Kids Closet Organizers

Click Here for further information or to purchase the kids closet organizer shown in this post

 There are many different closet organization systems on the market today.  However, few are designed in a way that can make them suitable for using in a closet used by children.  Well, that situation has now been addressed thanks to the Neu Home Closet Doubler.  This system allows for the adjustment of the height of the bottom rod which allows you hang your child's shorter tops or bottoms on the top closet rod and if you desire, adult size clothing below.  If you are looking for kids closet organizers, read below what people are saying about this unique closet system.

I have to share a closet with not only my husband, but my daughter as well. We live in a small two bedroom and only one bedroom has a closet. For years we've been having trouble with other closet doubler rods, they were always hard to keep in place and only had one length on it which was hard to decide whose clothes went on top and bottom because it always dragged someone's clothes.  With this Adjustable Closet Doubler, it has saved our wardrobe. My daughters clothes go on top and I have the rod just below them, giving my clothes room to hang. Now, they don't slide around on the floor and get dusty or wrinkly. This product has just been a lifesaver! And it was so easy to put together, I thought that it was almost too easy!  I recommend it anyone who is wanting more space in their closet but with low cost!

The single most important thing you need to know about this doubler is that in order to use the top half for women's shirts/blouses, you will need to hang the rod on the bottom rung and even then, it might still be too short. I put this in my smaller single closet where it pretty much takes up the whole width. A couple things to note that I was uncertain about when I bought this:

1. Don't worry too much about the length of this, I measured my closet and it seemed several inches short of these measurements but the "hooks" that hang on your original closet rod can move about a bit.

2. This arrives in literally three pieces, the left "hook" and the right "hook," which are interchangeable, and the bottom rod. You hang the two hooks from your original closet rod and then slip the rod onto the rungs of the hooks. At first, it seems shaky but once my clothing was on it, I didn't notice it much and have no trouble taking things on and off the bars.

3. To give your bottom clothing just a bit more clearance, instead of putting your hangers inside the rectangular compartments on the bottom rod, simply hang your hangers right over the top of the bar. Hopefully you can see this in my picture that I've included vs. the stock pic.

4. Unless you are a small man, men's shirts will not fit on the original closet bar anymore even with the bottom bar hung on the last rung. To give you some idea of size, my size 0 dress shirts fit on the top bar with perhaps two inches clearance. Having said that, see #5.

5. There are eight rungs that you can adjust the bar on. Even if you can't fit your shirts on the top closet bar even with the bottom bar on the last rung, you can simply move the bottom bar higher so that you have more room on the bottom. The first several rungs are very high so you could hang the rod from one of those, giving you just a bit space on top that you could use to hang one of those wire baskets/shelves or hang other small things like hats of folded scarves etc.

6. The three pieces seem well made and durable, not too heavy or flimsy.

Overall, this was a super inexpensive way to double my closet and I highly recommend it but with the caveat that depending on your clothing length and how high your original closet bar, it might not be perfect for everyone. But with my standard apartment sized closet, it works quite well.

I'm so glad this is adjustable!!! Instead of making a second level of hanging clothes (the way most people will use it), we used this to make another rod approximately 8 inches lower than the regular high closet rod so that my very short 80 year old mother could reach the hangers! The package came with 3 pieces (the two sides and the cross bar) and it was very easy to lay the cross bar into the slots and just hang it up! I added tape around where the cross bar meets the sides, just to make sure it wouldn't pop out, although I wasn't really that worried about it popping out. You have several choices on where to lay the cross bar. I would be more specific with measurements but I didn't think to measure before I came back from putting it up for her (she lives in another state.) I was unnecessarily worried that she would have to put the clothes in the slotted areas shown on the cross bar but we just laid them across the top of the cross bar and they slide easily (that's probably the way it is meant to work, I don't know why I was thinking she might have to put them in the slots!!) Altogether -- it works GREAT and it was easy to put up!!

Rubbermaid Closet Organizers

Click here for additional information or to purchase the Rubbermaid Closet Organizer pictured in this post.

