Closet Design Ideas

Cluttered closets can really start to weigh on you. With all the options available today, there is bound to be a closet design that will work for you. Whether you have a walk-in or a reach-in closet, you can use your imagination to create the closet of your dreams. Custom closets are all the rage. With a little creativity, you can create your own custom closet design that meets your needs.

Walk-in closets are really the easiest to tackle. You have the space that you need to utilize drawers, shelves, bars and racks. Take advantage of the space that you have by designing a usable closet that accommodates your specific needs.

Start with your most basic need. Would you like your dress clothes, work wardrobe, and casual clothes separated? Or would you rather have a his and hers set-up? You can actually combine these options and organize each side of the closet separately. You can use the back wall of a walk-in closet for shoes, shelves, cabinets, laundry or basic storage.

A reach-in closet is more challenging, but can actually offer as much space as a walk-in closet. You’ll need to utilize the vertical space and the depth that you have available. Too many reach-in closets have shelves and bars positioned in the center of the closet. If you move them back, you can reveal a lot of space towards the front of the closet. Many people choose to install shelving or side bars in these areas. You can give yourself a lot of storage space in an area that you didn’t even consider a possibility before.

Vertical space is also often ignored. Moving the top shelf up higher will allow you to add extra shelves or even extra bars underneath. You can divide bars of clothes with a shelf containing shallow drawers. They only take up inches of space, but give you tons of storage for smaller items like jewelry, socks, underwear, stockings, ties and belts.

Whichever type of closet you have, you can always add hooks, bins and baskets to help keep things organized. If you’re still low on space, consider clothes hangers that have special purposes. Skirt hangers, cascading hangers, and scarf hangers can save you tons of room. You can further upgrade your closet by selecting a nice wood hanger that comes in a lot of different styles to accommodate your wardrobe. A sturdy coat hanger can be used for suits, coats, robes, or any other heavy items that need to be hung. You’ll be surprised how much space you can make by simply rearranging shelves and updating your hangers!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Closet Hamper DIY Project

Laundry can quickly get out of control when you need to keep it in the closet. Before you abandon the idea of keeping your laundry out of sight, consider this DIY hamper project. It will make your laundry easy to access and out of sight. It keeps the dirty clothes from piling up on your closet floor and it is easy to get to when it’s time to do the wash.

There are a few goals of this hamper project. One, you want to make it easy access so that you don’t just bypass it and toss your dirty clothes beside it. So, you will want an opening or swinging door so that you can easily push your clothes inside. The swinging door should be hinged from the top and swing inward. You can push your clothes inside and it’ll swing back shut. You may decide to leave a space between the cabinet and swinging door so that children do not smash their fingers. The space also adds extra ventilation.

Speaking of ventilation, you don’t want your laundry hamper to smell or encourage mildew growth in your closet. For this reason, you should use cedar to build or line your hamper. Cedar is a natural deodorizer. It absorbs moisture from the air and inhibits the growth of molds and mildews. The fragrant smell of the wood will make your whole closet smell fresh year round.

You will also want to include a cabinet door to cover the laundry basket inside the hamper. You can use a regular cabinet door, or you may choose to use a roll-top door. These are really nice if you have limited space for opening and closing a cabinet door inside of your closet. The roll top will also catch clothes that people may put in the hatch while you have the basket out. When you close the basket back inside of the hamper, the roll top will drop the dirty clothes into the basket.

You can build your closet hamper with slats on the sides instead of solid wood if you would like a more open look. You can also add other closet organizers to the hamper. For example, a few wooden shelves off of the sides make for great shoe racks. Use the color stain and varnish that you like to make the hamper match your furniture. You can also use paint to finish your project.

When you’re done with the hamper, update other areas of your closet to make it all look great. Your hangers are a good place to start. Your clothes hangers can also be cedar to keep down odors and moisture in your closet. This is especially useful in a closet that contains laundry. You can find a good wood hanger or coat hanger made from cedar online directly from the manufacturer to save money. Remember to be creative and patient while you work on your new closet hamper project!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Creating Beautiful Closets on a Budget

A nice, spacious home can still feel cramped if you don’t have your closets in order. Many of us put off organizing our closets because we don’t have the money to fix it up how we would like. Here are some budget friendly options for getting your closet beautifully organized.

