-
-
Search
-
Archives for Closets
Martha Stewart’s on maximizing your closet space
In the January issue of Martha Stewart Living, there is a feature on maximizing your closet space. There is a great photo gallery on MarthaSterwart.com, which highlights some of the excellent ideas.
One of the ideas I liked was the following:
High Altitude: Hard-to-reach areas are a closet’s no-man’s-land. A spring-loaded pull-down rack, which you can install yourself, solves the problem. A light tug on a handle positioned in the center of the rod brings clothes to you. The racks are sold on the web and through some closet and organizing stores.
Be sure to check out the online gallery for even more ideas.
As a final note, I’ve looked for the “spring-loaded pull-down rack,” but have been unable to find a retailer that sells them. Does anyone have an idea of where to find this?
Popularity: 3% [?]
2008 new year’s resolution wrap up
At the start of 2008, I made a new year’s resolution to get my laundry situation under control. Laundry always has been the one chore that I hate more than all the others, and I was determined to find a way to clear my life of laundry stress.
I did a relatively decent job staying on top of my laundry situation until our dryer died and I had to declare laundry bankruptcy in May. Since the dryer situation was fixed, I have to admit that things have gone pretty well in the laundry realm.
From time to time, laundry will get folded and live on the couch for a day before making it into the dresser. However, washed, dried, and folded laundry is leaps and bounds ahead of the huge piles that used to form in the dirty clothes hamper.
The best change I made to keep laundry under control in our home was to decrease the size of our hampers. I got rid of the large hampers and replaced them with single load size hampers. When the hampers are filled, I know I have one load of laundry to wash. Psychologically, I know I can easily take on one load and so I do it without any procrastination. Most weeks, I do a load of laundry every Monday, and two loads on Thursday (I change the sheets on the bed and wash the bath towels as an extra load on Thursday). That’s it. Laundry no longer is a major stress in my life — a wonderful improvement from this point last year.
I’ve started to think about what organizing goal I’m going to add to my 2009 new year’s resolutions. As I did last year, I’ll announce my decision in January and my plan to achieve that goal.
What organizing resolutions are you considering for 2009? How did you fare with your organizing resolutions for 2008? I’m interested in reading what goals you plan to set in the comments!
Popularity: 4% [?]
Save time and effort with a personal shopper
I’m not someone who enjoys spending time shopping for clothes. When I need to update, enhance, or replace items in my wardrobe, I write the information down on a list that I keep on my computer. Then, usually twice a year, I will go shopping to collect the items I need from my list.
In every sense, I am a utilitarian shopper.
One of the frustrating things about being a utilitarian shopper, however, is that fashion trends and my list usually don’t mesh well together. Styles, cuts, and colors change from season to season, and I don’t keep up on these things so it takes me days to find matches for my list.
Recently, I discovered that I can greatly improve my shopping experience with the help of a store’s personal shopper. In every case I have encountered, the service has been free. And, in all but one case, when I offered the shopper a tip, the shopper refused to take it. Free help is my kind of help!
Here’s how it works: You put together a list of what you’re looking for and take your measurements. Then, call your favorite department store and ask to speak to a personal shopper. The shopper will ask you basic questions about your life and your price range, and then you give him or her your list and measurements. You’ll also set an appointment for when you will come in to meet with the personal shopper. At your scheduled time, you arrive and the personal shopper will have clothes already pulled for you that you can try on and see if you like. You have no obligation to buy any of the clothes, and the shopper sticks around while you’re trying on items to see if you need different sizes or different cuts. Usually, at least some of the pieces work, and you’re out the door and on your way home in half the time of a normal shopping experience.
I’ve even tried this process in shops that don’t officially have personal shoppers. When a clerk in the store asks if he or she can help me, I whip out my list and discuss what I’m looking to buy. Nine times out of 10, the clerk will ask you about your size and then go and find some pieces for you. I’ve even had clerks tell me to go ahead and make my way to the fitting room and they brought the items to me. The clerks know their merchandise and find items much more quickly then someone coming into the store.
I also feel that I dress a little more hip now than I used to. The personal shoppers and clerks know the latest trends much better than I do, and they always seem to find things that flatter my body better than I find when I’m left to search a store on my own. For a utilitarian shopper like myself, a personal shopper saves me time and energy when I need new pieces for my wardrobe.
