How to Organize a Walk in Closet

Co-authored by Joanne Gruber

Last Updated: September 16, 2021 References Approved

Do you have a walk-in closet? Lucky you! This is a valuable space that you will be able to treat like a small, additional room in your house as opposed to a boring dumping ground for your stuff. But with extra room comes extra responsibility to keep the space organized and functional. With a little planning and effort, you can organize your closet so it is a peaceful refuge as opposed to a cluttered mess.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Paring Down Your Possessions

1
Take everything out of the closet. Whether you are moving into a new house or reorganizing an existing closet, you need to take everything out of it to assess it as a space. Removing all the items from the closet will help you pare down some of the possessions that you have.^{[1]
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- Be sure to vacuum or sweep the floor of the closet once it is empty. This will make sure your closet is in its best possible state before your reorganize it.
- If you are having trouble organizing your closet, there is a good chance you have too many possessions. Research shows that modern consumers are driven by the desire to own new things, but buying new items does not necessarily satisfy our desire for more possessions.^{[2]
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- The consumer goods industry is the largest in the United States, where it generates more than $419 billion every year. The vast majority of this money is spent on non-essential goods that fill our closets.^{[3]
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2
Apply the KonMari method of organizing to your closet. One very popular and highly successful method for organizing is the method designed by Marie Kondo, a professional organizer from Japan. Her method is very simple and easy to follow.
- After you have laid out all of your clothes from your closet in a pile on your floor, sit down and touch each item on the floor. As you touch the item, ask yourself "Does this spark joy in me?" Does the item make you happy? Or does it make you feel guilty for not having lost those ten pounds? Does it remind you of a stressful time in your life? If it doesn't spark joy in you, then prepare to donate or discard the item.^{[4]
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- After you have gone through your clothes, then apply the same method to your shoes, bedding, cosmetics, and any other items that might be in your closet.
- If you share a closet with someone else, ask that person to also go through their items and discard any items that do not bring any joy.
- This may take a few days to get through if you have a very large closet. You might plan to do this over the course of a long weekend or if you have an extended break, like the time between Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
- If your clothing, shoes, and jewelry are still in good condition, consider donating them to a local organization like Goodwill or the Salvation Army. You can also look into donating at a homeless shelter or a shelter for survivors of domestic violence.
- You can read more about this method in Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying-Up. (Ten Speed Press, 2014).
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3
Reassess your storage needs. With fewer possessions, you probably won't need as many boxes or shelves to hold all of your things. Put all of your remaining clothes back on their hangars and see how much space they take up in your closet.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Designing Storage Space in Your Closet

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Organize by levels. In your closet, you should generally put items that you use on a regular or daily basis at eye level. This will include things such as shirts, skirts, dresses and coats. Items that are used less frequently (like seasonal pairs of shoes) should go below eye level and items that are rarely used (like extra bedding or blankets or sporting equipment) should be stored above eye level.^{[5]
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- Before you install shelving, you should decide where you plan to put certain items in the closet. You will probably want your clothes to be at eye level whereas less essential items can go above or below your clothes.
- Remove all of the items from your closet again. If you have anything in the closet, but sure to take it out before you install rods or shelves. The items could get in your way of making accurate measurements of your closet.
2
Improve your shelving situation. Most closets need some sort of shelving. At the very minimum, you will need a rod to hang your clothes on. Many closets come with these items already installed but you may need to add some additional pieces depending on your needs.
3
Take measurements of your closet. Before you install shelves, rods or drawers, you should know the dimensions of your closet. Measure the height and width of each wall, along with the dimensions of the door frame. This will determine the size of your storage options.
- Using a tape measure, extend the tape across the length of the wall. Hold it level (or ask for assistance in holding it straight). Once the tape reaches the end of the wall, note the dimension in inches and centimeters (and write it down so you will remember).
4
Install rods for different lengths. In your closet, you will generally need space for a "long hang" to accommodate items such as dresses, coats, dress pants and then a "short hang" for shorter items like shirts, skirts, and shorts.^{[6]
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- Install the rods according to the instructions on the package. Most rods can be purchased at a local hardware or home goods store. They are sometimes adjustable in length, but you should check the description on the item to make sure they are.
- You will most likely need a drill, screws, and a level to make sure you are hanging your rod straight. Consult the instructions on your rod for the specific instruments you will need.
5
Add extra shelves. Shelves can be a great addition to your closet. You can use them to hold shoes, extra bedding, or storage containers for seasonal clothes and decorations.
- The method for installing shelves is similar to installing rods. You should be able to buy them at your local hardware or lumber store. Know the dimensions of the wall you intend to hang them on so that they will fit. You will also need a drill, screws and a level to make sure they hang straight and sturdy.
- If you are hanging multiple shelves vertically, make sure you have enough room between them to hold bulky items, such as comforters or storage bins. Consider 18-24 inches for large items.
6
Add drawers for foldable items, like slacks, shorts, sweaters, etc. Depending on the size of your closet, you can add stacked drawers to your storage options. This can be especially helpful if you do not have a chest of drawers in your bedroom.
- You can often buy drawers with the parts pre-assembled. Check department stores or home good stores that offer organizational or storage options for their customers.
- Consider buying a drawer unit that has wheels on it so you can move it in or out of our closet if you would like to have some flexibility with the layout of the space.
7
Incorporate storage bins. Your closet will look its best when items are put into a bin and out of sight. Keep these on the upper shelves near the ceiling.
- You can buy storage bins in a variety of materials. Some come in a plain, durable plastic any cost between $10-$15. But you can also buy bins or baskets in linen, cedar or leather materials.
- Which ever storage option you choose, try to buy them all in the same type. This will give a clean, uniform sense of harmony to your closet.
- You can use the bins to store items you don't use on a regular basis, such as extra bedding, seasonal clothing, seasonal decorations, etc.
EXPERT TIP