There is little more frustrating than going to your closet and attempting to locate an item you need right now only to have no luck due to the clutter that consumes many of our closets.  To help better organize our closets, there are few products available with any more flexibility than Rubbermaid closet organizers.  These closet organization systems feature kits that can easily be used in closets from three to eight feet in length, adjustable shelves and expandable single double and single hang rods, as well as, all needed mounting hardware.  Due to the quality materials used by Rubbermaid, most of their closet organization items receive ratings of four to five stars on Amazon.  Read below what people are saying about these products.

I bought a new house that had blank closets. I liked that I could order two of the same product and customize my daughter's and my closet differently according to our needs. Our closets were an inch or two shy of 8 feet. The hardest part was finding the studs since I have thick plaster walls. There are studs on both edges of the closet. I had to drill a few holes to find the other stud. Once I found the first one that was not at the edge of the closet, the remaining two were 16" apart. What I did find weird is that the uprights (which need to go into studs or anchored-plaster anchors are not included, only drywall ones are) are supposed to be 22" apart. This means that they won't be hitting the studs without some adjustments. Overall, I am extremely happy with the way my closets turned out. I have even rearranged my daughter's closet once with ease.

After looking at several different closet systems, I decided on Rubbermaid because of a) brand, b) price and c) ability to customize to fit my needs. It's great to open your box and find that all hardware and parts are there and undamaged. I also appreciate instructions that are easy to read and include pictures and diagrams. Being a 60+ female and power-tool-challenged, I still was able to do most of the work and only needed my husband to fasten the last wall anchor! Our closet was a tad smaller than 4', but we didn't have any trouble cutting things down to size. It feels VERY sturdy. The recommended height seems too high for the upper shelf; however, it has to be in order to hang a second bar at a lower level. As long as the wall anchors hold everything up in our plaster walls, I'm going to be very happy with this storage system.

I researched 2 other brands of closet systems before settling on this one. I was a little concerned because the price of this system was lower than some others we saw, but the quality is great. We purchased this item for our 7' closet in our master bedroom. It didn't have enough room for the 2 of us and now we do. I love this item, I was able to empty 3 closets in our house into this system. I wish it came with more shelf brackets, but no biggie. It was easy to hang up, after reading the instructions and marking the studs the whole project took about 1 hour to attach it to the wall.

About Rubbermaid
For more than 70 years, Rubbermaid has committed to creating durable, innovative products that help simplify life and make living and work spaces more comfortable and attractive. From its original line of simple housewares, Rubbermaid has expanded to become a major designer of a wide array of products ranging from home and garden to seasonal and commercial products. Recognized as a "Brand of the Century" by the Brand Marketing magazine, Rubbermaid prides itself on being a name synonymous with excellent quality housewares.

Discount Closet Organizers - Cheaper Is Not Necessarily Better

Click here for additional information or to purchase the closet organizer pictured in this post.

Nothing is more frustrating than attempting to find something in a closet that is cluttered and disorganized.  You know the item is there but no matter how hard you look, you cannot seem to locate it.  At least not until you give up and go purchase another one.  Once you get back home, the item you were looking for magically appears in the closet right where you thought it should be.  The way to prevent this debacle is to get that closet straight through the use of a closet organization system.

Closet organizers are made from a few different materials and come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  While the price of those discount closet organizers make for a tempting purchase, you will soon find that they are truly not worth the money you will pay.  Their lack of quality will soon become apparent once the shelves and rods start to say under the weight of the many items that you attempt to store.  This is definitely the time to spend a little more and get a product made of sturdy materials.  There are closet organizer systems made of wood, laminated units and coated wire units.  There are an unlimited number of different configurations consisting of shelving, drawers, rods, baskets, bins and various other container types.  These units can be purchased at discount stores, home improvement stores, and select hardware stores.  Each of these stores will carry different brands and models, so if you are unable to locate what you want at one, just head to one of the others and you are likely to locate what you need.  Of course, if you are really handy, you can just purchase the materials and design and install your own custom closet organizer. 

No matter which system you choose, you are now on track to save yourself time and money by being better organized.  With just a little future effort, your new closet organizer will make you more inclined to keep the clutter to a minimum since you now have a place for everything.  And, once again, stay away from those discount closet organizers and you will save yourself many hours of frustration since you will not need to constantly find a way to prop up that shelf that seems to sag a little more as each day goes by.

