While many mothers love flowers or a spa treatment for Mother’s Day, there’s one thing my mother loves (and has come to expect): a closet makeover. Every year I tweak her closet. And while many moms have quite a bit on their plate – my mother is no exception – when it comes to their closets, they don’t have much leisure time to keep them looking their best.
Which is where I come in. I often say I sell TIME. The main reason for being organized is so that you don’t waste time looking for things. I’ve organized hundreds of closets and while it’s easy to make the space look nice, unless there’s a system, most people – especially mothers – may have a hard time keeping it looking pristine.
Wouldn’t it be great to look inside your closet and love everything? How many people can actually say that? When I work on a client’s closet the problem is usually that they don’t have enough room. So first I do some “weeding.” Instead of asking them, “What do you want to get rid of?” I ask, “What do you love?” or at least really like? With that mindset, I find it’s easier for clients to get rid of clothes. Another motivator is I challenge them to fill at least one bag for donation. Often, once they get started, they wind up filling more than one bag.
Now that we’ve made room, grouping clothes is next. If there isn’t a double hang closet rod, that’s one thing I suggest as it doubles hanging space. Then I hang pants together, lined by color, then skirts (if applicable) lined by length on the lower bar. For shirts, I put long-sleeved, then short, then sleeveless together, and within those sections, by color. Why? Simple. It saves TIME when putting outfits together. Next, for other items like T-shirts, jeans, sweats, and sweaters, my favorite structure for a closet (if you have room, but it can also go in the bedroom) are cubbyholes, which are better than shelves. Cubbyholes enable you to store like items together and to remove something without the entire pile tumbling over. They’re great for clothes that don’t need to be hung or that are bulky. This also makes it easier for someone to keep their closet looking good. I got my mother an Expedit from IKEA. I’m a huge fan of these. They’re inexpensive, easy to put together, and come in various sizes. There are also baskets that fit inside each cubbyhole which are great for socks, underwear or anything that doesn’t fold or sit neatly. Expedits are also great for any room in the house as they can store books, picture frames, artwork, toys, dishes, etc.
The most important rule I tell clients is that if you’re too tired to put away your clothes at the end of the day, then don’t. Wait until you have the energy to hang something up or to fold it neatly, because once you get sloppy, it’s all downhill.
Good luck!
Felice