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist
Joanne Gruber is the owner of The Closet Stylist, a personal style service combining wardrobe editing with organization. She has worked in the fashion and style industries for over 10 years.

Joanne Gruber
Professional Stylist

Keep accessories contained in baskets and bins. Stylist and wardrobe organizer Joanne Gruber says: "I like rolling scarves into baskets. You can also place sets of bathing suits together in resealable plastic bags, then put those into a basket, bin, or drawer. It also makes it easier to pack swimsuits for a trip."
8
Restock your closet. Once your shelves, rods and storage bins are ready to go, you can put your newly pared down items back into the closet.
- Consider organizing your clothes by length, with long items like coats and dresses at the right side of the closet and then gradually moving to shorter items like shirts and skirts on the left end of the closet. This will naturally draw the eye upward in a pleasing way.^{[7]
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- You can also organize you closet by color, grouping dark and light colors together so your closet resembles a rainbow.
9
Keep floor space clear. The point of a walk-in closet is so you can actually walk into it! If you can, try to keep shoes off of the floor or against the wall and out of the main path as these can frequently trip you up.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Maximizing Your Storage Space

1
Keep the space clutter free. It might sound simple, but you have to keep your items in their proper place in your closet. Hang up clean clothes after you finish the laundry. Don't leave them in a pile on the floor of your closet.
- If you take down a storage bin to retrieve an item, make sure you put it away as soon as get the object you need. If you don't, you may get in the habit of leaving bins and boxes out in the open instead of stored away.
- You might want to keep a small step ladder in your closet so you can easily reach items that are above you in height.
2
Buy less. One way to reduce all the excessive possession cluttering your closet it to simply buy less. Before you buy a new sweater or jacket, ask yourself if you truly love the item and if it will add to your daily wardrobe. Are you buying it because you need a new jacket or are you simply browsing in a store to pass the time? ^{[8]
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3
Purge once a year. After completing the KonMari method of organization, you will probably find that you have significantly fewer items crowding out your closet. And if your closet is filled with only things you love, you may not feel the need to buy extra items. But you should still occasionally go through the items in you closet and only keep the items that bring you joy.
- Consider going through a closet after seasonal shifts. For instance, if you have children who have outgrown their winter sweaters, this would be a good time to pass on these articles to friends with younger children or donate them to a charity.

Community Q&A

Question

What should I do if I do not want to take everything out of my closet?

Community Answer

It will make it a bit harder, but you could do it in chunks, doing the first twenty pieces of clothing, then the next, and so on.
Question

Will the shirts that are folded and piled on an open shelf get dusty?

Community Answer

Yes, they will get dusty if you leave them out for a few weeks. If it is just for a few days, they likely will not accumulate too much dust.