John Louis Home Standard Closet Shelving System

Click Here for further information or to purchase this John Louis Home Standard Closet Shelving System

John Louis Home introduces the next generation of Solid Wood Closets. Designed with versatility in mind, John Louis has created a line of products that take the best in features and functionality and fused them together into what we like to call affordable elegance. We use 100 percent solid metal hardware with a satin nickel finish thus making a decorative element out of a functional part. Whether in a bedroom, pantry, linen, laundry room or foyer closet, it's this quality and attention to detail that makes John Louis Home the finishing touch to any room. Designing a John Louis closet is simple. No matter your skill level, from novice to expert, you can do it. All you need is a pencil, level, screwdriver and saw. The possibilities are endless. The Standard Closet organizer uses a 12-inch shelf depth designed for reach-in and small walk-in closets. Configuring a John Louis Home closet organizer is easy. Simply cut to fit. The 12-inch Standard Closet Organizer fits closets up to 10 feet. in length and provides all of the elements you need in one box. Enough to provide up to 24 feet of shelf space and up to 18 feet of hanging space and multiple configuration options.

Product Features

• Solid wood closet shelving system with 12-inch depth and red mahogany finish--great for bedroom, pantry, linen, laundry room or foyer closets
• Wall mounted; sized for reach-in and small walk-in closets--fits up to a 10-foot closet
• Provides up to 24 feet of shelf space and 18 feet of hanging space; ventilated for air circulation
• Open-sided tower shelves; wood garment bar; all-metal hardware with decorative satin nickel finish
• Includes multiple configuration options with easy to follow installation manual

What People Are Saying About This Closet Organizer

Great Product with Excellent Customer Service
Read the reviews and decided to go ahead. Received the two sets that I ordered and I must say that the John Louis Home Standard Closet Shelving System is well designed with room for flexibility. Fitted the two sets in our walk-in closet and they look spectacular. The hardware are well built, firm and strong so I expect them to last a long, long time. Love the mahogany color and the touch-up kit that came with each set; not that we need that much of it. Installation of the first set took over 2 hours but the second was done in about half the time. Instructions are clear and not difficult to follow. Overall, it is a breeze once you have decided on the configuration.

Most of all, I must say that I am very pleased with John Louis' customer service. An angle bracket had a piece that was chipped off so I called John Louis' customer service. They were very polite and didn't hesitate to send a new bracket to me. In fact, they sent a pair and had them delivered to me within two-days so that I wouldn't be held up with my installation. What more can anyone ask for. Excellent company!


Requires saw and lots of wall holes, but very nice
Just installed this system over the weekend -- went smoothly but does, as other reviewers mentioned, take some time. I'd say I'm barely average in the "handyman" department--this was an 8 hour install for me.

I think the main reason for this is surprisingly all the horizontal shelves have to mount to studs/anchors individually. That seems VERY strange to me as most systems would have you mount a pegboard of sorts or rail and you'd click all shelves to that. Not so with this. You put a LOT of holes in your walls with this setup. I think this could be pretty easily modified by the manufacturer to save a lot of the install time so I deducted a star for that.

Also you will almost certainly need a saw for this. Suppose even a light hand saw would technically work but we had to cut 2 bars and one shelf and I'd imagine most anyone would have to make at least that many cuts. Beyond that, installation (at least to me) is pretty much what you'd expect--lots of work with a studfinder, level and screwdriver/screwgun. Being solid wood I think this setup compares VERY favorably to EasyClosets' 3x far more expensive setup quality-wise.

Built it by myself!!!
The only thing I can say is WOW--- I installed this over the weekend in my master bedroom closet and I LOVE it. Everyone I've shown pictures to has loved it and my neighbors who remodeled their own home had serious closet-envy. It's the only thing in my house that they would envy. =)

I am thankful for the "Straightline" Laser Level I purchased in advance of this build. It was the best investment I could make and I highly recommend buying or borrowing a laser level before installing these shelves.

