Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Master Closet Storage Ideas

Master closets, unlike the closets in other bedrooms, are often shared by two people. This is not always the case due to single living or the use of a separate armoire by one person in the couple, leaving the entire closet to the other person. Master closets are often larger than closets in other bedrooms of the house, although sometimes they are the same size. Some master closets are "terminal," in that they do not lead anywhere. Others connect the master bathroom to the bedroom. Does this Spark an idea?

His and Hers


Before buying or implementing any storage solutions, you need to examine your items to see what is appropriate. Plan your storage space around what you discover. In a shared master closet, it's a good idea to make a clear demarcation between each person's items. The spaces for each person do not have be of equal size or symmetrical. Instead, spaces and storage solutions should be tailored to each person's habits and needs. If you do this, try to match the colors of the storage solutions in the closet by using white drawers, white racks and white cubbies. Matching colors or textures in spaces that are arranged differently tends to make everything seem more uniform and therefore neater, instead of looking like a mishmash.


Every item to be stored in the closet needs a dedicated space. Adjustable wire shelving serves well for this purpose. The goal is to create many small units of space holding only a few things each, such as shelves that hold only sweaters or dark T-shirts.


Section off clothing by how the garment is used. Place items that are are worn similarly together. For example, put all suit jackets in one area and put the polo shirts in another. When arranging the items within each section, organize from light to dark or dark to light. Organizing by color alone is best left to people with enormous clothing collections. If this is the case, place all clothing of one color in an area of the closet and then organize the garments by function within the colors.


Storage in a Passage


When a master closet doubles as a passageway into another part of the home, whether it leads to the rest of the house or the master bathroom, it necessitates a fairly large swath of the closet being left open to not impede foot traffic. This passage layout lends itself very well to splitting the closet between two people, since each person can take a side. As logical as this seems, it doesn't always make sense for everyone. Consider using one side for shared items in the house, and the other for clothing.


In order to get the most out of your space, instead of cubbies or racks, consider using deep drawers, but not necessarily the dresser kind. Pullout shelves with open fronts leave everything visible and accessible at the same time.


If you have a bench, consider placing it against one of the walls, flipping it open for for more storage. Placing it in the middle will cause long-term irritation as you have to walk around around it multiple times a day.


Small Master Closet Storage


Whether you are a single person using a master closet or are sharing a master closet, if the amount of things you have outstrips the amount of storage you have, you need to think more creatively.


First, make sure that you aren't storing anything in the master closet that could be stored somewhere else in the house. Unless you have massive storage issues in the rest of your home, clothing should be the primary occupant of the master closet.


If you don't have enough room for hung items, consider folding off-season garments and placing them in a plastic box under the bed. If under the bed space is already being utilized, place the off-season clothing in a box of chest, or use a a vacuum unit to store the clothing in compressed plastic. You can also store clothing in one of the more awkward places to reach in the closet, such as above the hangers on a shelf.


Utilize vertical space in the closet with racks mounted on the walls by the doors for hanging smaller items like scarves, ties or belts.

Tags: each person, master closet, storage solutions, Closet Storage, closets other, closets other bedrooms