Closet Reveal and 10 Closet Organization Tips

For the first time ever, I am sharing my closet reveal and 10 closet organization tips! It can be difficult at times to keep a space with so many small pieces neat, but I’ve got a few closet organization tips that I absolutely live by!

When I first bought my condo, the closet space was a huge selling factor for me.  The master bedroom closet was actually separated by a wall to make two separate closets (his and hers.) Since it was only me and I wanted to have one BIG closet, I had the wall and cheap shelving torn down. I met with closet designers, but the $3000 price tag to design and install shelving in that small space didn’t seem worth it to me. So instead, I came up with the shelving design and closet organization myself.

Thanks to Ikea shelving and a bit of help from my brother, I was able to purchase 6 Ikea Pax wardrobe pieces and one from Target. I meant to replace this Target shelving, but never quite got around to it and it works just fine for me! Overall I ended up spending about $1000 on shelving units. If you have the budget, I highly recommend hiring a handyman or having someone help you as the building and setup can be a bit of a task. Ikea also offers installation!

I decided to go with the 13-inch depth PAX closet sections instead of the 22 inch to allow more walking space and let the clothes show a bit more. Over time, I’ve added custom shelving plus hooks here and there to allow for better display of the items in my closet.

I have collected quite a few things over the years and in order for it all not to overwhelm me I like to keep everything organized and neat. Keep reading to learn my 5 closet organization tips!

1. Switch out your clothes each new season. Closets can be overwhelming. Especially when they are full of too many options. In order to streamline my process and not have the space overly packed, I put away clothes, boots, accessories, and handbags that I won’t be wearing during the current season. For example, I just pulled out my spring clothes and packed my winter ones. I store them in my empty suitcases until it’s time to pull them out again.

2. Shelve your shoes one forward and one backward. I cannot tell you how much extra space this makes for more shoes on each shelf!  Before I built this shelf of shoes (by myself, but I suggest having someone help you!) I measured how much space I needed between each shelf. Since most of my shoes have heel heights of 3+ inches, these shelves are 8 inches apart.  I also like to organize my shoes by color and style. That way I can see all my potential options grouped together.

3. Display your accessories. Like I said, if I can’t see it,  I won’t wear it. So I chose to display all of my sunglasses. I tried to find a sunglasses organizer.  Instead, I came up with this super simple way of hanging them on the side of my shoe shelf by hanging pieces of ribbon and organizing the sunglasses by color and style. It makes it super simple to grab a pair while I am running out the door.

4. Fold your sweaters, don’t hang them! Stretched out sweaters are no fun so I always preserve mine by neatly folding them on a shelf. Plus it saves space on the racks for items that are less bulky more likely to wrinkle in a drawer.

5. Keep it tidy with drawers + dressers. I have a large dresser outside of my closet and a few drawers inside my closet (as seen in the photo above.) They are great for items you don’t necessarily want on display or are too difficult to keep tidy 24/7. For example, I keep belts, scarves, tights, and swimsuits in my closet drawers.  You can always get baskets to help you organize, as well.

Some people like to hang their jeans, I personally like to keep them folded all the same way so I can quickly pull the pair out that I am looking for.

5. Shelve your clutches in letter sorters. These organizers keep all of them standing straight up and allows you to grab one without all of the others falling over. I picked up these silver letter sorters (aka file dividers/desktop organizers) from Target for $3 each.

6. Adhesive hooks are your best friend. I have these little hooks all over my closet to help hang my handbags. These small bags are hung on the opposite side of my shoe wall and I switch out the styles seasonally.

One of my favorite parts of my closet is setting it up with special items on display. That way every time I walk in, it is like walking into my own personal boutique specially curated for me!

7. Fill in empty space with extra shelves. My brother installed these small shelves for me in an empty pocket between the Ikea Pax shelves. It is perfect for storing more clutches and small handbags.

Here are a few more closet organization tips for the ultimate closet:

8. Use one style of hanger.  Nothing drives me crazier in a closet than mismatched hangers. Why. WHHHHYYY ?! It’s so easy to order simple black or beige velvet hangers and switch out the old ones.  It makes your closet look instantly updated and organized.  The velvet hangers are fabulous because your clothes will not slip off. I actually have two types of velvet hangers: one for sleeved clothing items and these hangers for sleeveless.

9. Organize items by sleeve lengths. I organize all of my tops and dresses first by sleeve length and then by color. That way my strapless tops do not get hidden in between sleeved tops. I have my dresses separated by cold weather and warm weather as well.

10. Stuff your handbags. Take the time to properly store your handbags and they will not only last you much longer but also hold their shape much better. I stuff mine with the offseason scarves to save space or you can use old tissue paper or bubble wrap

If you want something more industrial looking or you are looking for ways to spruce up your garage, you can always organize with a police gear rack. That’s all! I hope you picked up a few closet organization tips that you can apply to your own space and as always, thank you for stopping by!

Shop My Closet Organization Tips Recommendations:

Photos by Taylor Lynn Photo