Be prepared- you will most likely need a table saw for this project. I wasn't aware of that need and got bummed when I realized I wouldn't be able to build right away. Thankfully my fiancee has the power of persuasion and convinced the guy at Home Depot to cut the wood for us.

This closet is made out of real wood and you can smell it! It is made in America and even has a metal tag on one of the shelves indicating the manufaturer's name. This little touch goes a long way to showing off the high quality of this product.

It took me somewhere between 10-15 hours to build this on my own (my fiancee got too intimidated to help). I occasionally needed an extra set of hands to level the shelves because they can be slightly heavy especially when you're holding a pencil in one hand making marks on the wall.

This product comes highly recommended. It makes my closet look bigger (deeper and taller). It literally doubled the surface area of my selves and increased my hanging room by 50%. I'm planning on buying this kit and building these shelves in every room in the house. What an AWESOME investment!!!

Looks great, but make sure you PLAN IT OUT!
The pieces for this set are pretty basic.
3 long pieces (either 48" each or 60" each)
3 2' shelves
4 contoured support brackets
9 or so spacers for the hanging rods
4 6' trim pieces
Tons of hardware (screws, anchors, brackets, etc.)

You really need a good trim saw, or a table saw...I can't imagine cutting the shelves with a hand saw...

It took me a while to "lay out", and design my own little customized piece. I think that I started sawing a little too early, and didn't think to make the shelf on top long enough to be one of the "stacking shelves". But it all worked out in the end...Fortunately, there is plenty of "dummy room" with the brackets in that if you cut a shelf too short by an inch, the bracket will cover for you. I had a hard time with some of the screws and brackets that were to support the shelves. If you wiggled the shelf around trying to get it in to the right spot it "crunched" the wood...Once I got going though, it really came together quickly, and looks great as a final product...Wife is very happy with results...I have tons of hardware left as I used much longer screws to really drive it in to the studs for years of use...Do get some spackle though, because leftover damage from removed wire shelving left nice big holes.

Designer Closet In A Day!
We live in a 30 year old manufactured home. (Trailer to most of you young folks). It is a large mobile and we have just the one large double reach in closet and little storage. We shopped the home improvement stores for closet organizers and were disappointed that all we found were laminated or metal wire organizers. We decided to go home and look at Amazon before we made a purchase. We were really surprised by the John Louis organizer. The price (at the time we purchased) beat any local home improvement store by at least 30%. I have Prime and the shipping was free. It arrived within 3 days. It was packaged safely and we assembled and installed it in one day. It is beautiful. We are planning a move in the next couple of years. I will look for this product again if the need arises.

Classy, simple, affordable
I bought 2 of these systems for our master bedroom closet about a year ago and I must say they have really made a big diffence. Several different categories of satisfaction so I'll list them to make it easy as possible:

Aesthetics: The wood,finish and hardware are of considerable quality and look great. I chose the Red Mahogany finish and it truly makes a difference in our closet (we had those regular white wire organizing systems). The edges are soft yet masculine enough to appeal to any husband/significant other and the shelves are reminiscent of a spa-type atmosphere.

Options: The kits include design ideas for numerous closet sizes and configurations and have everything you need. Hardware, drywall reinforcements, touch-up stain, diagrams.

Ease of installation: Although capable of being a 1-person installation - the job would be much simpler with 2. Simple enough for the novice handyman, tools required are limted and basic - if you have a hammer, power drill/screwdriver and a saw of some type, you're in business. Obviously, the right tool for the right job makes any task easier, but if your toolchest is limited, the above mentioned items will easily get you thru this project. Instructions are easy to follow and installation time isn't long and drawn out; it took me working by myself to completely install one kit approx. 2.5hrs (for our closet, 1 kit outfits one side with some remaining pieces). Be sure to install into as many studs as possible for strength. I hit 90% of the studs in our closet and the shelving is strong enough to hold the weight of my 3-year-old who decided to sit on one of the lower shelves (shoe shelf/rack) to help daddy work:-)

Modifications: If you're really handy and like a challenge, take any remaining pieces to really go all out. Since i needed 2 kits for our closet, the pieces remaining from both kits gave me enough shelving and hardware to place a shelf above the entrance to our walk-in, plus 2 extra stringers and 1 shelf to outfit the back wall of our closet (I then matched the wood and built cabinet doors, drawers and 2 more shelves to give my wife a built-in jewelry drawer).