And, it should go without saying, but only use these services when you need to replace or improve your wardrobe. I like to follow the one-in-one-out philosophy with clothes: If I bring something new into my wardrobe, at least one old piece in my current collection has to go to charity or the rag bag.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Ikea hack for toy storage
The older your child gets, the more important it is to find great ideas for toy storage. It is always important to get rid of toys that your child doesn’t want or play with any longer to keep the toy inventory manageable. It also is important to find a storage solution that is easy for you and your child to use. Enter this idea from Ikea Hacker:
The hack uses the Ikea Pax wardrobe and Trofast storage boxes, which fit perfectly in the slots. This hack stores an incredible about of toys and is simple to create. I’m not sure if my daughter has enough toys to fill a full Pax wardrobe, but I’m sure we will be able to find use for all of the drawers.
(via ohdeedoh)
Popularity: 14% [?]
Reader question: Closet clustering separators
Reader Te sent us the following question:
I was just “hipped” to using clustering to organize the clothes in your closet. I really like the idea, however I am trying to imagine a neat looking closet that is organized in that fashion. And I also cant see an efficient (visually pleasing) way to see the distinctions between the clusters. I know people use those little round things that they have in department stores but I think there should be something better, maybe longer like a piece of material that can make a cleaner distinction.
What are your thoughts on this method of closet organization and making it so that it is not visually cluttering?
Clustering by type of clothing can easily make a visual distinction between groups of clothing in your closet and you probably won’t need a separator to indicate the start of a new section. This is how I organize my closet and, moving left to right, I have suit coats, slacks/pants, short sleeve tops, skirts, long sleeve tops, and dresses. The types of clothing are different enough that it is an abrupt change and no extra identification is necessary.
I’ve also seen fabulously designed wardrobes built out of the Elfa system where different clusters are hung at different heights so that no group hangs immediately next to another group. If you have such a system, then simply rearrange the hanging rod heights to eliminate the side-by-side confusion.
When people cluster items, however, they don’t always cluster slacks with slacks, short sleeve shirts with short sleeve shirts, and suit coats with suit coats. Some people cluster by color, season, type of situation where they would wear the clothing (office, client site, home, garden, exercise), or another clustering system that makes the most sense for his or her life. When this is the case, I can see a desire to use a more formal separation system on a single hanging rod.
The following list contains just a few ideas I’ve seen successfully used in the past. I think the possibilities are endless, so be creative and go where your style leads you!
- Ribbons. Tie a piece of ribbon around the hanging rod and make it loose enough that it can move, but tight enough that it doesn’t slide around when you don’t want it to slide. Frilly types might want to make it into a bow, others might want to tie a knot and nothing more.
- Cedar blocks or lavender sachets. Using one of these items, you can ward off pests and separate your clothes.
- Clear suit bag. The person I saw who did this with her closet had a suit start every cluster of items. You wouldn’t have to use them for suits, though, and simply put the first item of each section in one of these.
If any of our readers have more ideas, please share them in the comments!
Popularity: 10% [?]
Reader suggestion: Use pant hangers and binder clips for boot storage
Reader Lisa sent us the following simple suggestion:
I have a lot of winter boots but I could never store them in a way that I could easily see or access my choices. With pant hangers (locking rod type) and binder clips, I have hung five pair of boots per hanger — easy to view, and easy to access. Put a piece of cloth in between the teeth of the clip to prevent damage to your boots!
If you have the closet space, this is really a terrific solution. Check out the photos that appear below to see exactly how Lisa made her boot storage system.
Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your idea with us!
Popularity: 9% [?]
Reader question: How to fold a t-shirt
Reader Zac sent us the following question:
I have always hung my t-shirts my entire life. But my collection of band t-shirts has become so overwhelming that once I move into my new apt it will no longer be possible to hang said t-shirts. I was wondering if you could post some tips on folding t-shirts. I have seen that “how to fold a t-shirt in 2 seconds” thing all over, but I just can’t really dig it.
Let me begin by passing along links to our other readers about the referenced “how to fold a t-shirt in 2 seconds” video. If you haven’t seen this, it is definitely worth viewing. This is the video in its original language and it translated into English.
