help you decide.


4. Choose your closet organizer system. You can opt for a do-it-yourself system or have a custom closet system installed. Typically, doing it yourself is cheaper; however, you may find it more convenient to have it professionally installed. Professional services can also assist you with designing your walk-in closet, often at no additional fee. Most closet organizer systems are made of coated wire or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and offer a variety of easily customized options. You can purchase DIY closet organizer systems at home improvement stores or online.


5. Add accessories to increase the functionality of your walk-in closet organizer. Drawer and shelf dividers, baskets and specialty hangers and hanging racks can all make it easier to keep your walk-in closet well-organized. You can neatly label boxes and shelves if you prefer.


6. Fill your closet. Be sure that you return only those items you actually use and wear to your closet. Take this opportunity to take clothing to the cleaners or have alterations and mending done as needed. Group clothing together by item to encourage mixing and matching.







Tags: walk-in closet, your closet, closet organizer, your walk-in, your walk-in closet, closet design, closet look