Are you enthralled with all the custom closets that you see in magazines, on television and in home-improvement stores? It is possible to achieve that designer-closet look without spending thousands of dollars and having a closet installer come to your home to do it. With basic measurements and a good sense of the possible, you can have a well-organized closet that fits your needs, your space and your budget. Does this Spark an idea?
Wire Racks
Wire racks are a relatively inexpensive way to add bin-style storage. Pick a section of your closet wall and put wire racks about a foot apart (securing them to the wall in the studs), stacking them several feet high. Wire racks can be cut at your local home improvement store to fit any width you need, so oddly sized cubbyholes can also have wire racks.
Shoe Trees
A big part of closet clutter is shoes all over the floor. One way people store rarely used shoes is to keep them in their original boxes on shelves in the closet. There is another option, however. Shoe trees give you a place to put all of your shoes in a neatly organized space, where they are visible and matched without having to trip over them on the closet floor. Shoe trees can be freestanding, like a coat rack, built into a wall or even hung from a hanger rod.
Milk Crates
Use milk crates to provide extra storage that is durable and very easily switched around. You can fill them with anything, from your folded sweaters to your socks to old papers and books--and stacking or re-stacking them is a breeze, as the crates are not permanently attached to your walls. Your local dairy or grocery store may have crates available for free or low cost.
Wall Hooks
Another easy and ingenious idea is to use wall hooks. If you have narrow or awkward space available, maximize it by installing hooks from which you can hang your shirts, ties, belts, purses, and scarves easily--and still be able to see all of the items at a quick glance. Be sure to sink the hooks into studs if you will hang heavy objects from them.
Hanging Dividers
Put your small materials in a hanging divider. Sew pockets of various shapes onto both sides of a heavy piece of trimmed canvas, then hang the canvas from a hanger rod. You can put small items like watches, tie clips or jewelry in the pockets. Consider using clear heavy plastic as the pocket material so you can see into the pockets.
Tags: from hanger, Shoe trees, wire racks, Wire racks