Now back to Zac’s alternative method question …
I’m not really sure that there is a wrong way to fold a t-shirt, so feel welcome to pick the method that best suits your needs:
- Create a t-shirt folding device out of cardboard and fold like associates do in retail stores.
- This method folds the t-shirts up really small.
- Instructions for how to fold a long sleeve t-shirt that would easily work for a short sleeve shirt.
And, just because I’m feeling punchy, this video explains how to fold a dollar bill into a t-shirt.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Hangers, hangers, hangers!
Having an organized closet can improve the life of your clothing, and quality hangers can help keep your clothes in their best shape. Many closets have mismatched hangers that have been collected over the years: A wire hanger there, a thick plastic one here, and wooden one there. Having the same hangers keeps any closet that much more uniform, which appeals to many people, but having the best type of hanger for your needs can be important, too. So, what type of hanger does one choose? If you are to overhaul your closet, and your out-of-control hanger collection, which hanger is the best?
I’m sure our readers have many differing opinions on what the best hanger is, but I’ll highlight a few of my favorite options:
Ultra Slim Black Flocked Hangers: Bed, Bath and Beyond offers these thin options that claim to save up to 50% of your closet space. (via Apartment Therapy)
Vertical Hangers: If you want to keep your hangers, you can go this route and store five garments in the space for one. And they are cedar scented!
Classic Plastic: My closet is currently filled with these fat things. They don’t stretch out my clothing, but I’m not too thrilled about them. (Erin loves these, however …)
Wooden: These are probably more useful for a coat closet or suit storage.
For more on all things hangers, Real Simple has a resource for finding which hanger is best for different types of clothing. Also, when it comes to those wire hangers, round them up and drop them off at your dry cleaner’s the next time you’re running errands. Dry cleaners almost always accept used wire hangers.
Popularity: 11% [?]
Plan out the week’s clothing on Sunday
Back to school time is almost here. In the coming weeks, parents and children will be fighting each morning about what younger children will wear. My daughter isn’t quite there yet, she’s only two, but we are planning on laying out the weeks clothes on Sunday. With the help of your child, you can make the Sunday night clothing ritual a regular routine. It will surely save you time each morning while getting your child ready for school.
The process of picking out the clothes can be tough, but there is an easy and child-centric way to store the week’s clothes in your child’s closet. The Kids’ Soft-Sided 6 Day Closet Organizer can help you and your little student get her clothes in order. You don’t need this organizer to get your child’s clothes in order for the week (it would be simple to make your own), but a designated system can help get the process to be a regular routine.
Popularity: 17% [?]
What would you choose for Seth Brundle?
Today, a commenter made a response to Matt’s Plan out the week’s clothing on Sunday post that gave me a good laugh:
“I use the Seth Brundle method of not having many different work clothes, and they all pretty much go together (IMO). This works so well I often forget that Friday is casual day, because I just pick the next shirt and trousers without thinking.”
If you don’t immediately catch the Seth Brundle reference, check out the Wikipedia page on the subject. Brundle is the protagonist in the film The Fly and he “adopted a habit of Albert Einstein’s when he bought five identical sets of clothes so as not to waste mental energy deciding what to wear each day.”
Einstein didn’t actually do this, but Adrian Monk’s character on the television show Monk does and so does Apple’s Steve Jobs (at least in his public appearances).
We’ve discussed the benefits and disadvantages of a limited wardrobe a few times on the site, but we haven’t talked about what would be the ideal “uniform” IF you chose to have one.
My guess would be the following:
Male — Dress khakis, white button dress shirt, brown or black leather shoes with coordinating belt.
Female — Black slacks, white button dress shirt, black leather 1/2″ heels and coordinating belt.
Okay, there is nothing creative about either outfit I picked, but I think most people would be able to pull it off except for formal parties. Also, I’m not sure that most people would know that it’s a repeated uniform, unless they saw you regularly.
What do you think is the ideal uniform? I’m not suggesting you need one, this is just a fun thought experiment for a Thursday afternoon. Let me know what would be your suggestions for ideal uniforms in the comments!
—
Our apologies for this post coming in on a weird schedule. Ack! Some days, technology wins.
Popularity: 13% [?]