Shelving in your closet will add a lot of space. You don’t have to spend a fortune to add storage shelves. Wire shelving is very easy to install, comes in multiple sizes, and it won’t break the bank. It can hold boxes, blankets, sweaters, shoes, baskets and more. It can hold a considerable amount of weight if it is properly anchored into the studs of your closet. Another convenience of wire shelving is that you can buy standardized attachments for it, giving you hanging space for tote bags, sports equipment, robes and more.

If wire shelves aren’t your thing, you might like wood. Wood shelving doesn’t have to be expensive, although it can be. Preassembled shelves normally cost more, but you can buy just the wood from your lumber and hardware store and save a bundle. We built 1’x1’x1’ cubby shelves from the floor to the ceiling and only spent $50. They are sturdy, solid wood, and we stained them to match our furniture. Cubby shelves and corner shelves are so useful and take up such little space. If you don’t have room in the front of your closet, try moving the hanging bar back a few inches until the clothes hangers are close to the wall. You can discover so much space just by thinking outside the box!

Another inexpensive option is to add another hanging bar. Just move your current bar up as high as you can comfortably reach. Be sure to support the bar by anchoring it into a stud. If you don’t have a stud in the right place, you can anchor a 1”x4” board into the studs around the area where you want your bar, and then attach the bar to your board. Most bars come with a bracket that hooks over the wood for added support. Do the same thing down below and you just doubled your hanging space. You may want to put a short bar on either side of the closet for items that hang down lower, like dresses and suits. With each bar costing under $10, this could be the most dramatic, cheapest change you’ve ever made to your closet.

When you get the space, update your clothes hangers. Hangers can make or break a closet. You would be surprised how cheaply you can stock your closet with a sturdy wood hanger or coat hanger if you go directly to the supplier or manufacturer online. You can usually get discounts for buying in bulk. Enjoy your new, spacious, budget-friendly closet!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

How to Make Room for Christmas

It’s that time of year again. We love giving gifts to all of our family and friends. But, it’s also fun to receive! We, as Americans, receive a lot more gifts at Christmas than most people do year round. But, there’s one problem. Clutter! Most of the time, we bring in a lot of new clothes, toys, purses, electronics, etc. and don’t have anywhere to put the new stuff. Follow this guide to help you find places for all of your new belongings without cluttering up your house!

1) Prepare for the season by cleaning out your closets. Check to see what you haven’t worn since last Christmas. Some things you may like and hang on to, even though you don’t ever wear them. This is a great time of year to show some Christmas spirit and give clothing to those in need. Take the opportunity to teach your children about charity and encourage them to get rid of some clothes and shoes, too.

2) Clear out old toys. This is a great time to clean up the kids’ rooms too. Children need to learn that it is as good to give as it is to receive. Have them select toys that they have outgrown to donate to charity. Teachers love getting little toys, like cars, kid’s meal toys, and other little things that they can give to the kids as rewards for good behavior. Divide up toys that have parts into different sections of the room. As you go through all of the toy boxes, make sure that you have enough of each thing to keep it. If something is broken or missing too many pieces to be fun anymore, get rid of it.

3) Get a storage system in place that is functional for you and your family. If you still have some summer clothes in your closets and dressers, box them up and put them into storage. You can invest in some containers that seal or some bags that you can vacuum down to a small size for storage if you like. There is usually space underneath the beds for storing out of season clothing. If not, consider a rolling garment rack for storing your clothes. Zip up the cover and you’re done. The clothes won’t get wrinkled or musty if you use cedar hangers.

4) Go through the house and get rid of those little heaps of junk that don’t have a place to go. If you consolidate, you can usually make a space in a bucket, bin, or file for all of that little junk. If things that you use everyday are robbing you of counter or desk space, then invest a little in an organization system that works. Use a charging station by the front door or on the kitchen counter so that keys, wallets, phones, cameras, battery chargers, and spare change have a good place to go.

5) Coats and winter wear can quickly create problem areas in your home if you’re not ready. Fix up your coat closet so that everything has a place to go. Your hangers are important here. Regular clothes hangers are great for light jackets, but a coat hanger or wood hanger is necessary for heavier items.

When your home is in order, you’ll be ready for Christmas!

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Build a Closet Out of the Closet DIY

Closets are notoriously cluttered and too small. You can organize, create storage, use vertical space, but you still may be left feeling like whoever designed your closet must have been a minimalist. Sometimes it is helpful to build space outside of the closet to expand on your storage space.