Pricing/Cost: For the price of the 2 kits (and the extra work/modifications I added) I saved literally thousands of dollars doing the job myself and we got exactly want we wanted in our closet!!

Touch of Elegance
I purchased this system a few months back to upgrade our average "rubbermaid" type closet shelving. The kit is very simple to follow and even possible for a 1-man installation; although two would make it easier. The finish is top-notch and the flexibility of the install is very accommodating. I would suggest wherever possible attach the supports to pre-existing studs for strength and durability. My wife and I are extremely happy with the results and we are now purchasing our second kit to finish the remainder of the closet. I dabble in carpentry so I've added our own touches like a jewelry drawer for my wife, some elegant doors to conceal two of the shelves and even with the modifications, both kits are still well under the estimates we received from closet-specialist type companies. If u have the time, patience and a little experience with a hammer and saw - this is definitely worth the price and I'm sure you'll be extremely happy with the results.      

Closet Organization Systems to Meet Everyone's Needs

It sure seems that no matter where we live, from the smallest apartment to the largest estate, we all have the same need to increase our storage and to organize it in a much more efficient manner.  If you live in an older home, your needs are even greater when it comes to addressing your storage needs.  Of course, the first place we think of when we think of storage is the closet.  Luckily, today there are many different options available on the market when the need for closet organization systems arises.  Providing such a system for every type of closet can be a challenge.  However, you will be wise to consider the some of the following points as you set out to do so.

As I have discovered with most everything I set out to improve around my home, the budget drives the solution.  You will find that there are closet organization systems available to meet almost any budget.  If your funds are limited, you may choose to tackle the project yourself with an out of the box solution from one of those big box retail home improvement centers.  If you select this route, you will still have many choices that will likely address your needs quite adequately.  But, if money is no object, you can hire a closet reorganization company that will come in, analyze your wants and needs, develop a custom plan just for you that includes the construction and installation.  Determining your available budget will point you towards the solution that is best for you.  If you are able to go the professional route, you will be guided through the process and they will assist you in meeting your goals of total organization.  However, I bet most of you will choose the do it yourself route, and will benefit from the tips I mention below.

Once the budget is established, you will need to determine how the closet will be used.  Obviously, a master bedroom closet will require a much different setup than a small child's closet.  If it is your master bedroom closet you are reorganizing, you probably have a real good feel for what your end product should be even if you do not know it.  Through its use, you have already determined what does and does not work.  Now you just need to apply that knowledge to one of the closet organization systems that will best suit your needs.

When you begin to analyze your needs, take a look at your existing closet and take note of things that do not seem to have a place.  Are there shoes scattered throughout the floor?  Is there a pile of clothes in the corner that always seems to be there no matter what?  Does that pile exist because of a lack of space in which to hang those clothes?  Are belts, ties, scarfs or other accessory items hung here or there with little thought as to how you will find the exact one when it is needed?  If so, these are what the police would call clues and will lead you to solving the mystery that is known as selecting closet organization systems.

Keeping all of these things in mind, it is time for a little soul searching.  Begin by going through these scattered items and eliminating the ones you no longer need or want.  This step alone, will help to start you on the road to good closet organization.  Once you have discarded all the unnecessary items, you can now start to develop a plan that will help you determine how much space is needed for your necessary items.  Make a sketch of how you would like the end product to look, take some measurements and head for the home improvement store.  Now you are knowledgeable enough to begin to visualize your needs and select one of the many closet organization systems that will meet those needs.

Once you locate a system that will closely meet your needs, make the purchase and head home for a day of emptying your closet, installing your new closet system and replacing your items.  Luckily, most of the closet organization systems available today are designed and manufactured with the do it yourselfer in mind.  Once the closet is empty, you should easily be able to install your new closet system in one day and be on your way to closet organizer bliss.  As time goes by, you will likely find that since providing for better organization of your closet, you save time when dressing each morning and hanging those freshly laundered clothes is nowhere near the chore it used to be.

