This worked for me, but my lifestyle is EXTREMELY simple. I work out of the house and I live alone and have a limited wardrobe.
I stopped using dressers and bureaus when I moved into my present apartment: 3 and a half rooms. The bedroom was just too small with one closet for the whole apartment. Instead it contains a double bed and floor to ceiling book cases on 2 walls. One wall is windows and above the bed are framed prints.
Except for socks and underwear, ALL my clothing hangs in the closet: t-shirts, sleepwear, shorts, outerwear - all of it. Suitcases and traveling bags live on the top shelf, along with heavy winter bed clothes and one small box of memorabilia. The shoes live in a shoe pocket thingy on the inside of the closet door, along with scarfs and gloves. The air conditioner lives on the closet floor covered with a blue tarp and a throw rug for the cat along with my winter boots.
The socks and underwear each have a separate covered box on a bookcase shelf. I have also curtailed both of those items...I only buy 1 or 2 brands/styles of each in multiples when on sale. So that all dark socks match each other and all white socks match each other, hence no pairing up sock required.
Unfortunately I was left with nowhere for my bed linens and blankets....those I put in a cedar chest that I installed wheels on and rests under the windows.
As for all those small items usually found in drawers and on top of bureaus. the other side of the closet door has ANOTHER shoe pocket thingy, this one contains shoe horn, nail clippers, static guard, wrinkle release, etc... perhaps making the clutter vertical is no better, but this way i can SEE it all and pitch what is no longer relevant.
btw I have 2 more shoe pocket door things, one I use for cameras and accessories. and the other is on the back of the kitchen door for all the junk drawer things. (i only have 2 dinky kitchen drawers i can't afford a junk drawer)
I find most people use their closet for long term storage instead of short term. Every season I go through the entire closet and move the out of season stuff out to the edges. And donate anything i haven't worn in a year or no longer fit into. I look at what i have for the coming season, then i go to the thrift shops and add new items. Say I only have 2 pairs of biking pants, that i like and fit properly, that gives me a reason to go SHOPPING!
There is nothing in that closet that doesn't get worn once a year, even the funeral clothes and interview suits. And if I find I need something particular I have no guilt about going out and buying exactly what i need. Right now I need a couple more 3 button neck, long sleeve jerseys and alas...i must send my favorite jersey sweater to the dust bin because its too embarrassing to be seen in. sounds like a shopping trip is in order!
