Closets Galore

The biggest thing I struggle with in organization is my closet.  I have a decent sized reach-in closet, but there never seems to be enough space.  I have too many clothes that I have to pack in and so it makes it a very tight space, and then I struggle with what to do.  I feel like I am constantly reorganizing, shuffling, and trying to make things fit.  I end up frustrated, and it never gets fixed.  Check out these two great reach-in closets.

I love the use of the shelves for the shoes, the multiple rods at different heights for hanging clothes, and the shelf/cabinet/drawers for delicates and other things.  This makes the closet look so much bigger, and so well organized!

Another fabulously organized closet.  It is so visually appealing, even when the doors aren't closed.  I would love to have a closet that looks this pretty.

And because I always love to dream about beautiful walk in closets, here is some delicious eye candy:

Beautiful, no?  Not a lot of space, but I'm guessing on the other side of this camera there is a whole lot more of beautiful organization!

Does this closet not make your jaw hit the floor and drool pour out?  Seriously?! AMAZING!

Images via HGTV

Walk-In Luxury

How many of you out there dream of a perfectly organized, beautiful, large walk-in closet?  I know that I certainly do.  I don't have a tiny closet by any means, but it seems that there is never enough room to store all of my clothes, shoes, and accessories.  I feel like I am always out of room, and that I just continue to stuff, stuff, stuff until I can't even see everything I own.  Not efficient.

Check out some of these beautiful closets.  Warning: they will make you jealous.

The bright color makes the space fun, and it would be a great place to experiment with color, since you're really the only one enjoying the space.  I love the mix of the shelves and the closed cabinets, plus the racks to hang things.  The chandelier is an added bonus, of course.

This literally looks like the size of a bedroom.  And the mix of hanging space, shelves, and drawers would allow for everything to have its perfect place.  Ahh...the organization.

I can't tell how large this closet is or what the rest of it looks like, but I can say one thing.  Hello luxury.  You certainly are stunning.

Could you even imagine having a space like this for your closet?  I mean seriously.  I don't think I would ever leave it.

I think this would be my dream closet.  I love white, I love dark hardwood floors, its huge, and could be organized perfectly.  I don't see a single thing wrong or missing from this closet.

Again...organization perfection.  For real.

Which is your favorite space?  Is your closet anything as wonderful as these?

Images via HGTV

Getting Organized: Those Annoying Spaces

You know those places I'm talking about...the linen closet, the hall closets and those darn utility closets.  The places that seem to fill with junk so quickly, and are so hard to organize.  Let's check out Martha's great ideas for organizing these difficult places.

When folding extra bedding, fold the fitted sheet, flat sheet, and extra pillowcase, and place everything inside the other pillowcase.  Easy to keep everything for one bedding set together, and simple to see the different sets that you have.  Plus, this is super easy to do, and doesn't require any money.

Use hooks on doors and walls to help clean up your utility closets.  Hanging brooms, mops, dust pans, etc. really clears up floor space, and multiple things can be hung on the back of one door.  

How smart is this?  Make the most of your basement stairs by adding shelving to store excess products on the other side of the basement railing.  Don't forget about that ever-important storage under the stairs as well.

Hang pictures of what is stored inside garment bags.  This prevents you from having to search through bags to find exactly what you're looking for, and also prevents you from forgetting about what you already own.

Store your winter garments in style.  Hats, gloves, scarves etc. should be wrapped in tissue, and can be stored within cute decorate craft boxes.  Attaching little labels makes them easy to be seen, and keeps them protected for the next year.

Keep tools easily accessible by attaching them to the back of a door.  You'll never have to search for that screwdriver or wrench again,

A great way to store your Christmas ornaments.  Buy plastic storage containers, and cut a piece of corrugated cardboard that will easily slide in and out of the boxes.  Glue Styrofoam cups to the cardboard, allowing you to place the layers of cups on top of one another.  Wrap ornaments in a piece of tissue paper (or toilet paper like we do in my house), place in the cup, and wa-la...protected ornament storage!

Placing a deep bench with a lifting lid allows for easy storage of hats, gloves, coats, shoes, etc. when you walk in the house.  Also allows an easy place to sit and put your shoes on as your heading out.

Store excess pain in airtight plastic storage containers.  These stack easily, and are much smaller than keeping bulky paint cans.

Rolling storage bins under benches or shelves in the basement or garage allow easy access to storage.  The possibilities of what to keep in these bins are endless.

Organize your linen closet.  Buy some decorate baskets, and get ready to separate, organize, and beautify.  Don't forget the labels, so you don't forget whats actually inside these cute baskets.

Use hooks to hang umbrellas inside your hall closet.  This allows super easy access, and ensures you won't forget this necessity when the rain begins to fall.

Another way to organize that hall closet.  Get creative with shelving to maximize the space.  Buying some baskets allow you to keep both winter and summer supplies, all while keeping you organized.  Hooks on the door work well for bags or umbrellas.