Closets outside of the closet are becoming more and more popular. These are commonly called wardrobe closets. Some people use extra dressers or an armoire for extra space. You can also use a rolling garment rack for more room. These usually have a zip-up cover and make a great space for storing out of season clothing, coats, or suits. But, if you want something more permanent that you can use for your everyday clothes, then you might consider a wardrobe closet.

The designs for wardrobe closets are really endless. For an industrial feel, you could hang a metal bar from chains attached to the ceiling. Place a shelf below for shoes and you’re done. You might dress it up a little by using sturdy metal hangers or black velvet hangers.

If the industrial feel is not for you, you can go with something more classic. Wooden shelves always look beautiful and are very sturdy. Decorative wooden brackets can turn a board into a beautiful work of art. If you’re into do it yourself projects, this one is really simple. Take your sculpted brackets and a board for a shelf and stain them to whatever color you want. Use a good varnish to finish it off and hang it.

You can even buy prefabricated shelves with hanging bars, perfect for extra hanging storage. Get some decorative baskets or bins for the tops of the shelves. Top it off with some nice clothes hangers, like a wood hanger or coat hanger and you’re done.

If you need even more space, consider some cabinetry. Cabinets can be purchased unfinished so that you can stain them whatever color you would like. Another option is to go with cedar and some cedar hangers, giving your wardrobe closet a really unique and beautiful look. You can install cabinets with hanging bars in between the different sections.

Another way to do it is to build an encased exterior closet. Install your shelves, bars and cabinets like normal, then encase it in solid pieces of wood. This “built-in” look is really popular. Add some finishing touches to make it your own and to keep it from looking homemade. You can use small 1”x2” boards on the fronts of each shelf. Use more to line the sides of the whole closet. With a little bit of crown moulding around the top and bottom, you’ve got yourself a professional looking closet outside of the closet. Use matching, high-end clothes hangers to keep the look sophisticated and you’re all done.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.

Home Improvement Closet Tips

If you are thinking of remodeling a closet, building a closet, or simply making better use of your space, then you will probably run into some questions. The most common question that we get is, “How do I make the most of this small space?”

This is a big one! Everyone wants to know how to use their space efficiently without having to start from scratch. There are a lot of things you can do. One is to design a closet system that accommodates the types of items that you want to keep in your closet. This can be a very personalized design. For example, if you are a crafter, then you may need bins and shallow drawers that other people wouldn’t have a use for. If you have a lot of sports equipment, you may need a specialized rack to hold hockey sticks, bats, or helmets.

You can go with an easy to install wire shelving system or build a system yourself. Figure out a budget and go from there. You may want to sell a lot of the items that you have stored to make money for a better closet system. You can hire a professional or use these tips to do it yourself.

Make use of vertical space. Remember that most people waste yards of square footage simply because they don’t think to consider vertical space. People also don’t use the full depth of their closets. That top shelf could be moved up, and it could also extend on the sides out to the front of the closet. Shelves can be built down both sides, creating loads of storage without spending much money at all.

Another thing that people don’t think about when proclaiming that their closet is too small is how they use their hangers. Hangers are often overlooked and can present a huge closet problem. Your clothes hangers can make or break your storage space. Hangers can cross up on the bar, make your clothes end up on the floor, take up too much valuable space, or actually damage your clothing.

Choose clothes hangers based on the types of clothes that you have and the space that you have to put them in. A wood hanger is a great option for clothes that need to keep their shape and stay wrinkle free. Make sure that the wood hanger you choose is curved to match the shape of your coats and suits. Notches, pants bars, and non-staining hooks are things to look for when shopping for a coat hanger that will not disappoint.

For your regular, everyday clothes, you may not need a wood hanger if you need to save on space. Velvet hangers that are flat can save space. Metal hangers, not wire hangers, are sturdy, flat, and have a sophisticated look that matches a contemporary décor. Your clothes hangers can be purchased with specific garments in mind to cascade and pair up items that would normally take up a lot of room. Get your closet in order with these simple tips and you could avoid a major closet overhaul.

About the Author: Joe Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for wood hangers, coat hangers and all types of clothes hangers which is recognized for the excellent quality and value of its wood hanger and coat hanger offerings. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhangers.com.