CUSTOM DESIGN YOUR CLOSET

Getting that custom closet that you dream of can be a lot cheaper and easier than you ever imagined! There are a lot of closet systems on the market today that are both sturdy and adjustable, making it easy for you to buy and put together an organized closet that is designed with you in mind. If you don't want to buy an entire closet system, but your closet definitely needs some updating, consider a weekend DIY project and do it yourself.

You may think that you need an entire organization system, but you may be surprised how little you actually need to organize what you have. Take inventory of what is in your closet. This often means dragging everything out, but you need to do that every now and then anyway. When you get everything out, go ahead and clean all of those musty, ignored areas. Vacuum the floor, dust the shelves, take down boxes, get everything out.

Go through storage boxes and see if you actually need to dedicate your precious closet space to these items. What are you storing? College books? Board games? Photos? Sometimes we store things that we really could get rid of. We just don't want to waste things, so we store them.

Getting rid of things does not necessarily mean that you have to throw them away. It means that you should use it, give it away, sell it, recycle it, or throw it out. Some people make themselves feel better about getting rid of things by selling them and using the money to invest in their new closet. You'll be so happy about the space that you created that you won't miss that box that was taking up half of your only shelf for five years.

Okay, so you've gotten rid of all that you can stand. Now on to determining your needs. What do you have that takes up the most space? Is it coats, shoes or craft projects? Determine what will take up the most room and design around it. If you have a lot of sewing supplies, you might want to start with a series of adjustable shelves for storing fabrics, bins of materials, yarn, your sewing machine and your sewing kit. Decide what size and type of shelves you will need. You may also decide to go with drawers. Drawers keep things out of sight and also keep dust off of your projects.

Shoes can be stored in a variety of ways. If shelves seem to take up too much space for shoes, then consider using space that is normally ignored. The back of the door is a good spot for keeping shoes in an organizer. The interior walls may be better for you. You can install a series of hooks all over the front walls of your closet and hang your shoes there. Just because you have a lot of something doesn't mean that it has to take up the most space.

Be creative and design the closet that meets your personal needs. Update your closet hardware with sturdy coat hangers for heavy items. Choosing wood hangers will not only keep your clothing from getting misshapen, but will also be sturdy enough and stylish enough to last you for many years. Once your closet is done, you can be proud that you did it yourself.

About the Author: Jo Granville is on the staff of Only Hangers, a leading online resource for luxury wooden, plastic and metal clothing hangers.