Hello! I hope you’re outside enjoying these beautiful summer days! But when rainy days keep us indoors, it’s the perfect time to do a little walk-in 
closet reorganization, which is the subject of this month’s D4 Construction article. D4 Construction is the perfect place to call for home renovation projects, large or small. You can reach them anytime at 250-572-4812. They’re conveniently located in Kamloops.
If you have a closet the size of a bedroom, and perhaps have the means to install a high end, sophisticated (and expensive) closet system, complete with ironing station and coffee bar, this article is not for you. But if you have a small closet that often seems to be a jumbled and crowded mess, read on.
Like the article we sent you earlier this year for creating a practical pantry and another on smart storage solutions for your home, the goal here is to make your closet work for you the way you live. Instead of just copying what you see in magazines, think about your morning routine, for example. Do you actually dress in the closet or do you remove your items to the bedroom to change there? Does your jewelry need to be kept in your walk-in? And do you keep your shoes in the closet or do you keep them inside the garage or laundry room? These considerations are absolutely instrumental in creating a closet that works for you.
If at all possible, dedicate at least a day to this project. If you have only three or four hours, then choose one area of the closet to work on first. I like to clear some room in the closet immediately, allowing me more space to move about and complete the rest of the jobs more easily.
Beginning with your hanging clothes, be ruthless in removing all items you haven’t worn in the past year. Make 3 piles: Giveaways to people you know, donations to charitable organizations, and discards – the worn and weary pieces that are past their prime. Not sure about some? Make a separate pile for these for the time being. We’ll dedicate the least accessible hanging area of the closet for these pieces, with the idea that you will revisit them in a year. If they’re still there at that time, it’ll be time to get rid of them for good.
Once your clothes are separated, bag up the giveaways and donations immediately and place them in your vehicle so that they don’t clutter up your space any longer. When you need a break from the reorganizing, deliver them to their new homes. Get rid of the discard pile you’ve created at this time, too.
If your closet truly is too small to hold all your clothing that you’ll keep, transfer out-of-season items to large storage bags – the kind that blankets and comforters come in are ideal. If you have clear plastic tubs, they work, too, but since we’ll store them higher up, a softer bag is safer to lift up and down. Store on the uppermost shelves in your closet or elsewhere in your home (under a bed, for example) until you take them down again for the next season.
Smaller plastic zippered bags work well to hold your ball caps, hats, gloves and purses. You may choose to keep them unzippered to allow air flow, but they’ll still keep clothing free of dust.
Don’t have any high shelving? This is the perfect time to use that unused vertical space above most closet shelves. Call Mike at D4 Construction at 250-572-4812 to come by and install some for you. With the addition of a small bench or fold-up stepstool in your closet, you will have access to those new shelves – and much more storage than you ever had before!
Before returning the clothes to the closet (the ones you’ve temporarily removed), consider the hangers you’ll use. Personally, I prefer mine to all look the same. It’s easier on the eyes and more importantly, it gives my space an uncluttered and streamlined look that’s appealing. I choose to use the thin, fabric-covered ones because they take up less room than the plastic tubular ones, and my clothes don’t slip off, either. Decide which ones you will use, and if you need to, purchase them now and return your clothes to the closet on your new hangers. If you keep any jackets or heavier garments in your walk-in, use sturdy wooden ones.
And while we’re talking about (and possibly purchasing) hangers, let’s look at the ones for your pants. Some people prefer to hang them by clips while others fold them in half and slide them onto trouser hangers. Once again, if you want a clean organized look, choose one type and use all the same kind. Jeans can be folded and stored on shelves or in drawers.
Wire hangers often become a tangled mess. Make a pile of these and bring them back to the dry cleaners where you most likely got them from in the first place. Many dry cleaners welcome ones that are still in good shape and will reuse them. Plastic tubular hangers can be donated to your local thrift store or charitable organization.
Since you’ve moved all your clothes out of the closet, this is the time to install (or have installed) extra clothing rods. You might just need to 
have your current one moved upward. Either have additional ones added below, or even add a hanging rod to the existing one. In this case, you get another clothes rod but instead of its being installed, both ends simply hang from the clothing rod above. These come in different lengths and provide non-permanent, additional hanging space. While it’s perfect for apartment dwellers since you can take it with you when you move, it’s also a great way for anyone to add a smaller amount of hanging space without much of an investment.
A column of hanging canvas shelves, sold as shoe organizers, are a terrific way to hold all your jeans and folded sweaters, too. These bulkier items which usually aren’t hung on hangers are visible and well-contained this way.
Next month I’ll have lots more closet revamp tips including why keeping a dresser inside your closet can work wonders. In the meantime, remember – you don’t have to go it alone. Leave it to the professionals who will come in and do what’s needed to make your closet much more useful for you! Just call Mike at 250-572-4812 for an estimate.
We’ll see you right back here next month for the second part of this closet re-do project!
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