Closet Organization in College Dorm Rooms

I have a son away at college and he now resides in an apartment he shares with a roommate. However, like many college students, his first year was spent in a dorm room that required lots of ingenuity when it came to the closet organization. I came across this article the other day that has lots of helpful hints when it comes to storage in a college dorm room and I thought I would share it with you. My thanks go out to the author for allowing me to republish it here on my blog.

Easy Track RB1448 Closet 4 to 8-Foot Expandable Closet Organizer Starter Kit

Closet Organizers Perfect for College Dorms

Organizing dorm room closets can be tricky. Because they’re so small, college dorms pose challenges that are unique and can seem expensive to solve. Many college students have a hard time transitioning from living in their parents’ big houses to these tiny, shared rooms. It can seem impossible to find adequate space for all their belongings.

Luckily, you don’t have to leave half of your wardrobe behind to move into a dorm. And you don’t have to spend a fortune on complicated, space saving products. With a little creativity and the right closet organizers, you can whip your dorm closet into shape without spending a fortune.

Clothing Organizers

The major problems with dorm closet organization stem from the overall lack of storage space. Since students live in these little rooms for multiple seasons, they need to store clothes for warm, temperate and cold weather. Mom and dad’s basement or attic isn’t an option for summer or winter clothes.

Students may also need to care for a few pieces of formal attire. Though it will seldom be used, it’s important to bring formal and professional clothing to school. Award ceremonies, banquets and interviews can pop up at any time. Beyond that, there is the issue of dealing with shoes and clothes that get wet or dirty frequently — this is especially true for college athletes.

Your dorm room closet needs to accommodate all of these issues while also handling your day to day needs. Some major organizational work is in order.

Space saving products like the Stack Max and Hang Max are great for storing seasonal items or formal items that are rarely used. These two products store clothing and linens in a special plastic bag and then use a vacuum system to remove all of the air and compress the item. You can then stack these small bags in the closet to save space. It will likely cut the space taken up by the clothing in half. The Stack Max is also great for folded items such as extra blankets, jackets and sweaters. By compressing these items, they take up minimal space in the closet. This not only protects the items, but also prevents toppling stacks of sweaters and blankets. Hang Max works with clothes that need to be hung in the closet, and does a great job of keeping them wrinkle free and safe from dust, dirt and moisture.

Another great product that cuts down on closet space is the Wonder Hanger. These products let you hang four or more articles of clothing on just one hanger, which saves a great deal of space without breaking your budget. This simple product can double or even triple your amount of closet space.

Shoe Organizers

Shoe storage is another dorm closet challenge. Even at college, you will need a significant selection of footwear, so efficient closet storage is important. An over the door shoe organizer is a great storage solution. You can also hang these organizers off the end of a bunk bed if you have the right set up. Purchase a model with plastic or easy to clean pouches, and you’ll be able to neatly hold all of your footwear in the same place.

If you need a good place to store muddy footwear, consider a rubber shoe mat that you can keep by the door. This is a great way to keep your tiny room clean. If you need additional footwear storage, an under the bed shoe rack has an even bigger holding capacity and can keep your footwear safe from dust, moisture and dirt.

Accessory Organizers

It can also be hard to store and organize your jewelry in a college dorm. These fragile items need to be kept safe and out of sight in your dorm. As much as we want to trust fellow students, stealing can be a major problem in some dormitories. Keeping your door locked at all times helps, but investing in a jewelry armoire with a simple lock is good insurance. Mirror armoires are also handy. The dual function of this item makes it extra convenient, since many dorm rooms do not have enough mirrors.

With the right products, you can find effective storage solutions for all of your clothes, shoes and accessories. Tackling dorm room organization requires some creative strategies, but the payoff can be well worth the effort. With a neat and organized closet, you’ll be able to focus on schoolwork, friends and fun. Make your dorm room a haven for efficiency, and comfort by purchasing quality products to keep the space organized.

About the Author: Nick Kakolowski is a freelance writer who writes about staying organized, often discussing specific products such as closet organizers.

