Organizing Closets, Shelves, and Drawers!
Photo by Patrick Ryan on Unsplash
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Organizing Tips for your Closets, Shelving & Drawers
How you feel about your surrounding space impacts how effective you will be performing in that space. This is true for both workspaces and family spaces. By focusing on your closets, shelving and drawers, you will be creating homes for all your things.
Take a moment to think about it!
Do you feel motivated to try out a new recipe in a kitchen where it's hard to access the items you need?
Do you feel relaxed when you sit down to watch your favorite TV Show after dinner when the room is full of unfinished projects?
Do your kids find it hard to wind down before bed, surrounded by a room full of distractions?
The key to designing spaces that feel calm and motivating is creating homes where things are easily accessible, aesthetically pleasing, and often able to be hidden from your line of sight.
Below are some simple suggestions that you may want to implement so that your spaces support you, your needs, and your personality.
Getting Started
When organizing and finding a home for everything, keep in mind that there are three main steps:
Sort & Declutter
Organize and Create New Homes
Purchase Products & Label
These steps are not only listed in the order they should take place, but are also listed in the order of importance. Letting go of the items that are no longer adding value to your life, is key to creating an organized and functional space. While being organized and having the right products does add value to your life, it can NOT make up for having more stuff than can comfortably fit.
I understand that purchasing organizing products can get expensive. I have helped many clients create organized functional spaces, without purchasing a single item. However, I do think there is an added value when incorporating the right products. While the Container Store is an amazing resource, you can find many products that both look and function similarly, from Amazon, Target, or Walmart.
Getting organized is a journey, not a destination. It's not all or nothing. Choose to do what you think will add the most value now and then add the rest to your list for future projects.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Closet & Shelving Tips
Choose matching thin hangers. I personally like thin felt hangers. They add hanging space to your closet, your clothes shouldn't slip off, and they are budget-friendly.
For your coat closet, I would recommend stronger hangers, such as wood or metal hangers.
When deciding what you want to hang and what you want to fold, keep in mind that hanging clothes is faster than folding clothes.
When clothes are hung, as opposed to folded, it's also easier to see all your options.
Don't underestimate the value of adding shelving to your closets. If possible, choose shelving where the shelf heights can be adjusted.
An inexpensive shelving solution is to add metro shelving to your closets. Metro Shelving is strong, you can set the shelf height to fit your needs, and it's easy to both install and remove. If you are renting, this is a great option! It's also perfect for garages and basements.
Remember, everything needs a home. Use bins and boxes to designate those homes.
Happy Spaces' Resources' page has links to my favorite clear boxes. I love that the tops are also clear.
Make sure to label all your bins and boxes.
Sometimes bins' can be hard to label. Here is one option for labeling bins.
Make sure your boxes and bins only contain one or two categories. Below are some common categories:
Tools
Hardware
Batteries
Electronics
Arts & Crafts
Backup Office Supplies
Backup Toiletries
Travel
Travel Toiletries
Shoe Storage can be a challenge. Below are a few ideas:
Pro Tip: Don't be afraid to store items other than shoes, in the above storage solutions. Using clear, over-the-door shoe bags, can be a great solution for kids' stuff.
Storing purses on shelves is a great solution. These dividers can help them stand up.
If you have deep shelving, use deep pantry bins, so that you don't lose access to the items in the back.
Make sure you don't have too much crammed into your space. It should be easy for you to both remove and put back all items.
You should be able to reach all items that you access regularly, without a step stool.
If you are storing items on a high shelf, that you do need to access from time to time, store a stepstool in the closet. If those items are not easily accessible, you won't use them.
Drawer Tips
Drawers don't work for everyone. There is nothing wrong with using bins or boxes, that are open on top, as opposed to drawers.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.