All images via Martha Stewart

Getting Organized: Bedroom/Closet

Day 2 in our mission to get organized.  And today we will work with the bedrooms and closets.  Keeping my bedroom and closet organized is usually hardest for me.  I often have too many things and not nearly enough space for everything, especially in the closet.  This results in me shoving things in places, and constantly being unhappy with how it looks or how difficult it is to find things.  This leads to constant reorganization, until I get frustrated and just do the same thing again and again.  My goal for this year is really going to be to find the best way to organize all my my clothes and accessories.  And maybe get rid of things too...

Anyways, here are some wonderful closet and bedroom storage/organization ideas.

I LOVE this idea...but have nowhere near enough room to due it.  Install some molding to your walls about 1-1.5 feet apart, and use this as a space to display all of your heels, as well as hang clothes out for that day/week.  This is a fabulous way to easily display all your shoes, so you never forget about the pair that gets buried at the bottom of the closet.

Buy/make a shadow box and line it with some pretty paper or fabric.  Use it to store your jewelry.  You could also use these as wonderful places to store things like perfumes.  

Under the bed storage on wheels.  This is such a great idea.  You could store extra blankets/bedding, or store clothes that are for the opposite season.  Being on wheels, it would be easy to pull in and out.

Use a ladder-shelf for a nightstand.  This allows your to maximize the storage in the area next to your bed, and also has a fabulous design element.

Another great way to hang your jewelry.  I love having the dowel rod on the bottom to hang scarves.  Hanging some rope across the door really maximizes the storage space by allowing you to hang all your earring, without really taking up space in the cabinet.

Apply felt to hangers.  This makes for a no-slip grip.  Perfect for hanging dresses, tanks, or shirts with wide necks.

Hang a laundry hamper on the back of a door to maximize floor space.  To ensure that it is always open, use an embroidery hoop.  Easy-peasy.

Acrylic boxes make the perfect storage space for ties, belts, watches, and small accessories that are easily lost.  You could stack them as well, as long as you don't forget about what's underneath.

I've seen this picture all over the blog world, and I think I've posted it on here a time or two, but I love it.  Use old brightly-colored tea cups and saucers for a pretty place to store jewelry.  Earrings can be hung over the edges of the cups, necklaces and bracelets can be laid in the cups or in the saucers...the possibilities are endless!

Install pedboards on closet walls.  This allows for easy instillation of hooks, which can be used to hang belts, scarves, hats, bags, etc.

Safety pin a small piece of fabric on the mattress, easily visible each time you change your sheets.  This is an easy reminder of when you have to flip your mattress.

Use business card pocket holders to store buttons, excess thread, needles, etc. Keeping this in your closet or  dresser allows easy access when you loose a button or have a small tear in an item of clothing.

If you have a closet big enough, make yourself a little dressing area.  You can pick out outfits for the day or for the week, and line up shoes, accessories,etc.  Having wide shelving allows you to store random objects, and gives the area a very elegant, chic feel.

This is such a cool idea.  On the outside, this looks like a basic armoire.  Open it up, and you can have a fabulous little crafting station, desk, etc.  You can simply close your mess when your done, and it keeps everything hidden.

Apply felt anti-scratch pads to hangers for a no-slip grip on pants.

Use wooden dividers on any shelving for neat storage stacks.  You can use this in linen closets to stack towels, sheets, etc. or in your bedroom to shack sweaters, tee-shirts, pants, or whatever else you need.  These are cheap and available any any home store, like Home Depot.

What is the hardest area of your house for you to keep organized?

Martha...you are amazing!! I love all of those storage ideas :) Tune in tomorrow for even more ways to organize your closets.

All images via Martha Stewart

Closets Galore

My closet is the one area of my room I feel I am always struggling with.  Probably like most women are, I have far too many clothes to fit in the space that I have.  I am looking forward to the hopeful day where I will be able to have a huge walk-in closet where everything can fit, and everything has its neat little space.

Due to the fact that I don't have that perfect space yet, I feel like sometimes I obsess over my closet.  Trying to get everything in there so that it is organized, easy to find what I need, but still looks nice.  This my friends is no easy feat.  Check out these beautiful closets (although if I had a closet like these...I may never see the outside world again)

Beautiful pink wallpaper + crystal chandelier...you know I'm all about this space.

Khloe Kardashian's shoe closet as featured in Elle Decor.  Oh...those Louboutins are crying out to me.  So jealous.

I love the grey color.  It makes the bright colored clothes just pop.  And gives the closet an elegant feel.

Holy shoes.  This closet definitely offers a space for all of your knick knacks...you could find the perfect storage place for everything.

Love me some dark floors and white cabinets.

I love the hanging shoes in this closet.  It reminds me of a shoe store.

This is an Ikea closet...meaning it is affordable...and I love it!

Not a closet...but a beautifully organized vanity.  I love the mirrored glass and the acrylic dividers for jewelry...never lose those earrings or get that necklace tangled again!

And last but not least...Paris Hilton's closet.  Love the mirrored surfaces.

Now that I have some major closet lust...I feel an overhaul coming my way.  I recently have been going through my closets and trying to get rid of things I don't wear or don't need anymore.  I've gotten rid of 3 huge bags recently, and probably could get rid of 1-2 more.

All images via DecorPad