Closet Organizers for Small Closets

While the organization of any closet is important and will benefit from some major reworking, installing closet organizer systems in a small closet will definitely provide some serious bang for your buck. There is nothing worse than having to sift through everything thrown haphazardly in the bottom of the closet looking for your golf shoes or some other important item. The hall or coat closet is a prime example of a small closet that seems to always be the spot that collects everything that does not fit anywhere else.

In order to get a handle on the clutter in your coat closet, the first thing you must do is empty the closet and get all the coats and other items out of the way. Now that everything is out of the closet, the first thing to do is go through your coats and other stuff item by item and throw away the things that either no longer fit or you simply do not intend to wear or have use for any longer. Once this agonizing part of the project is done you can move on to other things. Since the closet is empty, you might as well give it a good cleaning. Start by vacuuming out all the corners and wiping down the walls with either a pine cleaner and water solution or a vinegar and water solution. Finally, after everything has been wiped down, give the closet floor a good vacuuming.
Now consider the items that you will be putting back into the closet and the type of rods, shelving or containers you will need for their storage. Take some measurements of the closet for reference and take a trip to your local home improvement or department store. My first choice is always to check out the available closet organizer systems that come as a kit. These kits will normally have everything necessary for the installation and if you can locate one that will fit your needs your project will go much smoother since the basic design work will be done. Otherwise, you will need to gather the individual rods, shelving and containers necessary for the construction of custom small closet organizers for your individual closets.
Once you return home, gather all the items together that you intend to place back into the closet and sort them into groups of like items. Coats with coats, shoes with shoes, etc. Hang the coats and any other item that will hang on the rod. This will now allow you to see exactly how much space you have both above and below the hanging items. Now place shoes or other items that you may use often below the coats utilizing whatever means of storage you chose for these items. Then do the same above.
Now that all items are in their place and neatly organized, you should more easily be able to locate them thus saving you time. As you come to know, the little amount of time spent designing and installing closet organizer systems will pay dividends for many, many years to come.

The Closet Organizer That Saves My Sanity

With the change of seasons come many different projects around my house. Thankfully for me, one I would dread taking on the most usually falls upon my wife to accomplish since it primarily effects her way of life. Removing the clothing from the closet that was worn last season and replacing it with the clothing to be worn this season appeals to me not at all. But thanks to a functional closet organizer this project seems to be completed with minimal interruption to my life style.

When we moved into our home, we found the closet in the master bedroom much in the same way I am sure many of you found yours. There was a long rod running the length of one wall with a shelf above. I am still amazed that no more thought is put into the design of a closet when these homes are built. Since this would simply not do, one of my first projects upon moving in this home was to install a closet organizer that would allow my wife to store her seasonal clothing in such a way that it could be easily accessible.

I first took measurements of the closet and along with my wife did a rough sketch of how she would like her newly designed walk-in closet to be. Armed with this information, I was off to my local big box home improvement store in hopes of locating a closet organizer kit that would fit our needs. These kits are usually easy to configure and install and come with most, if not all, the necessary hardware. Once I entered the aisle containing the materials for organization, I found a plethora of different style closet organization systems. There were wire units, laminated units, as well as wooden units. There were units with a variety of different shelves, rods, drawers and other storage bins and containers. The possibilities for different configurations are limited only to your imagination.

Once getting through the initial feeling of being overwhelmed with all the choices, I was able to locate a system that would fit my wife's needs almost perfectly. Since the closet we were redoing enabled clothing to be hung on two sides, I purchased two kits and headed home for an afternoon of what I hoped would be a relatively smooth installation. The kits I purchased contained laminated dividers and shelving as well as enough rods to allow upper and lower rods on both sides of the closet. In addition, there is a section with a rod that allows the hanging of long items such as dresses and robes. The closet also has a section of shelving on each side with six shelves each allowing for the storage of folded sweaters and other items.

If we had attempted to utilize the closet we found upon moving into our new home, my wife would spend each morning digging through what I am sure would be a jumbled mess of unorganized clothing and I would have to incur the wrath of an unhappy lady. Those of you that have witnessed such a spectacle will surely agree that the time I spent planning, purchasing and installing that closet organizer was indeed time and money well spent.